Episode #303 - Tuna Fish and Cannellini Beans Salad, by The Pool!
Today we decided not to cook and whipped out a quick tuna salad that made a perfect date lunch by the pool.
This is probably the quickest recipe we have done so far, thanks to the canned beans and fish.
Yes, we buy canned food too! Not the heat up and serve kind of can (soups etc...), we always have in our pantry some tuna, some beans, tons of pelati tomatoes, chickpeas...sometimes, and sardines. Gabriele is the only one that eats sardines.
Also Gabriele does not like seeing too many cans around: it reminds him of his mom going nuts when Chernobyl happened. She transformed their house in a 99 cents store of everything canned, with a tree years shelf life. Eventually the radioactive-rain-scare passed, a lot of milk got thrown away...but we believe that some of those cans might remain in the most remote corners or our Tuscan basements.
Time to eat now,
eat and drink!
Today we are drinking a
very special wine: Passito di Pantelleria.
As old as 800 BC, this sweet fruity wine is a very
romantic touch for a sunny summer morning
“Aperitivo”, or in the evening, after having spent
the whole day at the beach.
Enjoy this bottle of Ben Rye’, from Sicily’s Donna Fugata Winery. Imported
by Folio, it can be purchased
online at Noble Merchants.
Tune Fish and
Cannellini Beans Salad
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: none
Episode #301 - Watercress, Shrimp and Farro Salad
Yes, our cooking is seasonal, and we always enjoy a good amount of vegetables with our meal, but in general, if you happen to be traveling around Italy, you will come across only one kind of salad...what we called Insalata Mista (mixed salad). It is mainly some greens, a bit of carrot, a slice of onion and a couple of slices of tomato. This is probably why we waited so long before getting inspired to create something a little bit more...a dish that stands by itself; not a side dish, but a light lunch.
Two quick things need to
be said about this recipe,
- The Dressing: we mentioned in the video that we
were going to prepare two different kind of
dressings, one being the lemon/mint one... and the
other one? Well, we forgot about it. It was our
intention to tell you how in Italy it always is about
the Olive Oil, Vinegar (not always balsamic), Salt
and Pepper....and make clear that fancy salad
dressing are not really part of the Tuscan
Repertoire.
- The Farro (Emmer Wheat): it is
very hard to find in your local store, and when
you come across it you are tempted to invest that
kind of money on a steak...Your best bet is the
internet, if you would like to try it! Even
without the Farro, this salad is a filling healthy
dish, you just need to be more generous with the
other ingredients. And please, do not mind
Deborah, she always calls it Buck Wheat...it is
not!
Watercress, Shrimps
and Farro Salad
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 5 min for the shrimps, 1 hr for the
Farro wheat
Ingredients
1 Lb. Fresh Shrimps, shelled, deveined and thoroughly
washed
4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup packed fresh mint leaves
15 Oz Cannellini Beans (1 small can)
½ Cup Farro (Emmer Wheat)
1 Lemon, Squeezed / 1 Lime
1 Bunch of Watercress
Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper