Our little church turns 150 this year! It’s the old Solmesville Church on the county road. Mr. Solmes was a fella with big (some say megalomaniacal) dreams for this part of the island. He envisioned a bustling port with a mill and shops. He got started by building the church and cemetery, schoolhouse and a family manse. The good folks of Northport didn’t see things the same way and eventually the port was built there instead. All three of old Solmes projects still survive. In fact, the schoolhouse next door has recently received a renovation to the tune of about a half-million dollars but that’s another story.
Though unrelated to the little church’s birthday, we’re being treated to a visit from family who are coming to us all the way from Virginia Beach. It seemed like a good time for an old-fashioned Church Supper. My hubby is awfully good about planning barbeque menus so all I’ll have to do are salads and sides, cleaning and setting up for overnight guests. (Since only the great room and loft are finished, this will be something of a challenge!) Happily, I’ll also be doing a lovely brunch which is my favorite meal to cook.
I’m going to make a favorite recipe of mine, one that I re-vamped from a Crabtree & Evelyn recipe, Eggs Baked in Crepe Nests. This is one of those great dishes that look terribly complicated but are actually a snap to make. It’s makes for a convenient brunch for a full table because the crepes can be done in advance. The eggs go into the oven all at the same time and brunch arrives on the table, piping hot, all at once rather than juggling eggs and pancakes and bacon and blah, blah, blah. It looks beautiful when served and lends itself to any number of treatments. (And how could you go wrong with hollandaise?)
