With summer in full swing, we plan to spend as much of it as possible outdoors. Preferably in a comfy chair or on a blanket with plenty of food and drink. Bread, cheese, and wine will do, of course.
When we want to go all out, we turn to the delicious memories of a recent tapas tour of Spain.
Tapas, those small tasty bites of savory foods, make great picnic fare. There are many combinations suited for transporting in coolers and enjoying chilled or at room temperature. The menu easily expands to accommodate the guest count and hunger levels.
Tapas can be practically anything spread on bread, skewered on a wooden pick, served as a cold salad or warm off the grill or out of a small cazuela (clay dish). Our favorites tend to be those served on small plates for sharing--either with a spoon or on slices of bread.
The first recipe, a delicate creamy salad, known simply as ensaladilla (or ensaladilla Rusa—Russian salad), captured our hearts at a tapas bar in Santiago de Compostela. There, this classic dish of cooked potatoes and carrots, cut into pretty, small pieces and mixed with green peas and mayonnaise, is piled high alongside thick slices of bread. At home, the salad turns out to be the perfect tapas party cornerstone.
Chickpeas, mixed with caramelized onions, arrive warm in clay baking dishes in Spain’s traditional tapas restaurants. We ate them with a spoon and scooped up all the oily goodness on the bottom of the dish. Often, grilled sliced octopus or chunks of best-quality tinned fish are added for a heartier dish. These are great served with sliced bread either warm or at room temperature.
We nearly inhaled a super-simple tomato appetizer one evening in San Sebastian at a bright, modern-looking tapas bar. Juicy, ripe tomato wedges seasoned with fruity Spanish olive oil and coarse salt arrived in a shallow bowl. Thankfully, tomato season will be around here for many weeks—we’ll vary the dish by changing the oil to suit our tastes.
Thinly sliced Spanish ham, sandwiched between slices of buttered baguette, can be made a couple of hours in advance, then individually wrapped. Sliced sausages, tinned sardines, assorted cheese and pickles round out our picnic offerings. Other nibbles could include grilled shrimp, grilled vegetables on skewers, and deviled eggs. Of course, bowls of olives and roasted nuts are welcome. Baskets of sliced hearty bread fill in the gaps.
Serve tinto de Verano (summertime red wine) with the tapas—simply fill a wine glass half full with fruity red wine (over ice if you wish). Then top off the glass with sparkling lemonade or lemon soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Tapas-Style Picnic Menu
- Creamy potato, carrot and pea salad*
- Sliced grilled sausages
- Spicy chickpeas and onions*
- Tomato salad *
- Spanish Iberico ham (or prosciutto) on buttered baguette slices or buns
- Tinned sardines
- Assorted pickles and olives
- Assorted cheese
- Sliced French bread or sourdough bread
- Creamy Potato, Carrot and Pea salad
Ensaladilla
Makes 6 servings as part of a tapas menu
