Picnic with @lamesa_bcn
La Mesa @lamesa_bcn ( based in Barcelona ) creates beautiful stories around food and family. Founded by Jana @gabbjana and Marilo @oliram12 both moms, foodies and storytellers.
They have come up with 4 beautiful recipes for a picnic on a sunny spring day. Delicious, yet easy to prepare and festive, because life is worth celebrating.
Baby Potatoes with red Mojo sauce
Pickled Turmeric Eggs
8 eggs
250 ml apple cider vinegar
150 ml water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp whole peppercorns
2 tbsp ground turmeric
Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat. In the meantime place a large bowl of ice water nearby. After 10 minutes, the eggs are done. Carefully place them in the ice water. Remove and peel the eggs once they are cool.
Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and turmeric to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Put the eggs into a large jar. The vinegar mixture should be poured over the eggs, and the jar should be refrigerated for up to ten days.
Eat it plain, with butter and bread, or on top of a salad, or in a sandwich...
Pistachio Victoria sponge with Strawberries, flowers and Mascarpone cream
For the cake
280 g butter at room temperature
230g sugar
zest of half a lemon
1 tbsp vanilla extract
5 eggs at room temperature
180 g flour
100 g pistachios
2,5 tbsp baking powder
0,5 tbsp salt
For the strawberry compote
250g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
80 g sugar
juice of half a lemon
0,5 vanilla stick
For the mascarpone cream
50 g icing sugar
250 g mascarpone
0,5 vanilla stick
250 g whipping cream
edible flowers
Preheat your oven to 180°C for the cake. Grease a 20 cm round pan butter and line the base and the sides with backing parchment. Beat the butter, sugar, zest, and eggs together using an electric whisk in a big bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl, whisk until smooth. Then combine the flour, pistachios, baking powder and salt in another bowl until well incorporated . Then fold in the other mixture and mix well.
You should bake the cake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack before taking it out carefully. Then, using a serrated knife, cut off the dome and divide the cake horizontally.
Cut the strawberry tops off and slice them for the compote. Cut the vanilla stick open and place the seeds in a small saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice. Heat until soft and syrupy. Remove and let cool.
Use a electric whisk to whip the mascarpone with the icing sugar and seeds from the vanilla stick. Whisk in the cream until soft peaks form.
Assemble the cake by placing the lower part on a plate, topping it with half of the cream and the strawberry compote. Decorate the upper half of the cake with edible flowers and the remaining cream.
Little lemon and olive oil Madeleines of Muffins with raspberry glaze and filling
For the madeleines/muffins
180 g sugar
zest of 2 lemons
3 eggs
150 g mild tasting olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
150 g yogurt or buttermilk (or vegan yogurt if you want them to be dairy free)
200 g flour
1 tbsp baking powder
0,5 tbsp baking soda
0,5 tbsp salt
For the raspberry jam
250 g raspberries, fresh or frozen
100 g sugar
Juice of half a lemon
For the glaze icing sugar lemon juice Raspberry jam
Edible flowers to decorate
To make the jam, combine the raspberries with the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook for about 15 minutes until thickened. Let cool.
For the madeleines start with preheating your oven to 180 degrees. Then mix the sugar, lemon zest, eggs, oil, vanilla, and yogurt with a handheld whisk in a large bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for one hour.
Lightly grease your muffin or madeleine pan. (this is not necessary if your pan is silicone)
Pour the batter into the pan. If you are baking muffins, you can also fill them with jam afterward, and put a teaspoon in each cavity. Let them bake for about 10-15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove them from the mold and cool them on a rack.
To make the glaze, mix 200 g of icing sugar with a tablespoon of jam, and add lemon juice bit by bit until the glaze is thick and spreadable. Jam and lemon juice proportion can be varied to produce a variety of colours.
Then, decorate your little cakes with flowers and petals by glazing them with a pastry brush or a teaspoon.
