The thing about sand though, is that while it might not be mighty as a single grain, together it forms a formidable force in which something so simple can become something more elaborate. I use this as my topic today because of the inspiration that dear Ms. Ina has given me, creating a simple yet satisfying lunch for ones friends.
As of late, my little band of San Francisco girlfriends have formed a little group that I like to call the Movie Girls. So far our outings have revolved around seeing new chick flick releases, hence the name. Last time that we got together, we treated ourselves to the prix fix lunch menu which consisted of more prosecco then food.
This month, we are going to see the new Jennifer Anniston movie, and rather than going to another bistro, I have offered to make lunch for my little group. My menu is not very fancy nor challenging for a couple of reasons. The biggest being that I have no access to a stove, and I will be transporting said meal for over an hour before it will be consumed. While it does present a challenge, I decided to take the lone sand route and make a much simpler menu.
Years ago when I worked at Stanford, there was a small deli named the Oakville Grocery that I used to frequent. Besides having an amazingly gorgeous wine specialist, they delivered fresh, gourmet options, to the hungry mall goer such as myself. I would go in nearly every day and get a little variety of options. Some days it was a crab cake with a remoulade sauce accompanied by a small, shrimp caesar. Other days it was turkey breast panini grilled with roasted red peppers and a creamy pesto sauce. My absolute favorite dish was their Chicken, Orzo pasta salad. It was light, refreshing and provided a small burst of flavor that would instantly waken my tired palette.
I thought back to the Barefoot Contessa and saw that her best lunch options were portable, served best cold and were easy enough to eat without much utensils or condiments. With that in mind, I decided to re-create my own version of the pasta salad that I missed so dearly.
Going to the grocery store without a list allowed me to think differently about the dish. I shopped for what was fresh, and allowed that to influence my salad. I saw very green arugula, cherry tomatoes on the vine that were so sweet that you can smell their sweet juice when you picked them up. Finally I had my salad.
I got home, threw 2 boxes of orzo pasta into a boiling pot then added 2 cups of raw, chopped red onion, the fresh arugula, a handful of cherry tomatoes, diced chicken breasts that I had marinated in lemon juice, salt, garlic and pepper and finally a few, very generous spoonfuls of white, truffle oil. Yummo! It was the perfect dish for a lunch in the park.
I also knew that I wanted to make sandwiches but I didn't want to fall into the trap of turkey or tuna. Instead, I recreated my favorite sandwich, which I had when I was with my best friend, Kristi, when I last visited her in Orange County. We stopped by Lawry's for prime rib sandwiches on ciabatta, dripping in horseradish sauce.
When I asked the movie girls if there were any food allergies or dislikes I found out that one of the girls, Gail, does not take well to horseradish sauce. With that in mind, I set out to still make steak sandwiches, minus the horseradish. I started with potato, rosemary artisan bread, followed it up with garlic and herb cream cheese spread and completed it with vine-ripened tomatoes and peppery arugula. The steaks had been gently seared in my new, French skillets, in the same method as the other night save for shallots and substituting garlic instead.
Lastly, for dessert, I wanted to give my guests a small, easy treat that would be effortless to carry and ultimately selfishly indulge in: fresh baked madeleines. They were surprisingly easy to make and baking was a cinch. In the 10 minutes they were baking, I checked my emails.
Wrapped in little, cellophane bags they are the perfect end to a quick feast in the park. I enjoyed making my basic lunch for my friends and I especially relish the idea of eating it outdoors in the beautiful, Yerba Buena gardens.
For those of you who doubt the Contessa, or find vanilla to be a little too vanilla, I challenge you to take notice in the little things, and see that even the basic can be extraordinary.
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