Some mates and I are having a weekend away with an Italian theme... can someone suggest a vegetarian (but not vegan necessarily) Italian pot luck meal that won't mind sitting in a car boot for about 6 hours, also an Italian style birthday cake? Many thanks!
nfh1,
Aug 9, 4:23am
Gosh that is a tough one - can the food transported in the car then be cooked or reheated? Or does it have to be cold food?
goodbooks,
Aug 9, 4:25am
Pasta dishes can be made in advance - keep well chilled in a chilly bin.
Maybe make the birthday cake a tiramisu? In a lovely bowl with candles.
davidt4,
Aug 9, 4:46am
Vitello Tonnato (in a chilly bin)
Melazane parmigiana (better served hot but okay cold)
Antipasto
hezwez,
Aug 9, 4:54am
Thanks all, we're staying up the mountain so hot food would be good, there ARE stoves, and microwaves in the camphouse. I forgot to add, fish is fine just no meat or poultry. I'll goggle the suggestions.
hezwez,
Aug 9, 5:01am
davidt4, can you get mozzarella or ricotta cheese that doesn't use animal rennet? I'm looking at the melazane parmigiana... . .
nfh1,
Aug 9, 5:05am
If you have stoves and microwaves then I suppose anything could be on the menu! Lasagne, pizza and a million or so pasta dishes! Definitely Timarisu and Zabaglione.
Lots of Chianti and Pinot Gris.
Enjoy
hezwez,
Aug 9, 5:35am
Thanks nfh1, we'll be singing along with Pavarotti too. :-) Edited to add my main concern (other than making the pizza I would otherwise be tempted to make since I lack imagination) is the fact that it has to be in the car boot for so long. We're tramping in the morning and check-in isn't until 3pm. But a chilly pack should suffice. Thanks again for suggestions.
nfh1,
Aug 9, 5:42am
Sounds like you will need lots of food after all that exertion - meant to put self assembly for the pizza, rather than making and leaving.
Have a lovely week-end.
papariccardo,
Aug 9, 5:59am
I suppose carne equina is out of the question then?
Start with lots of vino, if not driving. I would recommend plenty of varied antipasti (artichoke hearts, mozzarella, peperone, etc) for stuzzichino. For the main, perhaps a lasagne with spinach & blue cheese, and of course, tiramisu is a must as dessert. Buy a double espresso coffee rather than using instant, if you don't have a plunger. Maybe a little zabaglione too? You can never have too much dolce!
Download some Alessandra Amoroso for the MP3 player too.
Buon appetito, buona fortuna!
unknowndisorder,
Aug 9, 6:01am
If you're not able to check in until 3pm, but will be in the vicinity earlier in the day, I'd ask if you can't drop the food off beforehand. They may have a fridge or even a cool area they can store it rather than leaving it in the boot. Just a thought.
hezwez,
Aug 9, 6:14am
Thanks papariccardo for the suggestions, and unknown disorder that's an idea, but they have to clean out after a large party staying the night before... not sure whether I want to risk leaving all the food there since it may get tossed (and also we won't have the key, the large party will still be there when we start our tramp at 9am)
hezwez,
Aug 15, 8:43am
Just an update, we had a marvellous weekend with pizza, a spaghetti dish, and coda di rospo alla conte carlo, with warehou replacing the monkfish. Dessert was Sicilian cheesecake and the Tiramisu. Lots of wine, much fun, and we shared the camphouse with families celebrating a 9 year old's birthday, & since our weekend was to celebrate a birthday in our party, there was much merriment all round. Chilling the food wasn't a problem, we were allowed to check in at noon. Thanks for all the helpful advice. Only Alessandra Amoroso was missing.
elliehen,
Aug 15, 9:33am
No ten tenors, then? ?
hezwez,
Aug 15, 9:35am
Nine adults, a bunch of nine year old girls and a small boy? The ten tenors (or even 20) couldn't have made themselves heard!
ferita,
Aug 15, 7:49pm
If there is a stove there i would just take up some dried pasta and cook it up there. Then make a sauce up there too. Even a fresh pesto sauce is nice
uli,
Aug 16, 5:27am
ferita - the party is over ... done and dusted :)
ferita,
Aug 16, 5:48am
The party is never over Uli! !
hezwez,
Aug 16, 7:43am
Too true!
elliehen,
Aug 16, 7:52am
Musta been more vino stashed in that car boot...
rarogal,
Aug 17, 9:49am
This recipe is wonderful - have made it several times and guests always looking for more - served with salad and basil and parmesan crostini! !
TORTELLINI & CHORIZO SPICY TOMATO SAUCE
1 tbsp olive oil; 3 chorizo sausages thinly sliced; 420g can spicy tomato condensed soup; 400g can crushed tomatoes; ½ cup green pitted olives, halved; 2cups frozen broad beans; 300g packet fresh tortellini pasta; 100g feta diced; ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley; ground black pepper to taste.
Pour boiling water over broad beans and allow to stand for 3 mins. Heat oil in large frying pan, add chorizo and cook until brown. Add soup, tomatoes, and olives. Bring to boil and simmer 10mins. Drain beans, peel and discard pods. Add to tomato soup mixture. Simmer for another 5mins.
Cook pasta in a large pot of gently boiling salted water for 5 mins. Drain. Gently stir into tomato mixture, combining well. Top pasta with feta cheese and chopped fresh parsley, season with black pepper.
Hints:I couldn’t find spicy tomato soup, so I used a sachet of Masterfoods Italian Chicken Casserole mix as well. I doubled this recipe for the 8 of us.
rarogal,
Aug 17, 9:50am
PS:Dont be tempted to leave out the broad beans, they are delicious podded and add wonderful colour! !
rarogal,
Aug 17, 9:53am
And here is a soup that is so easy to make and very tasty! !
Ministrone Soup (easy) 3/4 cup (135g) pasta spirals or shells, 1 large onion, chopped, 6 cups chicken stock, 500ml jar tomato pasta sauce, 1/2 tspn oregano, 1 Tbspn sugar, 1 cup diced pumpkin, 1 large potato, diced, 1 large carrot, diced, 1 cup frozen peas, 440g can 4 bean mix, 2 Tbspn fresh parsley. Method: Combine onion, stock, pasta sauce, pasta, oregano, sugar, pumpkin, potato and carrot in a saucepan, boil uncovered for 15 mins. Add peas and 4 bean mix and cook uncovered for 10 mins. Add parsley, stir until hot.
hezwez,
Feb 3, 4:18pm
Thanks rarogal, I'll pass on the Tortellini and Chorizo spicy tomato sauce since I was looking for something without meat or chicken, but the minestrone looks scrummy for the next party.
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