Picnic out of town: a packed lunch different from the usual sandwich

2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20

There was a period of our life when we were happy. We didn't have to worry about how to get to the end of the month, nor worry about the traffic on the Milan-Lakes.

It was when we were kids and did the picnic together with our parents. Which, among other things, we did with the lightness of our under 30 kilos, without feeling our conscience gripping us with every bite.

Now the organization of the outing is up to us, including breakfast on the grass.

And if we want to follow the path of producing as much as possible at home, for an affordable menu, we have to roll up our sleeves, write a list to stick on the refrigerator, tick as the various things are done.

And if that sounds like a daunting task, we're here to help you take the task home.

What to prepare?

Excellent are the omelettes, or the classic Spanish-style potato tortilla, cold salads of pasta or cereals (barley, spelled, various types of rice), cutting boards of cheeses and jams, braids of brioche bread, savory cakes and biscuits, muffins and cakes flavored in a thousand and one different ways.

Even the cold meatloaf it is a good resource. Then the timeless ones sandwiches and meatballs. A colorful basket of mixed vegetables for pinzimonio always impresses; focaccia and sandwiches with mixed seeds to accompany.

Alternative drinks to wine can be lemonades and cold herbal teas. Like desserts: donuts, pies, puff pastry rolls, shortcrust biscuits …

Let's see a couple of ideas, a basic dough for savory muffins and cakes, which we will flavor in two different ways, a real wildcard in short, to be used as you like depending on what you have at home.

SALT MUFFINS ALSO IN CAKE VERSION

Ingrediants

Dough: 200 g of 00 flour, 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan, salt, pepper, half a sachet of yeast for savory pies, 60 g of butter, 125 g of milk, 1 egg

For the muffins: a spoonful of Taggiasca olive pate, two sprigs of chopped rosemary

For the cake: an aubergine, 100 g of diced feta, seasoned with oil and herbs

# 1 PREPARE THE COMPOUND OF DRY INGREDIENTS

Mix the sifted flour, parmesan, baking powder, salt and pepper

# 2 PREPARE THE WET INGREDIENT COMPOUND

Melt the butter and mix it with the milk and egg. Beat with a whisk

# 3 COMBINE THE TWO COMPOUNDS

With the help of a hand whisk, combine the liquid mixture with the dry one.

Imperative: mix a little. Well yes: the muffin dough should be mixed a little, without stimulating the gluten too much; if there is even a few small lumps left, don't pay attention to it, that's okay.

The less you work it, the softer it remains in cooking

# 4 INSERT THE AROMAS

Now that we have the base, we can flavor it to taste.

I opted for two versions: muffin with taggiasca pate and chopped rosemary, cake with grilled aubergine and seasoned feta

# 5 COOKING

For the cake, grease and flour a ceramic mold and pour the mixture, leveling it. Bake in a hot oven at 200 ° C for about 20 minutes

For the muffins, we transfer to the sac a poche and fill the cups that will be cooked, always at 200 ° C, but for 10-12 minutes depending on the size (if mini muffins or real muffins)

They will be ready when the toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.