Packing for a Texas picnic
There are two food events I almost always avoid: brunches and picnics. The former because they are day-killing affairs that usually involve tepid mimosas and overcooked eggs; the latter because I don’t like to tote around food containers.
That said, occasionally I’ll enjoy a really great brunch and there are times when I’ve broken my rule about no picnics, too — and with this month’s kickoff of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s Concerts in the Garden series, which encourages evening eating on the grass, I’m revisiting my previous ban. I’d like to be someone who can, at a moment’s notice, just say yes to a picnic, make something, pack it up, then go. So I gave this some thought.
In Paris, le pique-nique is a way of life, a way to gather with friends on the weekend, in parks and on patches of grass all over the city. Like so many other things the French do with ease, they’ve also elevated picnicking to an art form. If you’re in Paris on a Sunday afternoon in the late spring or summer, you’ll see what I mean. They slice their perfect, easily sharable tarts, add salads, and toast each other with plastic glasses of chilled rosé. They are not bothered by the potential messiness of the affair or sitting on the ground. Then again, there aren’t a lot of flies or mosquitoes ruining the experience.
Right now in North Texas, before the bugs arrive and unpack for the long, hot summer, we can try to picnic with French finesse. For me, this amounts to a few key elements: the food needs to be easy to eat, it has to be something I love, and it should be beautiful.
So I channeled my inner Parisienne and came up with these four recipes, all versions of which you’re likely to find at any French picnic on the Champ de Mars on a Sunday — a French tomato tart, sweet pea hummus, carrot-zucchini salad, and lime cake for dessert. Simple and summery, with an optional Eiffel Tower view.
Ellise Pierce is the author of ‘Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking With a French Accent” (Running Press). Read her blog (www.cowgirlchef.com) and follow her on Twitter (@cowgirlchef) and Instagram (cowgirlchef)
Pea hummus
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 pound peas, fresh or frozen
Sea salt, to taste
2 heaping tablespoonfuls tahini*
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped, for serving
White and black sesame seeds for serving
Pistachio oil for serving (or you may use olive oil)
1. Put a medium pot of salty water on to boil. When it boils, add the peas, turn the heat down to medium, and set a timer for 2 minutes. Remove the peas to a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking.
2. Put the peas, sea salt to taste, tahini, shallot, lemon juice and zest in a blender and whirr until smooth (you might need to add a little bit of water for the right consistency). Refrigerate or serve right away, with chopped pistachios, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of pistachio or olive oil on top.
*I like the Al Wadi brand of tahini. It's easy to pour and has a light, nutty taste.
Carrot-zucchini salad
Makes 4 servings
4 large carrots (I used a mix of colors)
1 large zucchini
A handful of mint, torn
Lemony vinaigrette, recipe follows
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1. With a hand-held julienne slicer or a mandoline, slice the carrots and zucchini into long strips. Put these into a large bowl.
2. Add the mint and some lemony vinaigrette and toss. Top with hazelnuts and more mint. Serve.
Lemony vinaigrette
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Put all of the ingredients in a jam jar and give it a good shake. Taste for seasonings.
French tomato tart
Makes 6 servings
1 prebaked Whole wheat olive oil tart crust, recipe follows
2 heaping tablespoonfuls grainy mustard
2 to 3 large heirloom tomatoes
6 to 8 cherry tomatoes
A handful basil leaves for serving
1. Prepare the tart crust and let it cool.
Save time: You may bake the tart crust a day in advance and keep it in the fridge.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. Spread the mustard over the bottom of the tart crust.
4. Slice the large tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and the cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange these in the pan, making sure to squeeze in as many as you can — there will be shrinkage. Bake for 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked through and soft. Let cool and serve at room temperature with fresh basil leaves scattered on top.
Whole wheat-oatmeal tart crust
Makes 1
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oatmeal (quick)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ice water
1. Line the bottom of an 11-inch tart pan with parchment paper (this will keep your crust from sticking to the pan and tearing apart), and heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal, and sea salt. Add the oil and honey and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the water a little bit at a time (you may not need all of it), and mix just until the dough comes together.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, lay it into the tart pan, and trim the edges by simply rolling the rolling pin over the top. Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate for an hour or pop in the freezer for 30 minutes (my favorite method, because it’s faster), until the dough is nice and firm.
4. Blind bake the crust. Line the frozen crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Put the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, and bake for 10 more minutes, so the bottom cooks through. Let it cool a bit before filling.
Cowgirl tip: Make savory crackers with leftover bits of dough. Just spread the pieces out on a cookie sheet — making sure to tear them into pieces approximately the same size so they’ll cook evenly — sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (I like thyme), lightly press or roll into the dough, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the pieces begin to look crispy. This dough is nutty and slightly sweet and these little crackers remind me of Wheat Thins — and are just as addictive. You’ve been warned.
From “Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking With a French Accent”
Lime cake
Makes 1 loaf
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup grated lime zest
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for the top
1 stick (1/2 cup butter), softened
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8 1/2-inch-by-4 1/4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another bowl, rub the lime zest into the sugar. Put the sugar in a mixer bowl with the butter and mix until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. While the mixer is running, add the eggs one at a time (after each egg, I mix about 1 minute). Add the vanilla.
5. Put the lime juice into bowl with the buttermilk.
6. Starting and ending with the sifted flour mixture, add the flour, then the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl. Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar on top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool in the pan on a rack.
Adapted from “The New York Times Cookbook”
This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 8:58 AM with the headline "Packing for a Texas picnic."