Long live the Picnic with orthocentric cuisine!

Today I'm going to talk to you about culinary delights under the sun because it's time to organize an outdoor picnic, and not just any picnic, but a true gastronomic experience that will make vegans and curious experimenters alike jump for joy.

This is exactly what I want to talk to you about: my orthocentric idea of ​​cooking, my philosophy, and what plant-based food means to me.

First, imagine a green meadow, a warm sun, and a carefully laid out plaid blanket. Now add to all this the sound of a stream, of fresh, clear water flowing beside you. You're immersed in nature and the peace that will soon spread throughout you. And it's here that true hunger usually kicks in, and your body craves food that's consistent with the habitat around you.

An extraordinary outdoor ORTHOCENTERIC picnic experience

What do I mean by orthocentric cuisine?

A Kitchen It uses only seasonal, plant-based ingredients, perhaps purchased locally and sourced locally; be they leafy greens or fruits like zucchini, peppers, or eggplant, or legumes or grains: the important thing is that they come from the garden. In my vision of cooking, how we treat our ingredients, how we cook them, how we respect their shape, using them as fully as possible because nothing of a "gift" should go to waste.

Returning to seasonal vegetables, they're the rock stars of the outdoor dining scene—the true stars that bring color, freshness, and vitality to your picnic. Whether you opt for a crisp salad or an assortment of raw vegetables to dip in succulent sauces, seasonal vegetables are the secret ingredient that makes all the difference.

Think about it: when you taste a ripe, juicy tomato, freshly picked from the garden, you feel like you're in heaven. Your taste buds will perceive a rainbow of sensations, with nuances ranging from sour to sweet, from sweet to salty, coming together in a balance the Japanese call... UMAMI and the Americans YUMMY DELICIOUSNESS . And what about crunchy carrots that can be crunched like chips? They're an explosion of flavor and vitamins that will bring a smile to your face.

An orthocentric recipe for lovers of delicious food and outdoor adventures.

The recipe I want to share with you is the ultimate tribute to seasonal vegetables and fruits. Lots of colorful diced vegetables, a lovely fresh melon (with pink salt), a flavorful yellow pepper cream at the base, a crusty slice of carasau bread flavored with rosemary, and on top, a delicacy that will explode in your mouth, harmonizing all the flavors: Coffee caviar . To make it more like caviar, I added some charcoal.

This ginger-flavored vegetable bowl will kick off a tasty and flavorful outdoor lunch. Since the vegetables will be cut into evenly sized cubes and are colorful, I decided to call this recipe: “If Rubik had been a chef.”

The orthocentric recipe

Ingredients for 4 glasses

For Rubik's vegetables and sauce :

• 4 yellow peppers
• 3 red peppers
• 2 stalks of green celery
• 2 courgettes (I used the light green ones)
• 1 large carrot
• 4 slices of melon (about half a melon)
• Ginger (juice) about 4C cooking
• Pink salt
• Pepper to taste
• Garlic powder in cooking (lighter in flavor)

Coffee caviar

• 1 moka pot for 3 people of single-origin coffee Pure Ethiopia (unsweetened)
• 4g of agar agar
• 2c of charcoal
• Very cold sunflower oil

Garnish

• Thin rosemary puff pastry but you can also use Carasau bread you need to use:
• 300g of rice flour
• 100g of chickpea flour
• Finely chopped rosemary to taste
• Salt and pepper
• 3C of extra virgin olive oil
• 250g of water (add more if necessary)

Procedure

1. For the caviar , place the bottle of sunflower oil in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place a 3-cup moka pot of Puro Ethiopia coffee, with its delicate aroma and no sugar, on the stove. If you want a stronger flavor, you can use Caffe Milani coffee. Pure Brazil.
3. Place the freshly brewed coffee in a saucepan and add the agar agar and charcoal, stirring well, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it steep for 3 minutes.
4. Remove the oil from the freezer and place it in a container. Using a syringe (without a needle; I used a small one because I wanted it to resemble caviar), scoop out the coffee grounds and slowly, drop by drop, drop by drop into the very cold oil. Once you've obtained a small amount, use a fine-mesh strainer to pour the oil and drain your caviar. Let it dry thoroughly on paper towels.
5. For the puff pastry : put all the flours, salt, rosemary (and pepper if you like) in a bowl and mix well.
6. Gradually add the water until you obtain a compact and fairly soft dough.
7. Using two sheets of baking paper, roll out the dough thinly (max 3mm) and place it in a very hot oven at 200° for 10 minutes.
8. Vegetables : cut the vegetables into small cubes (as small as you can), making sure to place them in cold water as you cut them so they stay hydrated.
9. While you chop the vegetables, boil some water with coarse salt.
10. Once you have finished cutting all the vegetables (except the melon), place them in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain them and plunge them into very cold water.
11. Pat them dry with paper towels and sauté them in a pan with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings; drizzle with the ginger juice until completely absorbed. Let them cool.
12. While the vegetables are cooling and the water is still boiling, cut a medium-large yellow pepper into irregular pieces (after removing the seeds) and plunge it into boiling salted water for 4 minutes, then, as before, cool it in cold water.
13. Using a blender, chop the yellow pepper into small pieces, add oil, no salt (you already used boiling salted water to soften it), pepper, and a clove of garlic, and blend. Use a little of the salted water you used to help create a smooth, creamy sauce.

Plating

Pour the sauce into a small transparent glass, then, using a teaspoon, add the ginger vegetables, finally the caviar and then a romarino puff pastry… and voilà, the picnic is served!

Claudio Di Dio
Communications Consultant for Plant-Based Products | Orthocentric Chef | Vegan Food Creator