Every year a Belgian choir director organizes a music festival in Asciano. Although circumstances are not ideal, they decided to go ahead and we were happy to have our annual lunch with some Belgian friends in our garden.
It’s hot, you only have 2 hours to spend together, what to prepare?
Jamie Oliver, Ottolenghi and Sabrina Ghayour inspire me for this menu.
Carta musica is a Sardinian crispy flat bread. You need 250 grams for this recipe. You also need 1 kilo of tasty tomatoes, thinly sliced, 2 buffalo mozzarella of 200 grams, thinly sliced, fresh basil, 200 grams of ricotta, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dried basil and oregano, pepper and salt. Use a large springform. Spread same cling film in a way you can cover the food after preparing. Start with a tin layer of carta musica which you can easily break to create 1 layer. Continue with a layer of tomatoes, pepper, salt, dried oregano and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, Cover with carta musica. Create a layer with mozzarella, dried basil, pepper and salt. Cover with carta musica and repeat with tomatoes, … Finish with carta musica. Cover with the cling film and put in the fridge for 1 night. Mix 200 grams of ricotta with pepper, salt and chopped fresh basil. Store in the fridge. 30 minutes before arrival, remove the circle of the springform, remove the upper part of the cling film. Cover with a large plate and turn upside down. Remove bottom and cling film. Spread the ricotta cheese, some extra basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. This portion is enough for 6-8 persons as lunch. A leftover is an easy, quick dinner for 2, baked in the oven at 180° for 25-30 mins.
Warm leftover
Combine this dish with a salad, inspired by Ottolenghi. Start partially the day before to ease your life 😉. Slice 1 large fresh onion in thin stripes. Chop 4 dates in small pieces. Put in a container. Add a large drizzle of red wine vinegar. Mix. Cover. Store in the fridge. The following day, 30 mins before arrival, slice 1 large garlic clove ( aglione is even better because of its softer flavor). Mix with a drizzle of olive oil and 3 table spoons of pine nuts, pepper and salt. Bake crispy. Mix the onions, dates and red wine vinegar with the pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. Spread on a green salad. Add some extra olive oil if needed. Serve the salad with the savory cake.
As desert, slice a cleaned (remove skin and central part) pineapple thinly. Mix 2 table spoons of Moroccan mint leaves with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Grind in the mortar. Spread the pineapple on a large plate. Brush the mint mixture and the slices. Cover, store in the fridge.
Doc V's Healthy Kitchen 