Dinner From a Tin (And a Few Jars)

It was 95 degrees Fahrenheit the other evening and too hot even to barbecue. I was making dinner from my cooking repertoire, Salade Nicoise. Even though this meal is easily thrown together and cooling to eat, I had boiled so much water to make the eggs, potatoes and green beans, the kitchen had turned into a sauna. In all my years in Seattle, it had never remained so hot for so long. I vowed to find some easy, no-cook dining solutions. Fortunately, I knew exactly where to turn.

In her book Cooking for Mr. Latte, Amanda Hesser discovered a tiny tapas bar in Barcelona, Quimet & Quimet, that served only conserva or preserved foods, such as cippolline onions, bluefin tuna, red peppers, roasted pig's cheeks, all from jars and tins. I wasn't about to hop a plane to Quimet & Quimet, but I had the next best thing, The Spanish Table, Seattle's renown outpost for Spanish food, wine and cookware.  

Their shelves were stocked with everything I was looking for and then some. There were jars of whole red piquillo peppers; garbanzo and fava beans; grilled artichokes, zucchini, and eggplant in oil; pickled green and white asparagus; and green olives stuffed with lemon or anchovies; all in jars. And then there were the tins of tuna, scallops, mussels, octopus, and sardines.

I pulled conserva from the shelves and rounded out my evening meal with some Spanish cheeses, chorizo, some crusty bread and a chilled rosé, thanks to the help of co-owners Steve Winston and Sharon Baden and their friendly staff. When I'm in the mood to cook again, I'll be sure to try my hand at some of Steve's recipes from the The Spanish Table Cookbook, newly republished in hardcover and now with color photos.

While I'm lucky to have a Spanish grocer at my door, you can find many fine jarred and canned foods at specialty stores around the country or online at The Spanish Table. Dinner from a tin and a few jars is a great way to beat the heat. Stay cool!

--Tracy Schneider