Serve up a joyful brunch for your holiday guests

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil and butter (enough to coat bottom of skillet). When it starts to sizzle, add garlic, potatoes, peppers, herbs and mushrooms. Sauté for 1 minute. Crack eggs (# of eggs determined by number of people served) directly on top of mixture in pan. Place skillet in oven for 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from oven. Season with salt, pepper and fresh parsley and drizzle basil purée on top. Serve with grilled bread or toast. Garnish with fresh basil springs.

To make the Basil Purée
(makes 1 pint, will last in refrigerator for 2 weeks; can substitute with store bought purée)
Puree in food processor until well puréed. Refrigerate in jar.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread one side of bread with jam. Place another slice on top. Place entire sandwich in shallow bowl with egg batter, let sit for a few seconds and then quickly turn over. Let sit on other side for 30 seconds. Place pan over medium heat and add clarified butter. Carefully lift sandwich from batter and let excess drip off into bowl. Place in pan undisturbed and sauté on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip with spatula to other side, place 1 tbsp of hazelnut butter directly on top of sandwich and put in oven immediately for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Lift sandwich onto warm platter, drizzle with warm maple syrup and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Repeat process for each “sandwich.”

Heat water and sugar in sauce pan until sugar is dissolved. Add zest of lemon, lime and orange along with the scraped vanilla and the pod. Chill thoroughly.
Toss syrup with fruit — use desired amount.
Can stay in refrigerator for 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Add milk, cream and cinnamon sticks into sauce pan. Add vanilla beans and scraped pod. Give it a quick stir. Bring the mixture up to a boil over medium heat. Stop the heat. Add chocolate into sauce pan. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pass through a sieve into a container. Pour immediately into a mug and top with a large marshmallow.
Can be stored in refrigerator in an airtight container for 6 days. Reheat at will.