I strongly believe that you should not go out to eat on big restaurant holidays, like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. The restaurants are crowded, the prices inflated and the waitstaff harried. Restaurant critics will tell you the same thing but then give you a long list of restaurant recommendations anyway because that is their job.

So, my advice is to skip the long lines at the brunch buffet this Mother’s Day — Mom does not wish to be celebrated with rubbery eggs, I promise you — and make a fabulous brunch at home instead. But to make this really be a treat for Mom, you have to do it right. That means doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen afterward, okay? Setting a nice table with some fresh flowers won’t hurt either.

To help you out, I have gathered together several of my springtime recipes that would be perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch.

First, I suggest a Turnip Greens and Potato Frittata.  Frittatas are less fussy than omelets in my opinion – no flipping required – and bake in the oven at the end, which gives you more time to set a nice table and clean up a bit. This frittata uses some lovely spring produce, like baby turnip greens and new potatoes.

Turnip greens have a reputation for being bitter, but that is less of an issue with younger, smaller leaves such as those that top the small Hakurei or Tokyo turnips that you see in the stores and at the farmers market this time of year. If you don’t have turnip greens, you can substitute any dark leafy green from mustard greens to spinach. Mom loves it when we eat our dark, leafy greens, doesn’t she? So healthy.

To go with our springtime frittata, we are going to make this delicious and healthy Strawberry Maple Granola using oven-dried strawberries. Yes, it is possible to dry strawberries at home without any special equipment! Dried strawberries are tart little wonders, perfect for baking, sprinkling on cereal or (obviously) adding to granola.

Here, I add dried strawberries to a lovely, maple-sweetened granola with blanched almonds. Strawberries and maple are a classic combination and cinnamon and healthy dose of vanilla add to the sweet taste. The dried berries themselves are quite tart, so they add a nice bit of contrast as well as a chewy bite. Serve this granola with some vanilla yogurt for a healthy and satisfying addition to your Mother’s Day menu.

To drink, Mom definitely wants a Venetian Spritz made with her second favorite beverage after coffee: Prosecco. This brunch cocktail is the color of an Italian sunset and tastes like a refreshingly fizzy orange squash with just a hint of bitterness to make Mom feel sophisticated.

A Venetian Spritz is typically made with Prosecco, Aperol and blood orange juice, but for Mom, I prefer to make a homemade orange-rosemary syrup. The orange flavor is more intense than with juice alone, the sweetness of the simple syrup offsets the bitterness of the Aperol, and the rosemary adds a pleasing herbaceous note. If you can’t find blood oranges right now — and it is a bit past their season — any orange will work just fine but you won’t get this lovely rosy color. Oh well!

For dessert, how about these rhubarb buttermilk miniature Bundt cakes? These individually-sized cakes make a charming brunch dessert and are even fun to give as gifts or favors.  Moist and tender, my mini rhubarb Bundt cakes are perfect with just a light dusting of powdered sugar, but if you really wanted to get fancy, you could top them with a citrusy glaze by mixing powdered sugar with lemon or orange juice until you reached the right consistency and drizzling it over the top.

Lastly, if you are looking for a great gift for a Mom in your life who loves to cook, consider pre-ordering her  a copy of my new cookbook, Food Swap, which is filled with over 80 recipes for all kinds of delicious, homemade goodies and DIY projects, like Mexican Hot Chocolate Truffles, Beet Tahini Dip, Patty’s Carrot Soup, Strawberry Rhubarb Jalapeño Jam and many more. Includes adorable paper tags for decorating and gifting your homemade foods!

If you would like to order a signed copy with a personal message to your Mom, please email me or leave a comment here and I will make that happen for you!