Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Easy picnic meal

Last night for our FHE outing I found a delicious recipe in my Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cook book, which I might also add is one of my favorite cook books.
The recipe is Pan Bagnat (or literally means "bathed bread" in French).

Pan Bagnat

1 baguette or other thin loaf of French bread ( I used some yummy crusty bread)
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup olive oil (or what you decide to use)
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 cucumber thinly sliced
1.2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced olives black or Calamata
salt/pepper

Other optional ingredients:
Provolone cheese
2 hard boiled eggs
1 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of capers
1 cup artichoke hearts, sliced into quarters
1/2 cup pesto
herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram

Slice bread in half lengthwise, open loaf and spread garlic on one of the cut sides. Drizzle olive oil on both sides. Layer ingredients on one half of the bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close the loaf, and wrap tightly in saran wrap. Weight the full length of the bread with a heavy book (or with a baking tray topped with bricks, a 25 pound weight, a toddler, or whatever you can find for 1-3 hours.
(It even mentioned that if you are taking it on a picnic put the loaf UNDER the cooler.)

I didn't take a picture but belive me it was delicious...and the best part was that it could get squished. The kids even seemed to enjoy it.

I pre-mixed oliveoil, garlic scapes, onion, balsamic vinegar, and parmesean cheese, ann my fresh herbs (basil, oregano, and thyme) all together and then smeared the soncotion onto both sides of the brad before putting all of the other ingredients in. It seemed easier and it turned out delicious.

It was quick, delicious and require NO COOKING!
Good eats for a summer evening.

2 comments:

anna jo said...

ooohh, I saw that cookbook at wild oats and wanted it. I love the moosewood cookbooks.

j said...

i've never seen that cookbook! i bet k would be all over something he could squish and then eat!