EURO SUMMER...AT HOME 🇪🇺🍷🫒
we're jetlagged :)
After an amazing trip hiking, biking, and (of course) eating our way through Sardinia and Corsica, we finally made it back home!
Our Mom had a 70th birthday to remember, filled with lobster pasta, fresh caught John Dory, and some duty-free champagne 🍾. And we also got in some last-minute relaxation before the baby comes in August (surprise!)
We will provide our thorough recap, culinary highlights, and inspired recipe recreations soon, but since we are in the deep depths of our jet lag haze, we thought a throwback to one of our favorite Digests would hit the spot in the meantime. Enjoy!
A TASTE OF EUROPE IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME
It’s about that time of year again when our social feeds start filling up with photos of European vacays. Beautiful vistas of the sea, spritzes in hand, quaint old city streets, and all the delicious food 🥲
But since we’re currently sitting at home, stewing in envy, we decided we should recreate the vibes right here….without the 9-hour flights, crowds, stifling heat, and carrying a heavy suitcase up 10 flights of old cobblestone stairs 😉.
First things first, one of the best parts about Europe is eating outdoors. Alfresco dining in the summertime is 10/10. Now that the warmer temps are settling in, we highly recommend eating all your meals (if possible) outside. Or at the very least, open a window or door and let that fresh early morning/evening air fill your house.
Next, you’ll need some tapas-esque apps, a light summer cocktail or spritz, and a fresh and light meal. We had some leftover baby potatoes and, in the spirit of Euro-summer at home, turned them into one of our favorite Spanish tapas…Patatas Bravas.
We wanted to cook outside, so I made a foil packet for the cut-up potatoes and cooked them right there on the grill. They turned out perfect! Patatas Bravas are doused in a combination of a slightly spicy red sauce and garlic aioli. Both were surprisingly easy to make and tasted just as we remembered from Spain.
We made a little Spanish spread of olives, Manchego cheese, and grilled shrimp to go along with the Patatas Bravas. We ate outside on the deck, and if you closed your eyes…maybe…just maybe….you could be in Spain. 🇪🇸
We also paired the meal with a refreshing Tinto de Verano and a Calimocho (Kalimotxo).
OKAY, NOW LET’S BRING SOME ITALY TO THE TABLE (DUH) 🇮🇹
Our aunt must also be dreaming about a European summer because she sent us a delicious recipe for Panzanella. Panzanella is a bread-based Italian salad, usually made with day-old bread that, when sautéed in oil and added to the salad, turns into something similar to a chewy crouton that soaks up the olive oil and balsamic dressing🤤. Her original recipe was more on the complicated side (cooking your own artichokes is not for the faint of heart), so she made some adjustments. I took it even further and created an even easier, yet equally delicious version.
CAN’T FORGET GREECE!
We went to Greece a few Septembers ago and learned how to make the freshest most delicious tzatziki ever. Once you taste fresh tzatziki and learn how easy it is to make, you will never get store-bought again.
Tzatziki is great with pita or veggies, you can also add it to chicken kebabs, grilled meats, or dip your roasted potatoes in it.
BONUS BERVERAGINO 🍹
We had a delicious Negroni Sbagliato with Lambrusco instead of Prosecco. There’s nothing more Italian to us than sitting outside at dusk with a Negroni, olives, and chips.
The Negronio Sbagliato is a little lighter than a traditional Negroni since it replaces the gin with Prosecco or, in this case, Lambrusco. Salute!
THANKS FOR READING!
Cheers 🥂
Hil & Nat
Don’t forget you can access the entire recipe library with all your favs here.