A Simple Picnic

The first picnic of the year should be (almost) spontaneous. A few raw vegetables, some dips, pâté, fresh bread and a dry swatch of grass are all it takes to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the caress of the sun. And if the weather remains uncooperative, just invite memories of summers past.
One such remembrance brings visions of large baskets brimming with tiny artichokes, red and white radishes, spicy green onions, tomatoes, carrots and celery, to be dipped in tapenade. The real thing calls for pounding anchovies, capers, pitted black olives and olive oil in a mortar until reduced to a smooth paste. Although it will do wonder for the upper part of one of your arms, and will appeal to purists, I much prefer using a food processor, and good quality pitted olives. My recipe does away with the anchovies, guilty of imparting too much salt to the mix, and replaces capers with garlic cloves and herbs, much better for the heart’s health.
Along the crudités, came bread and pâtés. My favorite is rillettes. The pork is cooked until it falls right off the bone and shreds itself to pieces without human intervention. A lot of fat and a few secret spices are then added. Duck leg confit perfumed with thyme flowers on one hand and leftover baked salmon enriched with kefir, smoked salmon and dill on the other are two perfect alternatives to the traditional pork rillettes.

Tapenade (Easy, Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cheap)

Ingredients:
6 oz (186g) pitted Kalamata olives, from a jar
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic peeled

Material:
Colander
Food processor with the blade attachment on
Silicone spoon
Dip bowl

Drain the olives in the colander. Pour them in the bowl of the food processor. Add the olive oil, basil and garlic. Pulse, until the mixture is homogeneous.
Scrape into the dip bowl. Serve with vegetables and pieces of bread.
Comes summer, Tapenade is a staple in my refrigerator. A spoonful added to the Foolproof Dijon Vinaigrette of last week or the Fruity Sauce of Microwave Magic makes both suitable for a tomato, tuna or lobster salad. I replace mustard with tapenade to season barbecued beef. Using green olives instead of black, I mix it with potatoes for a purée to garnish any baked fowl.
Salmon Rillettes (Easy, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Reasonable)

Ingredients:
6 oz (174g) baked salmon*
2 oz (60 g) smoked salmon
¾ oz (20 g) dill
½ cup (110 ml) Kefir or liquid yogurt
Drops of Tabasco

Material:
Food processor with the blade attachment on
Silicone spoon
Dip bowl

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until shredded.
Scrape into the dip bowl.
*If you do not have leftover salmon (I tend to always purchase more than we will eat, because I love to eat it on toasts as rillettes, or cold with a cucumber yogurt and herb dressing the next day) sauté minced shallots in a little oil or butter, add water and bring to a boil. Place your salmon in the water, turn off the gas and cover the pan. Remove the salmon from the water after 10 minutes and proceed with the recipe.
Duck Leg Rillettes (Easy, Preparation time: 15 minutes, cooking time: 6 hours largely unattended, Cheap)

Ingredients
For the confit:
4 fresh duck legs
¼ cup (60 g) coarse or Kosher salt
2½ cups (750 ml) duck fat

For the rillettes:
The meat and skin of the confit
1 small shallot peeled and cut
10 stems of fresh thyme in bloom

Material:
Closable plastic bag
Slow cooker
Set of tongues
Food processor with the sharp blade attachment on

The day before, unwrap the duck legs and place them in a bag along with the salt. Close the bag, shake and place in the refrigerator overnight.
The following day, rinse and dry the legs of duck and place them in the slow cooker inset. Pour the duck fat on top. Cook on the low setting for 5 to 6 hours. Retrieve the duck legs with the set of tongues. Strain the duck fat in a closed container and store in the refrigerator for another batch of duck legs.
Remove the bones from the duck legs and place the meat and skin in the bowl of the food processor. Add the shallot and the leaves and flowers of 6 of the 4 stems. Pulse until the meat and skins are just shredded. Divide into four small containers. Pour a tablespoon of duck fat on top and decorate with a sprig of thyme.
It will keep for several weeks: “confit” is a French word for preserve.
Serve for a picnic, as an appetizer or offer as a housewarming present.