Tag Archive for 'picnic'

Spicy Asian subs and the Philharmonic in the park

Published
by
marc
on June 25, 2008
in Asian, Fusion, Pork and Sandwich
. 8 Comments

About 5pm today I got an IM from L that the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was playing in Central Park at 8pm. Given the amazing weather today I decided to run home and pack a picnic dinner that we could eat in the park. I just happened to pick up a baguette at the farmers market today and I had leftover pulled pork so I figured I’d make some Asian sandwiches.

The great thing about making a ton of roast anything is that there are million things you can do with the leftovers. This spicy asian sub came together with some left over green tea pulled pork (and the spicy BBQ sauce that went along with it), some summer squash I had pickled with mint a few weeks ago and a few sprigs of fresh mint. It all came together in a matter of minutes and I even had some time to blanch some incredible green beans I found at the farmers market and marinate them in olive oil and 12 year balsamic vinegar.

We got to the park a full hour before the concert started, but as I suspected the Great Lawn was already blanketed (literally) with people. For whatever reason (probably because New Yorkers are allergic to dirt) no one was sitting on the baseball diamond. We staked out our spot right in the center.

As I listened to the music while munching away I realized that a good sandwich (or any food for that matter) should be constructed like a good orchestra. In this case, the rich earthy pulled pork laid a solid base like a tuba or cello; the tart pickles were like the trumpets and trombones adding emphasis and texture; the bbq sauce added bursts of sweetness and spice like a percussion section; the thin layer of Kewpie mayo reminded me of the smooth french horns; the mint added a breath of freshness into the sandwich like the woodwinds, and of course the bread was the conductor that brought it all together.

As you can tell from the photos below, night-time photography is not my strong suit. I brought my brightest lens with me, but it’s fixed focal length and the uneven lighting made it quite a challenge. The first one is looking south across a sea of New Yorkers (you can see the Time Warner Center in the back). The second one is of when a glowing alien beamed onto the stage and took over the orchestra (well not really). The last one I took on the run as we tried to evade the mass exodus towards the subways.

So what makes a perfect sandwich for you?

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Lemony potato salad

Published
by
marc
on March 12, 2008
in Salad, Side and Vegetable
. 1 Comment

Lemony potato salad

If you’re not a big fan (or even if you are a fan) of the starchy mayonnaise that usually passes for potato salad, give this recipe a try. It’s much less creamy and if you’re totally anti-mayo, you can just omit it and replace it with an equal amount of olive oil. It’s lemony, with a little bite coming from the briny capers and a little crunch coming from the pickled onions and cucumber.

Try adding some different spices like basil, dill or caraway. A little whole grain mustard complements the capers nicely and adds another textural element as well.

2 russet potatos cut into 3/4″ cubes

1 Tsp kosher salt
1/4 small onion sliced as thin as possible
2″ length of hothouse cucumber seeded, quartered and thin

1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs good olive oil
1 Tbs mayonaise (optional, if omitting add another Tbs olive oil)
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbs drained capers

Boil the potatoes in ample until soft enough to stick a fork through.

While the potatoes are cooking, put the sliced onions and cucumbers in a bowl with the salt and add some water. This pickles them, breaking down the cell walls of the veggies and releasing water making them more crunchy. Let them sit for about 10 minutes then squeeze out as much of the water as you can using your hands (the more water you get out, the crunchier they’ll be).

Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, mayo, and salt to make the dressing.

Drain the potatoes well and put into medium bowl and cover with the dressing while still warm. Gently combine the potatoes and dressing trying not to smash the potatoes too much. Add the onions, cucumber, and capers and mix until evenly distributed. Taste to make sure it’s okay, you can add more lemon, more salt, or even a pinch of sugar if you want to mellow it out a bit.

Serve it warm or let it come to room temperature.

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