THAT 'AL FRESCO' LUNCH

That ‘al Fresco’ Lunch

            The appearance of outdoor and sidewalk tables and chairs at restaurants and cafés finally signals the definite arrival of summer. Never mind that on most days in the past week in Maine one needed a warm jacket to be comfortable sitting outdoors, but the appeal of outdoor dining is undeniable. Legendary city cafés in Europe and elsewhere have hosted patrons viewing the passing scene and absorbing the sun, as part of the “dolce vita” for centuries.

            Here in the Northeast we tend to think the time after Memorial Day as time for picnics and visits to lobster pounds. But, on a leisurely weekend at home with friends, an interesting variation may be setting an ‘al fresco’ lunch on the patio, the deck or even a picnic table. Start with a cheerful table cloth, a handful of wild or garden flowers, some colorful tableware and napkins, a pitcher of lemonade or white wine and you are set. This portion of the plan is even moveable to a park. Some lunches can be prepared ahead of time and packed in a basket, but for some the access to a stove is necessary.

            Shellfish dishes are particularly popular this time of the year and one of the easiest is mussels. My first encounter with making mussels occurred many years ago on a tent camping trip with the family to Nova Scotia. We camped near Peggy’s cove in days when it was still ‘undiscovered’ and hence un-crowded. My youngest son decided to gather mussels in a cove and came back looking blue from the cold water, but with a dishpan of mussels. So, improvisation on a camp stove yielded a recipe that survives to this day with minor modifications.

                                    Savory mussels in white wine

            Wash and pick over 4 lb. mussels and set aside. In a large pot sauté 1 very thinly sliced large onion with 3 chopped cloves of garlic and ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes in 2Tblsp. olive oil and 1 Tblsp. butter for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 large chopped tomato and 1 ½ cups of dry white wine and bring to boil. Add ¼ cup chopped parsley and the cleaned mussels, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mussels are open. Remove from heat, adjust the broth seasonings with salt and pepper, discard any mussels that remain unopened and serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread.

                                    Crab salad in avocado

            In a bowl thoroughly combine: 6 oz. fresh crab meat: 1 large stalk celery, ½ seeded red pepper and 2 Tblsp. parsley, finely chopped; 3 scallions, finely sliced; 4 Tblsp. mayonnaise; 2 Tblsp. lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Halve 2 ripe avocados and carefully remove the pits and scoop each half of the avocado from the shell. Sprinkle the avocados all over with lemon juice and set each half on a plate over baby salad greens if desired. Set ¼ of the crab salad on each avocado half and garnish with chopped chives or a thin sliver of lime.

                                    Arugula salad with gorgonzola

            In a small bowl thoroughly combine: ¾ cup low fat yoghurt with 1 ½ Tblsp. lemon juice, ¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola, ¼ tsp. garlic salt, ¼ tsp. dry mustard and pepper to taste. In a salad bowl toss 4 cups young arugula leaves, 1/3 seeded and chopped red pepper, 2 thinly sliced scallions with greens and sufficient amount of the dressing.

            Some watermelon and cookies would easily complement any ‘al fresco’ lunch at home and leave you relaxed in the sun or shade depending on your preference.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)