A French picnic

11 Pages·2012·1.543 MB·English

by  Manning, Joy

The Grown-Up Lunch Box—Volume One: A French Picnic
By Joy Manning

Copyright 2012 by Joy Manning
Cover Copyright 2012 by Ginny Glass and Untreed Reads Publishing
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Grown-Up Lunch Box
Volume One: A French Picnic
Joy Manning
Introduction
I’m sitting in traffic, with the radio turned up to drown out my stomach’s rumbling. My head
hurts, I’m cranky, and I have no idea why I don’t start keeping granola bars in the glove
compartment. Once again, I ate only an orange and a piece of string cheese for lunch and now, at
7 pm, after my 9-hour workday and 40-mile commute home, I’m starving.
This happens to me regularly, more often than I want to admit, even though I’ve been a
nutrition editor and cookbook author. I am more than capable of making a really good lunch for
myself. I know the health benefits of the midday meal and the perils of skimping on it. This
shouldn’t happen.
My husband does this too. Some days after work, even though deep down we want to have a
nice night and enjoy each other’s company, we’re both too grumpy and hungry to cook or even
be nice to each other. Or, worse, when midday hunger strikes we eat something that sends us
back to our desk bloated and groggy, like take-out pizza or drive-through French fries,
sometimes chased with a sugary drink like soda. Sound familiar?
I know you’ve probably been there, too. For most of us, the best-case scenario is a boring
sandwich of peanut butter and jelly or turkey and cheese that will get us through the day without
a major blood sugar crash or fast-food remorse. However, a meal like this brings no gustatory
pleasure and makes you feel like you’re a kid again—but not in a good way.
It doesn’t have to be like this. I’ve recently made a lunchtime resolution. Lunch should be a
break from the workday that restores my energy and fuels the afternoon. It should be wholesome,
homemade, and delicious. It should be fun. And with just a little effort, it absolutely can be. Like
going to the gym, putting on sunscreen, or getting a medical checkup, making sure you have a
good lunch is part of taking care of yourself and a measure of your self-esteem. Aren’t you worth
a little extra effort to pack something you will really enjoy eating? The Grown-Up Lunch Box is
a powerful tool for creating a better quality of life. With these recipes, you can start now. It does
require you to invest some kitchen time over the weekend, but it’s not as hard as your commute
home on an empty stomach.
As I am cooking up all kinds of ideas to take back my lunch break, I’d love to see what you
eat every day. Tweet me your usual lunch menu @joymanning or let me know what kind of
recipes you’d like to pack for yourself. I often post a twitpic of my midday meal, and I’d love to
know what you’re eating, too. If I know you’re watching, I’m a whole lot less likely to grab
French fries or a sad piece of string cheese. Let’s make lunchtime a whole lot better—together—
one great recipe at a time.
This group of recipes is one I like to make on a Sunday afternoon for the week ahead,
especially when I know I’m going to be stressed and busy. I’ve never been to Paris, but I imagine
that if I lived there, rustic pâtés and homemade breads like the ones in this cookbook would be a
way of life.
Traditional pâtés, made from highly perishable meats, probably aren’t the best lunch box
fare, especially because you’ll hardly feel energized for the afternoon after eating something so
rich. But I drew inspiration from the flavors you often find in French pâtés and terrines to create
something that feels just as fancy—even if you must eat it in your cubicle. My recipe is a
vegetarian version based on lentils and walnuts, so it’s packed with protein, fiber, and flavor. It
keeps well even without refrigeration for hours, and its flavor actually deepens and improves
over several days.
You’ll also find a simple recipe for Whole Wheat Flatbread. It takes all of 15 minutes to put
these together, and when you pull them toasty and warm from the oven you may decide never to
buy crackers again. It is a revelation. Even days after you first bake them, they taste far fresher
than anything you’ll find in a box. I think these are the perfect vehicle for a lush spread of this
vegetarian pâté, but if you don’t want to tackle the baking project, your favorite store-bought
crackers or a slice of good whole grain bread will do just fine.
When you order pâté at a French restaurant, you usually get a slew of little accompaniments
to complement the savory spread: mustard, onions, capers, and pickles are especially common. I
like pickles best, so you’ll also find a recipe for quick Pickled Carrots and Fennel Sticks. These
are great on the side, as a snack, or layered right on top of a pâté-slathered slice of flatbread.
(Again, some store-bought cornichons would be an acceptable substitute.) Packed up with a few
Chocolate Orange Truffles and a canteen of Cucumber, Cantaloupe, and Strawberry Cooler, it’s
a midday treat that will leave you feeling good.
It’s true that I’ve eaten it stuck at my desk, straight out of plastic containers, crumbs falling
into my keyboard, but (like most lunches) it is even better enjoyed on a park bench on a sunny
day. Close your eyes and pretend you’re sitting outside a Parisian café if you want to go all the
way with your lunch escape. I promise you’ll be twice as productive all afternoon. And when
you get home, you’ll be nourished enough to greet your spouse, roommate, or pet with a smile,
and muster up the wherewithal needed to make dinner. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Lentil-Walnut Pâté with Port and Thyme

I’m not a vegetarian, but I was one for more than a decade. And though I now relish all kinds of
meat in moderation, I still seek out meatless meals, both because I love vegetarian food and
because I know that plant-based dishes are usually better for me. Pâté made from duck or pork is
a splurge that I reserve for special occasions. This vegetarian version I want to make and eat all
the time. I think you will too, regardless of whether you identify as a vegetarian or an omnivore.
Often a vegetarian recipe aimed at good health goes too far cutting fat, even if the fat in
question is the healthiest kind, like you get with raw walnuts. This dish is fortified with plenty of
luxurious butter. I always use butter from grass-fed cows because it too is a source of healthy
fats, including some omega-3s. But if you are really watching your saturated fat grams, you can
reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons without sacrificing much flavor. If you’re vegan, try
substituting tahini. It’s really the lentils that make this spread substantial and meaty enough to
take center stage in even a carnivore’s lunch box.
Makes 2 cups (about 4 servings)
½ cup lentils de Puy
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ cup raw unsalted walnut halves
4 tablespoons butter, plus 1 teaspoon for cooking the shallots
1 medium shallot, sliced thin (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup port wine
½ teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, preferably champagne vinegar
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, garlic, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover with
2 inches of water. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer
until the lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes. Add the walnuts to the saucepan, remove from
the heat, and allow the lentils and walnuts to cool in the liquid for at least 1 hour before draining
and discarding the garlic and bay leaf. (Steeping the walnuts like this softens them so they blend
into the spread smoothly.)
While the lentils and walnuts steep, melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until they have softened, about
3 minutes. Add the port and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the liquid has all but
evaporated and the shallots are coated in a thick, winey syrup. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
When the lentil-walnut mixture has cooled, drain the liquid through a strainer, and transfer
the mixture along with the shallots and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt to the work bowl of a
food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl
periodically, about 2 minutes total.
Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons butter into 8 pieces, and distribute evenly over the top of the
lentil-walnut mixture. Add the thyme leaves and the vinegar. Process until the butter is
incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving
to let the flavors meld.
Whole Wheat Flatbread

It’s true that baguette slices would be more authentically French, but nothing makes me feel
worse in the afternoon than a belly full of white flour. These cracker-like flatbreads are thin,
crisp, and half whole grain. They will leave you light on your feet. This isn’t to say they are less
delicious than fluffy white bread—the whole wheat brings a subtle, nutty flavor and because they
are homemade they have a fabulous fresh quality. I think they are a perfect complement to pâté
of any kind, not to mention most cheeses and hummus, too.
Makes 8 flatbreads
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt. Whisk well to combine. Add the olive oil
and water and use a fork to mix until a dry, shaggy dough ball has formed. Finish mixing the
dough by kneading in the bowl with your hands, until all the flour has been incorporated and no
dry spots remain.
Divide the dough into 8 even pieces. Working 1 piece at a time, roll the dough into a short,
fat log about the size of your thumb. Pat it flat, and then use a rolling pin to make long ovals,
about 10 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. The dough should be about 1/ of an inch thick,
16
about the thickness of a nickel. (It won’t be perfect—the shapes will be irregular.) Re-roll them
before you transfer them to the oven if the dough retracts while it rests. If you have a hand-
cranked pasta machine or stand mixer with a pasta roller attachment, use that to roll out the
dough.
Arrange the flatbreads on 2 parchment- or silicone-mat-lined baking sheets, and bake until
golden brown at the edges and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely, then store in a
zip-top plastic bag.
Pickled Carrot and Fennel Sticks

These pickles aren’t the kind you seal in jars and put up for the winter. These are quick pickles
(aka refrigerator pickles), and while they will last a couple of weeks, they aren’t what you would
call preserved. I prefer making quick pickles to their canned cousins. First of all, it’s easier.
There’s no sterilizing jars, hot water baths, or troublesome bacteria to worry about. But I also
think that these are fresher, crisper, and generally livelier on the palate than versions that have
been through the usual canning process (especially if you aren’t an experienced canner).
After the sticks have been pickled overnight, you may want to cross-cut them into a fine dice
for a relish that’s easy to spread over pâté. Top the diced vegetables with just enough brine to
keep them moist and save the leftover brine for your next pickling project.
Serves 4
1¼ cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
8 ounces carrots (about 2), peeled and cut into ¼-inch sticks
8 ounces fennel bulb (about ½ bulb), cored and cut into ¼-inch sticks
In a medium sauce pan with a lid, combine the water, vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt, fennel
seeds, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove
the saucepan from the heat and add the carrots and fennel. Cover, and let the carrots and fennel
steam in the hot liquid for 5 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables and brine to a tall, narrow, heatproof container with a lid. Transfer to
the refrigerator to chill overnight. These pickles will keep well for two weeks in the refrigerator.
Cucumber, Cantaloupe, and Strawberry Cooler

This refreshing drink isn’t exactly a juice. It’s a lightly flavored fruity water sweetened with a
touch of honey syrup. The cucumber has a profound cooling effect, while the cantaloupe brings a
musky sweetness, and strawberries add a tart brightness to your glass. If you have any left over
by the weekend, pour it over ice and add a splash of gin for a happy hour cocktail that is almost
healthy.
Makes 1 quart
2 tablespoons honey
¼ cup boiling water
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped (about 1½ cups)
¼ medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
8 strawberries, hulled and cut in half (about 1 cup)
3 cups cold water
1/8 teaspoon salt
In a small heatproof measuring cup, whisk the honey and boiling water together until blended
into a syrup. Set aside.
Combine the cucumbers, cantaloupe, strawberries, water, and salt in a blender and puree.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove solids—do not press too vigorously
down on the pulp that remains in the strainer. (You will have about 1 cup solids. Compost or
discard them.)
Whisk in the reserved honey syrup. Chill thoroughly before serving.