We Clueless girls both have memories of special childhood Easter celebrations. Krista fondly remembers waking up to a loud thumping sound one Easter Sunday. Her mom rushed into the room to alert the kids that the Easter bunny was making a delivery. Krista remembers being wide-eyed and filled with excitement as she listened to the loud "Boom! Boom! Boom!" of the Easter bunny. Little did she know that her dad wasn't really in the shower at the time -- the water that was running was a decoy. He wore himself out so much hopping around on two feet that he limped the rest of the day -- but the kids never caught on. All they could talk about was how big the bunny must have been to make such a ruckus.
Ann, on the other hand, recalls fun family Easter egg hunts in unusual locations -- such as a Civil War park (the queen's nest -- the mother lode -- was in the cannon, of course) and a cow pasture (no, there weren't any eggs hidden under cow patties). She also remembers how her parents broke the whole Easter bunny/Easter basket tradition. They sat her and her brother down and explained that the Easter bunny got married and was retiring from the business. Nice, huh?
No matter what your family Easter traditions might be, we're sure they culminate in a nice family feast. To make the job of putting the meal together easier, we've pulled together a make-ahead menu with lots of tips.
Make-Ahead Easter Menu (serves 12)
Teo's Punch
Ham (Purchase a presliced or spiral-sliced ham to make your life easier.)
Fontina, Asparagus, and Leek Strata (This one dish serves double-duty: Count is as your bread and your vegetable.)
Strawberry-Kiwi Salad with Basil
Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting
Tips for Teo's Punch:
To serve 12, go to a serving size of about 3/4 cup. To make sure everyone has plenty (and can have seconds), double the recipe.
Mix together all ingredients except the club soda up to a day ahead. Refrigerate, and add soda just before serving.
Add some rum for a decidedly adult enhancement.
Tips for Fontina, Asparagus, and Leek Strata:
To serve 12, double the strata (assemble in two 13 x 9-inch baking dishes). Bake side-by side in the oven, and add 10 minutes to the cooking time if needed.
Stratas are meant to be put together in advance and refrigerated several hours or before baking, which makes them ideal for a plan-ahead meal.
Choose firm, bright green asparagus stalks with tight tips. It's best cooked the same day it's purchased but will keep tightly wrapped in a plastic bag for 3 to 4 days.
Leeks look like really big green onions. They have a mild flavor that tastes like a combination of garlic and onion. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag up to 5 days. Before using, trim the rootlets and leaf ends. Slit the leeks vertically, and wash thoroughly to remove any dirt trapped between the layers.
To easily chop the parsley, place the leaves in a measuring cup, and snip away using kitchen scissors.
One medium lemon will give you 2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon rind. Be sure to wash the fruit prior to zesting. If you have it, use a citrus zester or microplane grater; otherwise, you can use a fine cheese grater. Only remove the colored part of the peel -- the white portion is bitter.
Fontina cheese is a mild, nutty, creamy cheese. Substitute Swiss or Muenster cheese if you can't find fontina.
To make fresh breadcrumbs, place bread in a food processor or blender, and pulse until crumbled.
Tips for Strawberry-Kiwi Salad with Basil:
To serve 12, triple this recipe.
Prepare the recipe (leave out the basil) several hours in advance of serving. Just before meal time, stir in the basil.
Half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts cream and milk; it adds a lot of richness to this dish. It will keep in the refrigerator for almost a week after the pull date on the label if you store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
We used white balsamic vinegar instead of traditional balsamic so it wouldn't discolor the sauce. Look for it with the other vinegars in the supermarket.
Store ripe kiwis in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Choose brightly colored, plump strawberries that still have their green caps attached. They should have a potent strawberry fragrance; those that don't aren't fully ripe and won't ripen after being picked. Avoid soft, shrivled, or moldy berries. Do not wash until ready to use, and store (preferably in a single layer on a paper towel) in a moistureproof container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Tips for Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting:
Make the cake up to 2 days ahead. Store, loosely covered, in the refrigerator.
Butter is the correct softness when it gently yields to the pressure of a finger. If you can push your finger deeply into the butter, it's too soft.
Make sure that you're not scooping your flour. Follow our directions to lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and then level off the excess with a knife. If you scoop, you can get up to twice as much flour as intended.
Store baking powder in a cool, dry place . If you haven't used it for 6 months, combine 1 teaspoon with 1?3 cup hot water (to make sure it still works). If the mixture bubbles, then your baking powder is still potent.
If you can't find buttermilk at your grocery store, you can make your own. Just add 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of 1 percent or 2 percent milk (this doesn't work very well with skim milk), and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
One medium lemon will give you 2 to 3 teaspoons of lemon rind. Be sure to wash the fruit prior to zesting. If you have it, use a citrus zester or microplane grater; otherwise, you can use a fine cheese grater. Only remove the colored part of the peel -- the white portion is bitter.
