Breeding Contentment and the Spanish Tuna Tart

Photo of Bunaken from Visit Indonesia (it really looks just like this)

Many years ago when Rick and I were backpacking around Asia we found ourselves on a speck of an island off of Indonesia. (For anyone on the hunt for the best snorkeling in the world and the Gilligan's Island of your imagination, look no further- Bunaken National Park is extraordinary.)

It was so small the only structures were glorified shacks covered with palm-fronds. We were eating lunch one day with our Swedish backpacking buddies;  we didn't notice who else was in the small hut until something happened.

There was a rumble and a bang of sorts and we all looked at each other quizzically. I remember wondering if a truck had run into the back of the 'hut' until I remembered the island was so small there were no trucks; there weren't any cars either for that matter, everything and everyone arrives by boat. In a micro-second a table full of Japanese backpackers had jumped from their table and had literally rolled off into the sandy beach that was the front of the restaurant. Our four non-earthquake familiar bums sat firmly planted in our seats. Upon seeing the panicked Japanese group in the sand our brains slowly registered that an earthquake had struck.

We feel really lucky that we have come home safely and are praying for Japan's people.

We may have a strong internet connection but we haven't seemed to acquire any more time. So, as I hear Baby-O waking up I want to share pictures of another dish that was ubiquitous in Spain- the tuna tart or tarta de tuna y tomate. You could buy it from small bakeries by the slab (or whole as Rick liked to do) for just a handful of Euros. It was great for a snack, for breakfast or for taking along on day-trips to the beach or hiking.

I had an hour and fifteen minutes yesterday before I had to head into the kids' school to help Gigi's class learn typing. I wanted to hold a piece of the trip close to us and decided by jove I was going to try to reproduce the tart even though I didn't have a real recipe. It was a whirlwind hour but what resulted was the best filling I've ever made in my life. One lesson from the trip that remains strong within me is to just try. . . to experiment when you don't know how. . . to not postpone because it usually turns out ok and if you get lucky it may just turn out great.

Here's what went inside.

The dough was a cinch. Besides flour and salt it has a cup of olive oil and a cup of white wine- it's like a health elixir in itself. It doesn't have any yeast (other than that found in the wine) so it really takes 5 minutes to make and 30 minutes to 'rest'.

(Sorry for the photo quality- all the photos since we've gotten home have been taken on the phone)

The tuna fillets that are found in Spain are nothing like our canned tuna. I found a tuna on sale, the fillet floating in olive oil and really close to the succulent Spanish tuna- nothing like the yucky canned variety we all have memories of appearing in our lunch . . .

 

With about two minutes to spare I asked Rick if he would add the final touch- some kind of decoration, it's usually ropes strung daintily across the dough. My cheeky husband did this:

We've never bought fish in our entire adult life since most of those years were vegetarian (before that we were on the austerity plan of rice and beans) :) 

We've turned to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch list to know which fish we should buy and which we should avoid. They sum it up aptly: "there's a  limit to the fish in the sea." They've produced a nifty pocket-guide or app for sustainable seafood so we have no excuses!  Turns out the tuna I had found does not make the cut. . .

 The American Museum of Natural History science website for kids 'Ology' not only has a good Biodiversity section complete with games but Archeology, Anthropology, Astronomy, the Brain and more. 'Ology' also posts a wildly eccentric collection of facts that will delight kids and adults alike- they make for great dinnertime conversation.

We're still searching for a comprehensive list of which fish are the healthiest to eat (read: mercury content etc.) Thank you Pam (xo) for sending this super clear list of which fish should be or are not to be. . . in your diet. . .if you inform yourself!

I ran into the kids' principal yesterday and she asked what it had been like to have so few possessions- the short answer? Completely liberating. By the end of the trip the 5 of us were in two suitcases, one medium and one large along with small backpacks. We had a handful of a change of clothes and two sets of shoes. 

Not having access to a dryer and having to lug your possessions around breeds contentment.