It can be romantic or festive, outdoor or on your terrace: a picnic is fun because you can make it the way you want it. Forget about restaurant opening and closing times or whether they want the table back: you can enjoy the atmosphere and lounge with your loved ones for as long as you wish.

Tortilla

 

Ingredients: 

5 potatoes (not too big, around 1 kg in all)

4 eggs

Half a white onion

Olive oil

Salt

Clean and peel the potatoes, then dice them. Chop the onion (don't mince it). Heat up the olive oil in a pan and place the potatoes and the onion into it, salt and let cook on a low heat for a about half an hour or until soft. Once everything is cooked, transfer the mixture in a bowl after excess removing any excess oil, allow to cool for a bit. In the meantime, whisk the eggs and add salt, then add them to the mixture. In a skillet, warm some oil and then pour in the potatoes, onions and eggs and cook at low heat for about 10 minutes.

Make sure to detach the edges of the tortilla from the skillet with a fish slice. Then place a large lid over the skillet and turn the whole thing upside down, transferring the tortilla first to the lid, then to the plate. Slide it back into the skillet and cook on a low heat so to heat the uncooked side, too. Serve warm or slightly cold. Serves 4 as a main course.

Stuffed Brisee Pie 

  

Ingredients:

400 gr Brisee dough

3 spring onions

2 eggs

100 gr bacon, diced

200 gr leeks

150 ml cream

100 ml milk

50 gr butter

Clean and chop the leeks and stew them with 45 gr butter for about one hour at a very low heat, adding some water or vegetable broth. Sauté the bacon in a pan, getting rid of the liquid grease that forms.

Grease a baking pan with butter and place the brisee dough in it, so to have a thickness of 3-4 mm. Make sure that the dough adheres to the edges. In a bowl, mix the eggs, add the milk and the cream. Place the bacon and leeks in the baking pan and then pour the mixture into the bowl. Cook for about 20 minutes at 200 °C degrees or until cooked. Serve tepid. Serves 4.

Fusilli Caprese Salad

  

Ingredients:

400 grms fusilli pasta (or any other if you wish)

Cherry tomatoes

2 mozzarella

Basil

Oil

Salt

Boil the water and add the pasta, cook until al dente following the instructions on the packet (the cooking time can vary depending on the kind of pasta). In a skillet heat some olive oil on a medium heat and add the cherry tomatoes (as many as you like). Sauté the tomatoes slightly so that they don't break. Add the tomatoes to the strained pasta. Stir in with oil and add diced mozzarella. Toss and add the basil leaves. Serve cold. Serves 4.

Cucumber Sandwiches 

  

Ingredients:  

1 package of cream cheese

Mayonnaise

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

Garlic salt

Chopped dill (aneto)

Sandwich bread slices

Mix the cream cheese and the mayonnaise until smooth. Combine the mixture with cucumber, garlic and dill. Spread the mixture evenly on sliced white bread and make sure to cut off the crust and to cut the sandwiches into quarters once they are done. Serve slightly cool.

Brownies   

  

Ingredients:

150 gr butter

300 gr sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

80 gr all-purpose flour

50 gr cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

100 g chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 150 °C. Line a non-stick rectangular cake tin with grease-proof paper and grease it. Melt the butter. Whisk eggs and sugar, add vanilla, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and melted butter. Add chopped walnuts. Bake at 150 °C until fully cooked (about 20-30 minutes). Cool the cake on a wire cooling rack.  Serves 10.

 Written by: Elisa della Barba