Girl Meets Farm (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 7 - Ladies Who Brunch - full transcript

MOLLY: I'm making a brunch feast

for some of my favorite
ladies in town --

mini kale shakshoukas
with feta, garlic, and lemon...

I love feta.

It's gonna go great
with all these flavors.

...my sweet-potato-and-bacon
hash,

and my make-ahead
baked-challah French toast

with a blueberry topping.

And for a little gift,
some biscotti --

with sprinkles, naturally.

♪♪



Oh, yah.

Mmm!

Hey! This is me -- Molly Yeh.

I'm a cookbook author
and food blogger.

This is my husband, Nick.

This is our new addition.

And this is our home --

our farm on the
North Dakota/Minnesota border,

the place where I eat,
sleep, and breathe food.

[ Camera shutter clicks ]

These look like a party.

My food is a delicious mix of
my Chinese and Jewish heritage

and a taste of the Midwest.

♪♪



I can't wait
to see my girlfriends

for our brunch club tomorrow.

I'm getting ahead

by prepping my fluffy
baked-challah French toast.

It's creamy, it's not too sweet,

and it's got a hint of tartness
from some lemon,

and it's a cinch to prep.

I'll start by making my custard.

I'm gonna crack eight eggs
into this big bowl.

Lots of eggs...
but that's why I get chickens.

I love these prep-ahead
dishes for brunch.

It allows me a few more extra
hours of sleep in the morning.

I don't have to wake up
at 5:00 a.m. to prep everything.

And, also, that time
in the refrigerator

is gonna allow that challah

to soak up all of the eggy
goodness and get even better.

♪♪

Next, I'm gonna add
a cup and a half of whole melk.

It is "melk" up here --
M-E-L-K.

♪♪

My favorite part about
this baked French toast

is the ricotta in this mixture.

It adds a freshness and a really
beautiful subtle sweetness.

Now I'll add
some vanilla extract.

Then just a pinch of salt,

which will amp up
all my flavors.

Ricotta always needs salt
because it's so mild.

Lastly, I'm gonna add
some lemon zest.

It's gonna add the perfect
hint of tartness.

Now I'll just
whisk this together.

It might still be a little
grainy from the ricotta,

but that's okay.

♪♪

This looks smooth and creamy.
It's perfect.

Now I'm gonna spice up
some brown sugar,

which is gonna go between
the layers of the challah,

and when it gets baked in the
oven, it's gonna get caramelly.

I'm starting with
6 tablespoons of brown sugar,

and I'm gonna spice it up
with some cinnamon

and nutmeg and cardamom.

I love adding cardamom
to this dish

because it just makes it
a little bit fancy.

It adds a floral note,

and the warmth of it goes great
with the nutmeg and cinnamon.

I'm gonna add a teaspoon
of cinnamon.

♪♪

And a little cardamom
[Sniffs] goes a long way,

so I'm just adding
a good pinch of that.

And now some nutmeg.

Nutmeg is woodsy and cozy.

♪♪

Now I'm ready to assemble.

I have my egg mixture,

my brown-sugar mixture,
and my challah.

Challah is a sweet, eggy bread
that's super light and fluffy,

so it's perfect at
soaking up that mixture.

It's been cut
into thicker slices,

so the whole pan
is gonna be beautiful.

It's gonna be decadent.

To assemble, I'm gonna soak
each of my challah slices

in the egg mixture, sprinkle it
with the brown sugar,

and then I'm gonna layer it
in my pan,

which has been buttered.

Other breads will work.

You just want to make sure
that they're hardy enough

to hold up soaking overnight.

♪♪

And I'm overlapping
the slices of challah in my pan.

This will give it
some textural variety

because some of the pieces
on the bottom

will get extra soft
and fluffy

and the tops
are gonna get crispy.

♪♪

Okay.

And now I'm gonna pour
all of this

excess egg mixture
over the top.

And that is going to soak
right into my bread.

And any leftover brown sugar,

I'm gonna sprinkle
on top of it all.

The hardest part is gonna be
waiting overnight

until I get to eat this.

And now I'll cover
this in foil...

♪♪

...and put it in the fridge
for a little beauty sleep

while it soaks up
all that goodness,

and then tomorrow morning,
I'll bake it.

♪♪

[ Rooster crows ]

I love sending my brunch club
home with plenty of leftovers,

but today, they're getting
an extra little treat --

my sprinkled biscotti.

They're colorful and crumbly
and perfect dipped in coffee.

I'm just gonna make a dough,
fold in some sprinkles,

and I'm baking it twice
to get them extra crispy.

I'll start with
my dry ingredients --

3 1/2 cups of flour...

a teaspoon of baking powder...

and 3/4 teaspoon of salt.

Got to have salt
with my sweet.

And I'll whisk to combine.

Okay. And now,
for my wet ingredients,

I'll grab three eggs.

♪♪

Then I'll combine a cup of sugar
with some melted coconut oil.

I love that subtle
coconut flavor.

And you can also use
any neutral oil, really.

I'll whisk this together
until it's combined.

[ Sniffs ] Mmm.
I can smell that coconutiness.

♪♪

Now I'll add my eggs
one at a time,

mixing well after each to ensure
that they're evenly combined.

♪♪

So, all my friends
coming over today love brunch.

But the problem is,

we don't have a ton
of brunch places in town.

So we just decided
to start our club.

This is bright yellow
and smooth and combined.

Now I'm going to add
my vanilla.

In some recipes, I like using
clear vanilla

because it doesn't tint
the batter.

So when I'm using sprinkles,
the sprinkles can pop

against a bright white cookie.

♪♪

Okay, it's looking great.

I'm gonna add in
my dry ingredients now.

♪♪

And biscotti is always
a really nice gift for people.

It's easy to pair
with tea or coffee

to make a nice care package.

And because the biscotti
is so sturdy, it can ship well.

It can last for a while.

So I always add biscotti
to my care packages.

Okay.

It's ready for the best part --

the sprinkles.

I like using
big, bold sprinkles

so that they hold up
while they're baking.

And confetti, like these,
are perfect.

1/2 cup will do.

And I'm gonna put these
inside the dough and on top.

♪ Hmm ♪

I love this color palette.

It's a total party in a bowl.

Coming up, I'm getting ready
to double-bake these biscotti

and pump up the fun
with some extra sprinkles.

I could play with sprinkles
all day.

Then it's on to my latest twist
on a Yeh favorite --

mini kale shakshoukas.

Mmm! Smells good.

I'll put together my
sweet-potato-and-bacon hash

and finish up my French toast

with a delicious
blueberry topping.

Then it's brunch time.
[ Laughter ]

♪♪

♪♪

All of the sprinkles
are incorporated into my dough.

And to form the biscotti,
I'll make two long, skinny logs,

which I'm going to bake twice
for extra crispiness.

So, I'm essentially making
a big loaf of cookie.

♪♪

And I'm allowing
some room between them

because they will spread
in the oven.

♪♪

And now I'll sprinkle the tops
with more sprinkles.

♪♪

I could play with sprinkles
all day.

♪♪

Sprinkles look great.

And now the last thing
I'm gonna add

before I stick them in the oven
is some flaky salt.

A little bit of saltiness
with the sweet biscotti

is gonna taste really good.

And now these are gonna
bake twice.

The first time, we'll bake
at 350 for 25 minutes

until they're cooked through
but still tender,

and then I'm gonna slice them

and bake them
for 20 more minutes

until they're crisp.

♪♪

Okay.

These smell heavenly.

They've been resting for
a few minutes to cool slightly.

And now I'm gonna slice them
into thick slices.

♪♪

And then I'm gonna stick them
back into the oven

at 250 for 20 minutes

until they're lightly browned
around the edges

and extra crisp.

♪♪

These sprinkled biscottis
smell so sweet!

I've got to try one of these.

They're nice and crisp.

♪♪

Mmm!

I love that coconutiness,

and the vanilla
is really standing out,

and the salt on top
is perfect.

All right.
I'm gonna finish this bite.

And when these cool, I'm gonna
wrap these up for my friends.

[ Clucking ]

My brunch club
will be here soon,

so I'll put my French toast
in the oven

covered at 350 degrees
for 30 minutes

and then remove the foil and
let it cook for 15 more minutes.

For a savory brunch dish,

I am making my vibrant
mini kale shakshoukas.

Shakshouka is typically eggs
poached in a spicy tomato sauce,

but I'm replacing that
tomato sauce with garlicky kale

and I'm topping it
with feta for a salty snap.

I'm chopping up my garlic here

'cause garlic and kale
are so good together.

And now I'm gonna heat up
some olive oil in my pan...

and I'll add my garlic.

[ Sizzling ]

And I'm only cooking it
for about a minute or two,

until it starts to smell good.

Now I'm gonna add a teaspoon
and a half of sweet paprika.

It'll add some nice smokiness.

And I'll stir it around
and let it toast in my pan

before adding
the other ingredients.

That'll make it
even more flavorful.

So, I'm ready for my kale.

I am gonna add a lot of kale.

This seems like way too much
for this pan,

but it's gonna cook down.

And this is just
chopped curly kale,

which is pretty tough
when it's raw,

but as it cooks,
it's gonna soften,

and when it bakes,
it'll get some crispy edges.

And it's gonna go great
with the eggs.

♪♪

This is such a nice
healthy brunch dish.

I love having a bunch
of vegetables in the morning

so that I could feel good
the rest of the day.

I'm gonna season this
with some kosher salt.

That'll help draw the moisture
out and let this soften quicker.

And the reason I love
this version of shakshouka

is because I love green.

I love putting green on my table
anytime I have people over.

And the color is just --
well, I'm matching it, I guess,

so it's clear
that I like that color.

The color is starting
to brighten.

The kale is getting soft.

It's looking great.

Now I'm gonna add some broth,
which will add more flavor

and it'll also prevent it
from drying out in the oven.

I'm using vegetable broth, but
chicken broth will work, too.

Okay. I'm just gonna let this
stock reduce for a little bit,

and meanwhile, I will grab
my feta and eggs.

♪♪

And anything topped with an egg

is gonna be impressive
at brunch.

Okay. The stock has reduced.

I'm gonna remove it from heat.

And now I'm gonna
stir in my feta.

I love feta.

It's salty. It's punchy.
It's a little funky.

[ Sniffs ] Mmm!

It's gonna go great
with all these flavors.

♪♪

I'm gonna season this
with a little salt.

I want to be careful
not to over-salt this,

because feta is quite salty.

Some black pepper...

[ Peppercorns crunching ]

...some crushed red pepper
for a little kick,

and some lemon juice
will just tie it all together.

♪♪

Mmm! Smells good.

At this point, I could just
crack the eggs into this pan

and stick it in the oven
to finish it off

and then have
a large shakshouka,

but I'm gonna
up the cuteness ante...

and make adorable
individual shakshoukas

in these little skillets.

And preheating the cast iron
ensures even heating

and a properly set egg.

I'm gonna divide this kale
between these skillets.

♪♪

I'll use a spoon to create
a well in the center

to be a cradle for my eggs.

♪♪

All right.
Now it's time to crack.

♪♪

Now, these are gonna bake
at 350 for 12 minutes

if you like a runny yolk.

You can keep them in for longer
if you want a firmer yolk --

or if you're pregnant,
like me.

♪♪

Coming up, I'm getting going on
my sweet-potato-and-bacon hash.

This hash has it all.

Then, once my French toast
is ready,

I'm putting together
a delicious topping

with blueberries,
lemon, and powdered sugar.

These ladies are in store
for an extra-special treat.

Oh, my gosh!
Wow!

♪♪

If I'm hosting brunch,
it's got to have bacon,

and this sweet-potato-and-bacon
hash is loaded with it.

It's crispy and sweet
from the sweet potatoes

and salty from the bacon,

and it's a hearty addition
to my brunch.

Now I'm gonna get
my sweet potatoes.

These sweet potatoes
have par-roasted,

and that's just to ensure
that they get cooked

all the way through
and tender.

Before I add the sweet potatoes
to the bacon fat,

I am gonna fry up
a jalapeño for some heat.

I'm gonna de-seed this.

I want it spicy, but I still
want to be able to taste it.

And now I'm gonna thinly
slice this to get nice rings.

♪♪

[ Sizzling ]

And I'm cooking these
in the bacon fat

until they're blistery.

And this will just add
to their flavor.

And it's also infusing the
jalapeños into the bacon fat.

Whenever I cook bacon,
I always save the bacon fat

because it's great
for cooking with.

It adds bacon flavor,
and what's wrong with that?

Jalapeños are looking beautiful.

I'm gonna transfer them to
the paper towel with my bacon.

♪♪

Now the best part --

I am going to crisp up these
sweet potatoes in the bacon fat.

I love a breakfast potato,
but it has to be crispy.

I guess traditionally
a hash is regular potatoes,

but I love using
sweet potatoes.

They have more flavor,

the sweetness with the bacon
is really nice,

and they're healthier,

so I don't feel as bad
frying them in bacon fat.

I'm gonna season these
with salt and pepper.

And when I make
sweet potatoes,

I love adding
a pinch of cinnamon

because that warmth really
complements this flavor.

I don't want it to be
overpowering --

just subtle sweetness.

While the potatoes crisp up,
I will chop up my bacon.

♪♪

I'm just chopping it up
into bite-size pieces

about the same size
as the potatoes.

[ Crunching ]

Sounds so crispy!

And I'll also chop up some
fresh cilantro for the top.

This will add really nice color,

and the flavor adds
a really nice hit of freshness

to an otherwise
kind of heavy dish.

The potatoes have gorgeous color
on all sides.

They're looking great.

I'm now gonna add the bacon
back into my pan, which is good.

Otherwise, I would
be eating it all.

And I'll also add the jalapeños.

And I'm also gonna add
a dash of malt vinegar,

which will add that hit of
acidity that every hash needs.

Normally, I have my hashes
with ketchup,

but I just figured I'd do
something different this time.

Okay, I'll taste it
and check for seasoning.

♪♪

Mmm!

With sweet from the potatoes,

sour from the vinegar,
salty from the bacon,

and spicy from the jalapeño,
this hash has it all.

This is ready to plate.

♪♪

Yum!

I'm just gonna finish this
with cilantro,

and this is gonna go great
with all my brunch dishes.

♪♪

Mmm! It smells so good.

My challah baked French toast
is looking great.

It's been baking at 375.

I did 30 minutes
covered in foil,

and then I took the foil off
to do another 15 minutes

so that it would get
crispy on top.

Now I'm gonna top it
with some blueberries.

I've just heated up
some frozen blueberries,

and they've released
their juices,

so they make almost like
a really pretty sauce.

I'm gonna add half a lemon.
It'll add some nice tartness.

And I'm just gonna
spoon this over the top.

Mmm.

I love the way the blueberries
fall down into the folds.

And I'm gonna dust the top
with powdered sugar.

♪♪

Yum.

Still to come, I'm putting
the finishing touches

on my mini kale shakshoukas

before the ladies arrive
for brunch.

Best brunch club ever!
Yes.

[ Laughter ]

♪♪

Okay. These look beautiful!

The egg whites are firm,

but they're still
a little jiggly,

so I know the yolks are runny,

and the kale has some
nice brown, crispy edges.

For serving, I'm gonna top
each of these

with a dollop
of plain Greek yogurt,

and those are gonna add
some nice cooling creaminess.

I'm also gonna add
a sprinkle of za'atar,

which is a spice mix
with dried thyme, sesame seeds,

and sumac,
which is nice and lemony.

But if you can't find za'atar,

a sprinkle of dried thyme
will do.

Mm, they look so cute!

I like adding a few flakes of
crushed red pepper to the top

just for some bits of red.

And lastly, I'll chop up
some fresh parsley

and sprinkle it on top
just for some brightness.

♪♪

My friends are gonna love these.

Everyone loves eggs at brunch,

especially when they're
from my chickens.

These are looking great.
They are ready to serve.

♪♪

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Laughter ]

♪♪

Okay.
Have a baked egg, you guys.

They're cool enough
to touch now.
So cute.

And it's good with,
like, crusty bread,

so take a slice of bread.

So, should I, like, break
the yolk with my crusty bread?

MOLLY: Yes.
That's what I did.

Yeah?
Been there, done that.

Yummy!
WOMAN: Oh, my gosh.

I would never think
to put yogurt on an egg,

but it totally works.

Yogurt and eggs are one
of my favorite combinations.

It's amazing.

And this is a
sweet-potato-bacon hash.

Ooh, yes.

[ Laughter ]
Wow.

I love the bacon
with the sweet potatoes.

MOLLY: Mmm!
Okay.

Save a little bit of room

because I have a little
something sweet.

Ooh!
Ooh!

Oh-oh-oh!
I'm so excited.

-Yay!
-Oh, my gosh!

-Oh, my gosh!
-Oh, wow!

That looks
so beautiful!
It's enormous.

MOLLY: Here, let me get you
some blueberries, too.

It's healthier.

Yeah, it's healthier
that way.

Yeah.
It's for the baby.

Oh, I'm so
excited.
[ Laughs ]

That is so good.

So, there's lemon in the mixture
and also in the blueberries.

I love that.

Lemon and blueberry --
they're, like, besties.

A blueberry without a lemon is
like a smooch without a squeeze.

[ Laughter ]

I have one more thing, but you
guys don't have to eat it now.

I'm sending you guys home
with something.

-What?!
-Ooh.

Just for a little treat.
A little somethin'-somethin'.

They're right over there.

Oh, my gosh!
Oh, my God!
They're so cute!

Cute!
So cute.

Molly, thanks so much
for hosting brunch this time.

Best brunch club ever!

Yes.

[ Laughter ]