***Springtime Picnic Lunch***
- Puff-pastry Pizzas
- Grapefruit and Chili Noodle Salad
- Dilly Potato Salad
- Blueberry Custard Tartlets
- Pink Lemonade
Puff-Pastry Pizzas
Ingredients
2 sheets of storebought puff pastry, thawed
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced*
1/3 cup cherry tomatos, sliced*
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped*
1/4 cup dry pressed cottage cheese or feta
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated
a little olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Roll your pastry on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 4x6 inch rectangles and lay on a greased baking sheet. Using a fork, punch a few holes in the centre of each rectangle. This will prevent the centre of your pizzas from rising, giving you a raised crust.
Spread a bit of tomato sauce in the centre of each crust, and top with the ingredients in whatever combination you see fit. I like to do a few with just mushrooms, a few with tomatos, and a few with all of the ingredients. Make sure to be moderate with your toppings; if it is too heavy, it won't cook properly, so I'd go for about 4 slices of mushrooms per pizza.
Drizzle each with a bit of olive oil and season to taste. Bake on the centre rack for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a rack before packing for your picnic! Makes about twenty small pizzas.
*Variations*
* You can use whatever toppings you like, really, but I like these ones. You might try torn fresh bocconcinni with basil and tomatos, or zuchinni and onion, both thinly sliced.
Grapefruit and Chili Noodle Salad
This recipe is very similar to my cold noodle salad so feel free to take that on your picnic instead! I think the grapefruit here adds a nice bitterness against the salty soy.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups vermicelli, cooked, rinsed, and drained
1/2 grapefruit, peeled and diced
1/3 cup mixed baby greens
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. chopped red chilies
1 tbsp. Sriracha chili sauce
1 tsp. sugar
Mix your liquids until the sugar dissolves. You might also add a bit of grapefruit juice, as you'll probably have some sitting on your cutting board after chopping the grapefruit! Toss together your noodles, greens, and fruit, and toss the dressing through until it is well-distributed and covers every noodles in salty sweetness. Enjoy!
Dilly Potato Salad
Ingredients
2 cups waxy potatoes, chopped and boiled with skin on
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/3 cup white vinegar
salt and peppar
This salad is a bit unorthodox, but I am addicted to it. Once your potatoes are boiled fairly soft, mash them up a bit with a fork until they resemble "smashed" potatoes. They should but slightly chunky, but generally mushy. Mix in the dill and vinegar, and season to taste. It will be very sharp, but I think that the vinegar makes a nice contrast to the simple potatoes.
Blueberry Custard Tartlets
Ingredients
1 sheet storebought puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup blueberries
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
Bring your cream to a simmer on the stove. In a large basin, beat your egg yolks and sugar until dissolved and light. Slowly (I mean this, unless you want scrambled eggs) pour your milk over the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour back into the pot and bring to a simmer on the stove, stirring constantly. As soon as it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, cook for one minute more and remove from heat.
Roll your pastry to 1/4 inch thickness and cut to 4x4 inch squares. Gently press each square into a greased muffin tin, rolling the edges to form a rustic cup shape. Punch a couple holes using a fork in the very bottom of each cup. Spoon in a bit of custard and throw in a few blueberries, so that the ingredients fill about 3/4 of the way up each cup. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 12 minutes, or until golden. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a rack. Makes about 10.
Pink Lemonade
Go to store. Buy pink lemonade. Put in bottle. Told you this would be easy.
There you have it, the easiest picnic that can still pass for a gourmet lunch. It should serve about five or six people.
Make these while listening to Jenn Grant. Enjoy these while listening to the sounds of nature!
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