We hosted a brunch on Sunday morning.  Or, rather: we hosted a brunch on Sunday!  Yes, us—the ones with the little baby girl.  The ones who not so long ago were subsisting on food delivered by others, and dining to the charming (not) chirping bird sounds that emanate from Avery’s bouncy chair (that still happens, mind you, and those bird noises shall forever haunt my dreams).

It wasn’t the first time we’ve cooked for others since our family’s ranks swelled from two to three.  There was a barbecue when Avery was a week-and-a-half old, which ended with a screaming baby (and also some delicious brownies).  And there have been sporadic meals for family and friends, all of which have involved large amounts of help and luck.  But this brunch was different.  I spent a few days dreaming up a menu, and thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of preparing the spread, from food shopping to cooking to plattering it up.  The morning itself was lovely—my in-laws and my mom and my little family all ate in our living room, plates balanced on our knees as we caught up and passed the baby.  It was a meal that made me feel like we’re actually getting the hang of this.

The brunch was also different because the menu was gluten-free, as Kevin’s brother-in-law recently had to cut gluten from his diet.  I swapped out my usual go-to strata in favor of a clafoutis, and I baked a lemon cake that relied on cornmeal and almond meal in lieu of flour.

The brunch didn’t suffer at all from the lack of gluten, and it of course benefited from the presence of a certain tiny human.  All in all, a big success.

The Menu:

Roasted Tomato Clafoutis (recipe below)
Griddled Chicken Breakfast Sausages
Mixed Berries
Lemon Cornmeal Cake (pictured above; recipe here)

Roasted Tomato Clafoutis
Adapted from Whole Living

3 pounds cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
a dozen (or so) sprigs of fresh thyme
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
10 large eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.

On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss tomatoes and garlic with oil and thyme sprigs and season with salt and pepper. Roast until caramelized, about 30 minutes, then transfer tomatoes and juices to the prepared baking dish and let cool slightly. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cornstarch, coconut milk, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and basil, then pour mixture over tomatoes.

Bake until top is golden brown and edges are puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.