A Lovely New England Brunch

Dan and I spent New Year's in New England with good friends, Rory and Darren who live in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Their town is as quaint as can be, and at moments I felt like I was in a story book.

Our gracious hostess Rory made us the most delightful brunch today. It was a perfect New England-y set-up with beautiful country flowers, delicious coffee and a savory omelet. A touch of Astoria was infused into the equation, as Dan and I brought over giant bagels from the Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company. You can see the lovely spread above. The recipe for the omelet came from Ina Garten's latest cookbook, Back to Basics.

Country French Omelet:

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 tbs of good olive oil

3 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup (1 inch diced) unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 extra-large eggs

3 tbs milk

1 tbs unsalted butter

1 tbs fresh chopped chives (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof omelet pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned but not crisp. Take the bacon out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

Place the potatoes in the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until very tender and browned, tossing occasionally to brown evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same plate with the bacon.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper together with a fork. After the potatoes are removed, pour the fat out of the pan and discard. Add the butter, lower the heat to low, and pour the eggs into the hot pan. Sprinkle the bacon, potatoes and chives evenly over the top and place the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes, just until the eggs are set. Slide onto a plate, divide in half, and serve hot.