Romantic Picnic in Less Than an Hour
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Roasted Olives and Roasted Scallops is What’s on the Menu
Can you believe this beautiful romantic picnic for Valentine’s can be made in less than an hour?! Roasted olives in a sweet lemony oil, a cheese tray and roasted scallops is all you need for a simple but out-of-the-ordinary meal during a crisp Valentine’s night. Add pretty flowers and some candles and you you’ll have a lovely date without the stress of planning a full dinner in advance!
Is a picnic date romantic? I happen to think it is super romantic! I love eating picnic style in my own home, blanket on the floor completely optional! For me the casual vibe to it makes the mood even more special, especially when serving extraordinary and typically sexy foods, like seafood, good olives, high quality cheeses and good wine.
Eating with your fingers, picking food from here and there with no particular order and just pacing yourself to enjoy every single bite makes you taste a very special eating experience, freeing yourself from the stress of having to prepare an elaborate dinner. It’s the kind of date you want happening in the middle of the week!
So here I’m proposing two things if you want to make everything the same day. First is a cheese tray where the main character is not the cheeses but roasted olives. These are sweet and briny and the oil is perfect for dipping bread. Next there are roasted scallops that are juicy and tender and make an elegant but easy and light dinner.
The cool thing for you is that I made both recipes using mostly the same fresh ingredients so you don’t have to buy and prepare much. Also both recipes are made in a 450° oven, so you don’t have to be adjusting temperatures in the middle of your date. You can make both in a countertop oven if you want to as well.
Here are some tips on how you can put together this romantic picnic with no fuss!
How to make a romantic picnic in less than 1 hour:
Start by roasting the olives. They take between 15 to 20 minutes to roast and they should be a bit cooled down before placing in your serving tray. You can roast them in advance and heat them a few minutes in the oven or even for a minute in the microwave, transferring them to a nice serving dish. You just want them a bit warm when serving.
While the olives are cooling down prepare the other foods you are serving on your tray, like cutting the cheeses and washing the fruits. I created a mellow and sweet tray because roasting the olives brings out many complex notes out of them and the roasting oil ends up spicy and robust with the chili flakes and the shallots. And I wanted those flavors to be the main stars. I mention below the exact same cheeses and foods I used but of course you can play around with your favorite cheeses, fruits or other cocktail foods to create your very own tray that’s unique to you.
I like to drizzle honey over any cheese tray, it’s always a nice touch, but of course it’s optional as well.
For making the scallops without interrupting your date, mix everything in the baking dish except for the scallops, which should already be thawed and cleaned up if not using fresh. When you feel it’s about time the main course is served, just make a pause and go add the scallops to the dish, sprinkle the salt (making sure all the sides of the scallops are covered with some) and put in the oven. These are going to be made in just around 10 minutes, depending on your preference (more details in the recipe). These are better eaten right out of the oven, just wait a couple of minuets for them to loose the heat. But you can make them and hour or two in advance and just reheat a few minutes.
Serve with crusty toasted bread. Hint: use the oil from the olives as dipping oil, it’s too good not to eat it!
If you can plan a bit ahead and want to make a dessert, you can make my super easy no-bake chocolate tart. It only takes 20 minutes to put together but it should be done the night before. Check my No-Bake Chocolate tart recipe here if you want to add it to the menu.
This idea goes beyond Valentine’s. It’s for any time that you need a break from the routine and hit pause to connect with your partner, your kids, your sister or your girlfriends. It’s fun and pretty, but most importantly, it’s totally unforgettable!
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The small oven dish I used for the olives has some years but here’s two pretty similar also from the Ballarini as well, this Ballarini deep baking mini pot and this Ballarini mini skillet with handle.
My Mauviel copper skillet is a bit of a splurge, but I love how well it transfers the heat plus it’s so beautiful it can go directly from oven to table!
I used an old vintage plate as a cheese tray as a pretty alternative to the traditional wooden board but here are two beautiful options that I love as well, a beautiful white and gold cheese plate and this stunning porcelain turquoise cheese plate with tiny red birds.
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A Romantic Picnic in Less Than an Hour
Ingredients
Roasted Olives
◯ Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 TBSP
◯ Herb de Provence - 1 Tsp
◯ Fresh thyme leaves - about 1 Tsp
◯ Half lemon slices - 3
◯ Chili flakes - ¼ Tsp or more to taste
◯ Shallot, finely diced - about ¼ cup, 1 small shallot
◯ Large green firm pitted olives (I used Frescratano, you may use Castelvetrano or Cerignola) - a 5 oz jar, about 1 cup
Roasted Olives Cheese Tray
◯ Roasted Olives
◯ Espresso and lavender rubbed cheese from Beehive Cheese wedge (you may use a soft and sweet white cheddar, Camembert or queso Mahón instead)
◯ Granino cheese wedge, a young Parmesan cheese (you may use Asiago or regular Parmesan for a sharper note)
◯ Thinly sliced prosciutto
◯ Cherries
◯ Seedless white grapes
◯ Rosemary and water crackers
◯ Rosemary roasted Marcona almonds
◯ Thyme springs to decorate
◯ Honey
Roasted Scallops with a lemony olive oil sauce
◯ Extra virgin olive oil - ¼ cup
◯ Fresh Thyme - the leaves of 5 to 6 sprigs plus extra whole sprigs and extra leaves for serving
◯ Shallot - 1 small sliced thinly lengthwise (you can use a small yellow onion)
◯ Fresh lemon juice - 1 TBSP
◯ Thinly sliced half lemon slices - 2 to 3 plus a few more for serving
◯ Organic butter (preferably European style for higher fat content) - 4 TBSP
◯ Capers - 2 TBSP
◯ Scallops - 1 to 1 ½ lb., about 14 to 16 pieces
◯ Fine sea salt - ¼ Tsp
◯ Fleur de sel (optional) - a pinch to serve
◯ Toasted country style French bread or baguette to serve
Details
Yield:
for 2 persons
Total time:
1 hour
Active time: 10 minutes to prepare the olives ingredients, 10 minutes for preparing the scallops
Roasting time:
20 minutes for the olives, about 10 minutes for the scallops
Equipment:
baking dishes or overproof skillets, cheese tray or large plate for serving
Steps
To make the roasted olives:
Preheat oven to 450°.
Mix all the ingredients in a small ovenproof skillet or serving baking dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until olives start to look tender and just a bit wrinkly. Remove from oven. Sprinkle a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Let it loose the heat before placing in the serving tray.
Putting together the Roasted Olives Cheese Tray:
Pick a pretty cheese tray or large serving plate.
Start by accommodating the olives in the tray or large plate. Next place the cheeses on the plate. I left the espresso lavender cheese whole because it’s easier to cut it with a cheese knife or even fork without making a mess but I cut the Granino in slices because it’s a harder cheese and this way I didn't have to be cutting it over the tray.
Fold the prosciutto slices and group them on the side. Do the same with the cherries and grapes. Fill the gaps in between everything with the Marcona almonds and some thyme springs to decorate.
To make the roasted scallops:
If you just made the olives, keep oven heated at 450°.
In an ovenproof large skillet or large baking dish combine the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the thyme leaves (the more the better!), and sprigs, the shallot slices, the tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, the 2 or 3 half slices of lemon, the 4 tablespoons of butter and the 2 tablespoons of capers. Add the scallops and combine so that they are coated with the liquid on all sides. Sprinkle with the ¼ teaspoon of salt, making sure that all sides of the scallops are covered with it. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes for scallops that are still tender or 10 to 12 minutes if you prefer them firm and well done.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel if desired, extra fresh thyme leaves and sprigs for decoration and a few drops of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Serve immediately with some toasted French bread accompanied by a good mineral white wine.
