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Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Quarantine Food Diaries, Get outside, Picnic Packing Goodies and Shinrin-Yoku


The weather is warm and we can all be outside, reconnecting to the earth, walking through a forest, releasing, discharging our bodies frenetic energy and absorbing the negative ions released by our planet, bare feet upon the earth.
In Italy we take our entire lunches to the beach in the summer or  into the countryside, it's called a "scampagnata" literally to escape to the countryside. We carefully prepare and pack way more than the typical sandwich and potato salad, you might say it is somewhat of an art, not as much as the Japanese create sushi and bento boxes to go but all the same the italian will figure out the how to of eating well during a "scampagnata".
Picnics will become a new way to pass time with friends, bring a plate to share and be with others,  here are a few of my go to favorites.

Insalata di Riso



 

1 cup dry arborio rice
Tonino brand or other glass jar tuna ( please no canned tunafish)
handful or more pitted olives sliced ( I use calamata, but your preference is fine) 
1 cup fresh spring peas
2 hardboiled eggs
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped radishes
1/4  cup mayonnaise 
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Himalayan Pink salt, Pepper

The recipe is super simple, the key is to eat a little warm and then chill it for up to 24 hours before taking it on your picnic. Mix all ingredients, add Mayo salt and pepper and chill!


PANELLE
Chickpea flour fritelle


a common Sicilian street food is Panelle, a smooth chick pea flour paste that is deep fried into little rectangular pancakes and placed in a bun called "rosetta" with a squeeze of lemon and off you go.
Because I am gluten free, I use the panelle like the bread and make a frittata to put between two to take to the beach!


Savory Pinwheels and Napoleons





Store bought puff pastry sheets
sauteéd maitake or button mushrooms
chevre
cherry tomatoes
a few fresh basil leaves
1 egg yolk


De thaw puff pastry sheets until flexible, flour and roll out cut rectangles for layering the  napoleons and one long recatangle for rolling the cherry tomato goat cheese spirals. This is uber easy but presents like it was way more complicated!
Spread chevre and sliced tomatoes and a chopped basil, salt and pepper on the long rectangle, roll and slice into spirals. Arrange on parchment on a baking sheet.
Layer puff pastry squares alternately with sauteéd mushrooms and chevre until they are neatly stacked, place on parchment paper. Wash both spirals and napoleons with an egg yolk wash and
pop in the oven 400F for about 20 min, e´voila!!
Picnic blue ribbon ready!!




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