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Pack a picnic lunch for spring break
Published: 3/15/2012 4:02 PM
Last Modified: 3/16/2012 12:03 PM


from Shutterstock

Cold antipasto salad and lemon hand pies would make a perfect picnic
lunch this time of year.

One of my favorite pasta salads contains the same components as antipasto. And pasta salads are easy to personalize. Leave something out if you don’t like it. Add other vegetables if you choose.

And lemon desserts always seem like the perfect sweet for spring. I thought it would be fun to make them portable.

That way, you can throw a Frisbee and never have to put down your pie.

Antipasto Pasta Salad

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb rotini (corkscrew pasta), freshly cooked to tender, rinsed under cold water, and drained
1 (12-oz) jar marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
1 (12-oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1/2 lb mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb thinly sliced sweet soppressata or salami, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 lb Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and
chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Whisk together red-wine vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

-adapted from Epicurious.com, originally from Gourmet magazine

Sunshine Lemon Hand Pies(Makes approx. 1 dozen)

2 prepared rolled pie crusts (thawed, but still cold)
1 cup Lemon Curd
1 egg, beaten
Flour for dusting
2 tablesppon granulated or turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured board. Cut in to 3.5" rounds. Repeat with second pie crust. You'll need two rounds of dough for each hand pie.

3. Arrange 6 dough rounds on each prepared baking sheet. With a finger dipped in a small bowl of water, moisten a 1/4" border around each circle of dough (to form a "glue" to seal the two crusts together).

4. Place a tablespoon of lemon curd (or filling of your choice) in the center of each circle.

5. Place another round of dough on top and press to seal the edges. With the tip of a tooothpick or skewer, poke a small hole in the center of the pie to allow air to escape.


6. Dip a dowel or chopstick in flour (to prevent sticking), then dimple the edges of each pie as demonstrated in the photo below.

7. Use a finger to press down each "petal" or "ray". This helps to seal the pie and gives it its sunny shape.

8. With a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on top of each pie. Sprinkle with sugar.

9. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 12 minutes.

10. Cool on an elevated rack, then enjoy!

From RookNo17.com



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Taste

Food Writer Nicole Marshall Middleton joined the Tulsa World in May 1993 after graduating from Oklahoma State University. She has covered crime, city government and general assignment beats during that time - but mostly crime. But when she isn’t at work, Nicole is a devoted food hobbyist. She enjoys meal planning and cooking with her husband, Steve, every day of the week and on holidays it’s a family affair. When the opportunity to become the food writer at the Tulsa World presented itself in the summer of 2011, Nicole jumped at it. She is excited to explore a new side of Tulsa and make the transition from crime to cuisine. .

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