A picnic feast that is easy to prep and tasty to eat
A few weeks ago I made plans with a friend to head over to
Carmel for a leisurely drive along the 17-mile drive. Since we
couldn’t head out until Sunday afternoon, I offered to pack up a
few picnic-friendly snacks for the drive.
When I was a kid, picnics at the park or local beaches mostly
consisted of sandwiches made with turkey and Monterey jack, a bag
of chips and some potato salad. But from watching tons of Food
Network shows, I knew there were a lot more options than that for
outdoor eating.
A picnic feast that is easy to prep and tasty to eat
A few weeks ago I made plans with a friend to head over to Carmel for a leisurely drive along the 17-mile drive. Since we couldn’t head out until Sunday afternoon, I offered to pack up a few picnic-friendly snacks for the drive.
When I was a kid, picnics at the park or local beaches mostly consisted of sandwiches made with turkey and Monterey jack, a bag of chips and some potato salad. But from watching tons of Food Network shows, I knew there were a lot more options than that for outdoor eating.
My main goals were to select a couple of dishes that would be easy to prep in the morning before we left, items that could sit in a cooler for a few hours and that would taste good served cold. I settled on a few ideas, and soon found a common Italian theme emerging in the dishes. I love orzo, hot or cold, and it’s a pasta that doesn’t get soggy or dried out from sitting for a few hours. I often cook with it and improvise different flavors. Since I had a marinated mushroom recipe that used lemon and thyme, I decided to use the same ingredients for the orzo, adding in some shallots for sweetness and parmesan cheese for saltiness.
I also made a caprese sandwich since basil, tomato and fresh mozzarella is a great combination this time of year. As luck would have it, the first ripe red tomato came off the early girl plant in the backyard and went straight into the sandwich. I also made some pecorino crackers, served with some slices of prosciutto and coppa.
Though the drive was a bust – a car show at Pebble Beach closed down the road to the public for the day – we just improvised by finding an outdoor spot in Monterey to eat the spread. I thought everything tasted good, and the flavor of the marinated mushrooms actually got better as they absorbed more of the garlic and herb flavor. My friend said he liked it all, too, and the mushrooms were his favorite of the dishes.
Here are a few highlights from the meal.
Caprese sandwiches
5 leaves of fresh basil
1-2 red tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella, such as marinated
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
French or sourdough baguette
Cut the bread lengthwise. Drizzle olive on one side and balsamic vinegar on the other. Layer the basil, tomatoes and mozzarella. The sandwich can be served cooled for a picnic or grilled for as a panini.
Marinated mushrooms
Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
2 lemons, zested and juiced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 small bunch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook them for about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Pour over the remaining olive oil and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature.
Lemon orzo
2-3 branches of thyme, removed from the stems and finally chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2-3 gloves of garlic finely chopped
48-oz. of chicken broth
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lemon, juiced and zested
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Cook orzo according to package directions, in chicken broth, adding water if more liquid is needed. In the meantime, chop the shallots and garlic. In a saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add in the shallot, thyme and garlic and cook until the shallots are translucent. Add in the red pepper flakes.
Cook the orzo to al dente, then drain the liquid and add the orzo to the saute pan. Continue to cook for five to six minutes. Add in the lemon juice and the parmesan cheese. Add pepper and salt to taste.
Serve as is, if serving the dish hot. If serving it later, as for a picnic, add in additional olive oil to keep the dish a bit more moist.
Pecorino crackers
Recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis
1 1/4 c. grated pecorino Romano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 c. all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the cheese mixture and butter until combined. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing only until incorporated and the mixture holds together.
Place tablespoon-sized balls of the dough on 1 or 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets, tapping the dough down gently with your fingertips. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.
