Pique-nique français

Caroline

Pique-nique printanier français or French picnic was the theme for our May lunch. It was up to each and everyone to create their garden picnic look. Tables were set out on the patio allowing for proper SD. Everyone was asked to bring:

1. Tablecloth, napkin 

2. Place setting: cutlery and all necessary dishes and glasses

3. Prepared French spring picnic (up to each individual to put together a menu)

4. Menu must contain egg as an ingredient

We patiently waited for spring to warm up and jumped at the first sunny and warm day to set our date. 

My pique-nique consisted of smoked salmon, grilled asparagus crêpes with a twist on béarnaise sauce (tasty and butter free!) and a side salad dressed with a traditional French vinaigrette and poached egg. 

Diane

Being somewhat pressed for time I ended up curating my plate to create a classic French meal with ingredients from my favourite grocery store, McKewans. Grilled salmon on top of salad niçoise with a Normandy camembert, and fizzy lemonade on the side. I packed everything into a cooler so it was wonderfully chilled when served.

I so look forward to time together and the time to savour each other's company. This month's get together was definitely fun, but I really did want a taste off my Epi's plates as the food looked absolutely delicious! Now I will simply have to make their recipes at home.

Kaarina

 

 

Pan Bagnat — the famous Provençal tuna sandwich — is tough to improve on as picnic fare, French or otherwise. It travels well, can be made the day before, and is bursting with the bold flavours of the south of France.

For me, however, the most delicious part of this bring-your-own-everything social-distancing picnic was simply the getting together with good friends and spending a sunny afternoon chatting about food and wine, gardening, books and boats. That was the real tonic for our souls. Sitting 10 feet apart at our separate bistro tables, we were able to put behind us for a few happy hours two months of self isolation.

Now — where was I? Pan Bagnat. Mine started with the best baguette in Toronto, which is baked by the Cliffside Hearth at 3047 Kingston Rd. in the Scarborough Bluffs. I followed — quite religiously, I might add — Patricia Wells directions from her Bistro Cooking cookbook, although there are many, many versions of Pan Bagnat online.

Slice the baguette lengthwise, and brush both sides generously with garlic oil (6 cloves minced into quarter cup olive oil.) Stir 2 tbsp of capers into a can of undrained tuna. Spread the tuna on one half of the baguette, then layer on sliced onion, tomatoes, egg and strips of red pepper. Pile on rinsed and dried anchovy fillets (yes, the whole can) and top with a half a cup of roasted red pepper confit (recipe follows) and the second half of the baguette.

Wrap the baguette tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate and place a heavy weight on top for at least four hours, even overnight. I used a cutting board and a cast iron frying pan. This pushes all the yummy juices into the bread. It’s a bit messy to eat, as sandwiches go, so be prepared with lots of napkins.

Makes four servings. I sliced my quarter sandwich into one-inch slices at the table to facilitate eating.

A favourite rose, La Fage Miraflors from Roussillon, is a perfect match but you can’t go wrong with any dry rose from Provence.

Red Pepper Confit

Paraphrased from Bistro Cooking
by Patricia Wells
- 2 to 5 oz hot peppers (depending on the peppers and your tolerance for heat) cut into strips or 1 tsp hot pepper flakes
- 5 large red bell peppers, cut into thick strips
- 2 heads garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Layer everything into a shallow roasting dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 to 60 min. Remove foil and bake for another 45 minutes. Serve as side dish or spoon into a jar and refrigerate to use as a condiment.

For more picnic fare, stir Red Pepper Confit into fusilli at room temperature for a no-fuss pasta salad. For cocktail hour, pile on baguette rounds and top with anchovies. For a garden brunch, dress up a cheese omelette.