Hollywood Bowl Picnic Menu III. This has become such a fun tradition--our good friends get tickets

J

joe

Well-known member
to the Hollywood Bowl Fireworks finale and invite us--we bring the picnic dinner. It's a challenge coming up with things we haven't tried yet, and this year was miserably hot. (I had the oven on all day and it was 103* outside. I don't have air conditioning.) but it was still a magical evening. We saw the Brian Setzer Orchestra (The Stray Cat Strut Guy) and it was a good show.

Menu:

Julia Child's Peekaboo Roquefort Tart

Red Grapes

Lemon-herb chicken

Julia's Spaghetti Marco Polo

Epicurious' Lemon Nut Torte with Summer Berries.

 
Julia's Peekaboo Roquefort Tart.

This is my first attempt at this tart--the filling is layered between two layers of puff pastry, the top one has slits cut into it letting you see the fillng inside. The French term is jalousie, or Venetian Blind tart.

My layers separated and the top looked like a crooked raft floating is a cheese sea, but it sure tasted good. The link shows how it was supposed to look.

If you scroll up at the link, you'll see Julia's method for puff pastry using diced butter. It's really not that hard. I had half a recipe of it in my freezer, otherwise I would never have tried to make puff pastry in the heat.

http://books.google.com/books?id=pzzHQdIXlPYC&pg=PA393&lpg=PA393&dq=julia+child+peekaboo+tart&source=bl&ots=5wRK4t2NiN&sig=XDzUWq-pD0EzNOwOFeukwjrUJCQ&hl=en#v=onepage&q=julia%20child%20peekaboo%20tart&f=false

https://recipeswap.org/fun/wp-content/uploads/Finer_Kitchens/Joe/GardenSeptember2012016.jpg

 
Lemon Herb Chicken. Not really a recipe--I used 4 legs and 4 thighs in an oiled dish,

squeezed a large lemon over them. seasoned with salt and pepper and herbs de Provence, drizzled with more olive oil and baked, basting.

When it was done I put the chicken in a foil dish, degreased the juices and poured them over and refrigerated. I took the dish out of the fridge often and basted the chicken with the juices as they thickened, to form a glaze, but this was mostly an excuse to stand in front of the open refrigerator.

 
Julia's Spaghetti Marco Polo. I had never tried this before--the recipe looks a bit quaint

but the flavors were really good. This was the recipe Julia made on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Julia's method for preparing pasta for salad works well--it incorporates some of the pasta water to keep it from getting gummy. I used a jar of roasted red peppers instead of the pimento and used more parsley and basil than called for:

TABLE-TOP SPAGHETTI MARCO POLO
from The Way to Cook by Julia Child

1 lb. spaghetti, prepared as in the recipe to follow, in a large salad bowl
1 cup each chopped walnuts, chopped black olives, and chopped bottle red pimento, (I used roasted red peppers) tossed together in an attractive bowl. (I toasted the walnuts and kept them separate since we were going to travel a ways.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, (I used about a cup) in a small bowl (she doesn't specify whether or not this second bowl should be attractive. I was using plastic tubs anyway.)
12 large leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced, in a small bowl (I used more and tore them so they wouldn't turn black in transit.)
1/4 cup garlic dessing in a bowl or pitcher (recipe below)
Salt and pepper, both in grinders
1-1/2 cups loosely packed chilled crumbled cheese such as feta, goat cheese, Roquefort, or blue (I used goat, which was a bit mushy. Feta would have been better. Blue cheese would be wonderful but I was already using it in the tart)

A long-handled spoon and fork for tossing and serving; a tasting fork; chopsticks for eating.

Have all the ingredients at the table. With flourish and confidence, begin by folding into the spaghetti the chopped nuts and vegetables, along with the parsley and basil. toss in spoonfuls of dressing, tasting for seasoning, and adding salt and pepper as needed.


COOKED PASTA FOR SALADS

8 quarts water in a 10-12-quart kettle
1 pound pasta
2 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil

Flavoring:
1 clove garlic, optional
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 Tbs. or so virgin olive oil

When the water is at a rolling boil, dump in the pasta, salt and tablspoon of olive oil. Boil uncovered at medium speed until the pasta tastes done--test frequently by biting a piece. It should have the slightest texture but be definitely done.

Meanwhile, if you are using the gardlc, puree it into a mixing bowl, add a pinch of salt and mash to a fine paste with the back of a spoon. Blend in a teaspoon of oil. When the pasta is done, remove it to the bowl by forkfuls or spoonfuls, draining each well--a little humidity on the pasta pieces helps prevent them from sticking together. Toss with the oil, adding droplets more, just to coat the pasta with a light film. Toss in salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and refigerate--can be done a day or two in advance.

(Note, I drained the spaghetti in a colander rather than scooping it out of the water, but didn't drain it too thoroughly. I tossed it while it cooled just to be sure it wasn't sticking.)


GARLIC-LEMON DRESSING.

2 cloves garlic, or to taste,
1/4 tsp. salt, plus more if needed
The grated zest of 1/2 a lemon, and 2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup oil
Freshly ground pepper

Puree the garlic into a small bowl, add the salt, and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon. Add the grated lemon zest and masn with the galic. Mix in the lemon juice and mustard. Slowly whisk in the oil. Season with pepper and more salt to taste

 
Lemon-Nut Torte with Summer Berries

Lemon-Nut Torte with Summer Berries
SELF, July 2009
Chef Akasha Richmond

Akashah's tasty citrus torte is both gluten-free and a source of healthy unsaturated fat.
Yield: Serves 8

Torte
Parchment paper
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon almond flour (found at health food stores)
1/3 cup corn flour (finely ground cornmeal)
4 large eggs, yolks and whites divided
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, or a mix)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350°. Line an 8" or 9" springform pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and flours in a bowl. Whip 1/3 cup sugar and egg yolks in another bowl with an electric mixer about 5 minutes. Beat in zest, oil, lemon juice, and orange juice. Fold in dry ingredients. Beat egg whites and salt in a third bowl with an electric mixer until frothy. Beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of egg-white mixture into batter. Fold in remaining egg white mixture in two parts, mixing well. Pour batter into pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool. Invert pan, remove parchment, and turn cake right side up onto a plate. Topping: Combine honey, lemon juice, and vanilla in a bowl. Add berries; mix. Spoon topping on cake, dust with sugar, and slice into eighths.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Nut-Torte-with-Summer-Berries-354271

 
What a great menu! Make sure you add it there, please! I remember this event last year. How do

you transport the tart? It seems so fragile. What a great tradition to have with good friends. Still am trying to imagine 103 w/o air conditioning.

Stray cat strut is now in my head.

 
"I don't bother chasin' mice around..." I put the tart on a board and then in a shallow basket

and covered the basket with foil. It was fresh out of the oven and the smell drove us crazy in the car.

Fortunately, the house didn't get quite as hot as outside, even with the oven on. I had the windows shut and every fan in the house set up in the kitchen. Whew! The humidity was low so it cooled off a bit for the concert. Funny, last year it was chilly and we were shivering through our picnic.

 
chopsticks, really? I would be sad to miss scooping up all the lovely cheese and walnuts etc. but

then, I'm sorely lacking in chopstick skills.

 
We skipped the chopsticks. It's a quaint old recipe that's trying to sound Chinese.

Somewhere there's a picture of Julia and Mr. Rogers scarfing it with chopsticks but I can't find it online.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top