Republic of San Marino (Europe) 23 May 2021

San Marino is located in the continent of Europe. It has the Adriatic Sea to the north and east, Italy to the south, west and north, the Tyrrhenian Sea and Corsica to the southwest, France and Switzerland to the northwest.

The capital is San Marino.

The official language is Italian.

The climate is mild and temperate with the summer highs in the 70s and the winter in the high teens. The staples are ragu, pastas, breads, roast rabbit, veal cutlets, chickpeas, noodles, beans, bacon, wafer cake and so much more (https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/europe/san-marino/food-and-drink/).

https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Marino-republic-Europe

NIDI DI RONDINE (Swallows Nest) (http://globaltableadventure.com/recipe/recipe-swallows-nests-nidi-di-rondine/):

• ½ batch Homemade pasta dough, or store-bought sheets of fresh lasagna

Homemade pasta dough:

• 5 C flour (I used Semolina Flour)
• 4 large eggs
• Water (about 1/3 C, or as needed)

1. Use your eggs to make a well in the flour. Crack them into the well and beat them, putting in a little flour at a time. Some people use a fork, but I like to use my fingertips.
2. When the mixture turns into a shaggy mass, add a little water at a time until it forms a nice, soft (but not sticky) ball. I almost always use 1/3 C – sometimes a little more. Knead for a few minutes to bring it together.
3. Next, set the dough aside to rest.
4. After resting for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine – you can refrigerate overnight – then bring back to room temperature before working it), all the bumps will smooth out – it’ll be ready for rolling. It’s like a completely different dough.

Then you can make anything you like.

Bechamel Sauce:

• 2 TBSP butter
• 3 TBSP flour
• 1-1/2 C whole milk
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• Salt

Filling:

• 8-10 oz thin Ham slices
• 8-10 oz thin cheese slices (like emmentalier or mozzarella)

• ½ C parmesan to spoon on top of each nest
• 2-3 TBSP olive oil

1. Make the bechamel by melting the butter in a pot.
2. Whisk in the flour and nutmeg until completely combined, then whisk together with a little milk.
3. Keep adding milk a little at a time until smooth, thick sauce forms. Set aside.
4. Next roll out the pasta dough into a large rectangle (about 14”x21” or so (bigger is fine).
5. Top with half the bechamel sauce, thehttps://3dblkgx9k1v2mbijx40t52x6-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Raspberry-Salad-Baby-Greens-960×960.jpgn ham, then cheese (use really thin slices of cheese).
6.  Place the ham and cheese on the bechamel like a checkerboard design.
7. Then roll up into a long tube. Freeze for about 30 minutes (this will make it so easy to dice). If you need to slice it in half to fit in your freezer, go for it.
8. Preheat the oven to 325F and oil a casserole liberally. Spoon in the remaining half of the bechamel sauce.
9. Remove the pasta roll from the freezer and slice to make individual nests. The best way to make them equal sized is to slice the roll in half, then half again, and so on (could end up being about 1-1/2” high).
10. Brush the sides with olive oil so they don’t stick to each other and then place, cut side up in the casserole. Top with ½-1 tsp grated Parmesan per spiral and bake at 325F for 45-50 minutes (the less Parmesan you add to the spirals, the easier it will be to see their lovey design).

BABY GREENS RASPBERRY SALAD WITH GOLDEN BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE (https://www.earthboundfarm.com/recipes/raspberry-salad-baby-greens-raspberry-golden-balsamic-vinaigrette/):

Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 C toasted pecan oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• 5 oz Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix
• 1 ripe organic avocado
• 2 C raspberries
• ½ C raw, unsalted pecans
• ¼ C golden balsamic vinegar

TORTA TRE MONTI (Wafers with Hazelnut Cream) (https://www.internationalcuisine.com/torta-tre-monti/):

• 1 package Wafers
• 1 C Nutella
• 2 C whipped cream
• 1 C chocolate icing
• 1 pint gelato
• 8 Maraschino cherries

1. Open the package of waffled wafers and set aside.
2. Mix together the Nutella and whipped cream until well combined.
3. Spread the Nutella cream over one waffled wafer and repeat with other layers, leaving the top layer empty.
4. Frost the sides of the wafers with chocolate icing.
5. Serve the Torta Tre Monti with a scoop of gelato and a cherry on top.
6. Goes great with Espresso, Enjoy!