Picnic Provencal

Elegant and Romantic

This lovely picnic spread is inspired by the French Countryside and is a simple make ahead salad and elegant homemade tarts combined with the convenience of purchased French cheeses and bread. And don't forget the wine and bakery fruit tarts. Elegant and romantic!

Menu

Tomatoe Tarts Nicoise

Green Bean & Red Pepper Salad

Variety of French Cheeses & Baguette

Fruit, Wine & Bakery Mini-tarts

Recipes

Tomatoe Tarts Nicoise

Cheese Pastry (recipe follows)
1/4c olive oil
2 Lg onions minced
28oz can of tomatoes
1/2t. each rosemary and sugar
1/8t each cayenne and black pepper
2 cloves of garlic minced
2-2oz cans flat anchovy fillets
32 Nicoise olives or medium ripe olives

Prepare Cheese Pastry and divide into 8 equal portions; roll each out ito a circle to fit 4-inch tart pans 3/4 to 1 inch deep. Line pans with pastry, trimming edges even with pan.

Heat 2 T. of oil in large frying pan over medium heat; add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and light brown. Spoon onions evenly into pastry lined pans. In pan, heat remaining 2 T. of oil slightly; add tomatoes and liquid (break up with a spoon), sugar, red pepper, black pepper, rosemary, and garlic. Cook over high heat stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and reduced to 2 cups.

Spoon tomatoe mixture evenly into tart pans. Crisscross 2 anchovy fillets and arrange 4 olives on to of each tart.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until well browned. Let stant for about 10 minutes; then protecting your hand, tip each tart out of its pan into yu hand and place filling side up, on a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Make 8 tarts.

Cheese Pastry
In a large bowl, stir together 1/2c flour, 1/2t salt, and 1/4c Parmesan cheese. With pastry blender cut 4 T. each firm butter or margarine, and lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With fork stir in 2 to 3 T. cold water until mixture begins to cling together. Use hands to press pastry into small flat ball.

Green bean and Red Pepper Salad

1 pound of green beans
Basil Mustard Dressing ( recipe follows)
1 medium red bell pepper seeded and cut into slivers

Cut and discard ends of beans; leave beans whole. Pour water into a 3 Qt. pan to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a boil; Cook uncovered just until tender crisp. Drain and place in ice cold water to stop the cooking. Cover and refrigerate.

Prepare Basil Mustard dressing. In a large container with a lid, combine red peppers with dressing; cover and refrigerate. Transport beans and peppers separately in a cooler. To serve, add beans to peppers; stir gently to coat beans with dressing. With a slotted spoon, lift out vegetables and serve on a bed of lettuce.

Basil Mustard Dressing

3T red wine vinegar
1T dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2t. each sugar, salt, dry basil

Using a fork or wisk, gradually add 1/3c olive oil until well blended.

From Sunset Books