Your Guide To European Al Fresco Dining At Home
Created for Distinctly, Deliciously, European
When warm weather hits, it’s time to move your brunches, aperitivos and evening get-togethers outside. The only catch: when the temperature spikes, no one wants to spend their night stuck inside over a hot stove. So, this summer, take inspiration from the Europeans, who have long perfected the art of easy, delicious al fresco dining.
There are two requirements for a perfect summer gathering. The first is to plan ahead. The following recipes front-load the work (meaning all the cutting, mixing, baking and plating can be done in advance) so when your guests arrive, you’re ready to relax.
The second is simpler: just great ingredients. For a European-inspired spread, that means Prosciutto di Parma PDO and Grana Padano PDO cheese. Made for centuries following time-honoured traditional production methods and without preservatives, additives or colourings, both are certified under the European Union’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) system, which guarantees their quality and authenticity.
So, grab your Grana Padano PDO cheese, and Prosciutto di Parma PDO, call some friends, set the table and pop some European sparkling wine. Here’s how to do summer right.
Recipe 1: Prosciutto di Parma PDO Breakfast Board
Canadian winters last far too long, so this summer, invite your friends over for a graze-all-day afternoon in the sun. Inspired by a European breakfast spread, this board is built around the delicate, flavourful Prosciutto di Parma PDO, with soft-boiled eggs, fresh-sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and juicy summer fruit rounding it out.
Prosciutto di Parma PDO is the gold standard here. The 100 per cent natural Prosciutto di Parma PDO is made under a tightly regulated production system (it’s aged for a minimum of 400 days), a process that guarantees the exceptional flavour and craftsmanship behind every slice.
Depending on dietary restrictions, what’s seasonal or what you crave, feel free to swap out ingredients as you like. Grate some Grana Padano PDO into the ricotta for a nuttier, more savoury cheese. Add chili crisps for a kick. Lay out crostini, jams or almonds. The only must? Slices of Prosciutto di Parma PDO.
Ingredients:
- 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs, soft boiled and halved
- ½ cantaloupe, cut into wedges
- ¾ cup Mozzarella ciliegini balls
- 1 ripe tomato, sliced
- Sourdough bread, toasted
- 8 slices Prosciutto di Parma
Method:
- In a small bowl, combine avocado, lemon juice and salt; coarsely mash until creamy. Remove to a small serving bowl and set on a serving board.
- On the board, arrange eggs, cantaloupe, cheese, tomato and toast. Drape Prosciutto di Parma around and between the different ingredients.
Recipe 2: Summer Squash Galette with Grana Padano PDO
This galette brings together creamy ricotta, nutty Grana Padano PDO cheese, seasonal squash and buttery, flaky crust. Flavour aside, one of the biggest draws is that you can prep everything in advance, pop it in the oven when guests arrive, and simply slice it up and serve it for breakfast, brunch, afternoon apero or a pre-dinner snack. (To save even more time, opt for pre-made crust).
For an additional hit of flavour (and a bit of a show), garnish it at the table with an extra shower of Grana Padano PDO cheese.
Grana Padano PDO cheese was created by the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle Abbey almost 1,000 years ago. Today, this nutty, rich cheese is still made with raw, semi-skimmed cow milk from the production area and carefully aged in Northern Italy’s Po River Valley for a minimum of nine to over 24 months.
Ingredients:
For crust:
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- ¼ cup finely grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 2 tbsp ice water
- ½ tbsp white vinegar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
For filling:
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- 2 large yellow and green zucchini
- 2-1/2 tsp salt, divided
- ½ cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- ½ cup finely grated Grana Padano PDO cheese
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method:
- Prepare the crust, in the food processor, combine flour, cheese and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Add butter. Pulse until butter is the size of peas. Turn the food processor on low, add water and vinegar. Keep processor on until dough just begins to come together. Remove from bowl onto a floured work surface. Knead dough twice and pat together to form a flat disk about 2.5cm thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or more.
- Cut zucchinis into quarters lengthwise, then cut into 3-5 cm pieces crosswise. Place in a colander and toss with 2 teaspoons of salt. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes. Remove and paper towel to dry.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together ricotta, Grana Padano PDO cheese, lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
- To assemble, preheat to 200°C. Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to a 40 cm circle – it does not need to be perfectly round or have smooth edges. Transfer to a baking sheet. With an offset spatula, spread ricotta mixture over dough, leaving 2.5 cm of naked dough around the edge. Pile the zucchini onto the dough, slightly mounding it in the center and leaving a 5 cm border around the edge. Fold the rim of the dough up and over the edge of the filling, overlapping and pleating the dough as you go around.
- In a small bowl crack and whisk the egg. Brush dough with egg. Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and cool. Garnish with basil and fresh pepper.
Outside of these recipes, both Grana Padano PDO cheese and Prosciutto di Parma PDO are endlessly versatile in all your summer entertaining. For example, a fruit and vegetable platter gets more depth and intrigue with slices of Prosciutto di Parma PDO. Grana Padano PDO cheese lends a nuttiness to the vinaigrette in a kale salad. You can always add either product to your favourite pasta dish, or simply lay out a stunning charcuterie selection featuring both ingredients and taste what Europe does best.
Learn more about the PDO system and the products it covers atdistinctlydeliciouslyeuropean.eu.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or of the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. This content has been created with the co-funding of the European Union, according to EU Regulation No. 1144/2014.
