Volare Prepares Your Favorite Foods

CLICK images to enlarge

Volare Kitchen

When you add meals to your Volare stay your private cook knows all the tricks to make food both fresh and delicious. Meals can be prepared at your request a day in advance. Prices are determined by the size of your group and which meals are requested.
Loads of
fresh fruit

Costa Rica has excellent fresh fish from both coasts and freshwater trout and tilapia as well. Chicken is just as chicken should be, and beef is all grass fed (tougher than American beef, but in many cuts it is more flavorful).

No problem serving vegan or vegetarian or gluten free cuisine. Indeed, much of Costa Rica's better known foods rely on purely vegetarian ingredients - Gallo Pinto, Pico de Gallo, Tortillas de Queso, Crema de Pejebeye are such examples. At least give these dishes a try while you are with us, even if you eat meats. They are different and pleasing to experimental palettes.
Dining at night
on the deck

Before you come you can select favorites from our menu, or you can send us recipes you'd like us to make for you. If we can get the ingredients here then we'll make our best effort to create your concoction. We suggest giving local cuisine a chance, though - take advantage of the freshness of our fruits, fish, and vegetables. The breads of Costa Rica are terrible (well, if you like Wonder Bread you'll be content), but we make up for that with magic use of corn meal and yucca.

If you are a true gourmet, let us know and we'll try to get you to some local chefs who are making a reputation for themselves.

Some Items We Can Prepare For You While Staying In Volare

You can let us know the day before what treats you would like prepared -- for meals, for picnics, for snacks to have handy in the kitchen. This list is not exhaustive, and we are always interested in adding to our repertoire, so challenge us while you enjoy yourselves.

		Per person
Papaya Salad	Papaya Avocado Salad – lettuce, cucumber, sweet bell pepper, avocado, papaya, rice vinaigrette with sesame seeds (vegan, gluten free). With no added oil, this salad is super healthy and low in fat.	$8
Moroccan Spice Vegetables	Moroccan Spice Ratatouille – zucchini, eggplant, onion, acorn squash, sweet pepper, tomato, chick peas roasted in olive oil and lightly spiced with Asian spices (vegan, gluten free) Served over rice or cous cous	$13

Papaya
Salad

Papaya Avocado Salad – lettuce, cucumber, sweet bell pepper, avocado, papaya, rice vinaigrette with sesame seeds (vegan, gluten free). With no added oil, this salad is super healthy and low in fat.
Hummus (both “store bought” and home made) with toasted bread or rice crackers (vegan, possible for gluten free)

Mixed nuts and dried fruits Trail Mix – always available (vegan, gluten free)
Beef Tenderloin
Charcoal Grilled

Charcoal Grilled Steaks – Costa Rica beef is strictly grass fed. The best way to treat a good steak is marinade it a few hours with garlic, wine seasonings and olive oil then sear it over a charcoal fire.
Greek rice salad - Tomato, cucumber, sweet Vidalia onion chopped and mixed with brown rice, Kalamata olives, black beans or chick peas (vegan) – for dairy tolerant we add Feta cheese (gluten free)
Black Bean
Soup

Black bean soup – caramelized onions (with olive oil) and black beans simmered for several hours and usually served over a soft boiled egg or rice- a thick and hearty soup (vegan; gluten free)
French Master ’s Salad – large leaf Boston or bib lettuce, avocado, croutons, thin sliced onions marinated in aged balsamic and olive oil dressing (vegan)
Eggplant Parmesan – eggplant, tomato sauce, spices, parmesan and mozzarella and asiago cheese (gluten free)
Black Bean
Soup

Caprese salad – luscious tomatoes (Turrialba is the tomato center of Costa Rica, so the tomatoes are really delicious year round), fresh basil leaves, buffalo milk mozzarella (gluten free)
Rice and Beans – a Caribbean dish made by cooking dried red beans in fresh coconut milk before mixing with rice also cooked using fresh coconut milk, and then chicken dark meat – fun to watch the cooking process. Subtle flavor from coconut milk – nothing like the dried sweetened coconut of American pastry fame. The scent of the cooking dish will drive you crazy. (gluten free)
Gallo pinto – the traditional Costa Rican breakfast – black beans cooked with garlic, sweet pepper mixed with cooked rice and a sauce reminiscent of a good steak sauce. Usually served with sour cream. (gluten free; vegan if you forego dairy sour cream, but we can also get vegetable base sour cream)
Salmon carpaccio – thin sliced smoked salmon (from Chile), capers, grated parmesan, lemon or kefir scented olive oil (gluten free)
Beef carpaccio – thin sliced beef tenderloin (raw) with arugula, parmesan flakes, infused olive oil
Zucchini carpaccio – thin slices of raw zucchini with lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, feta crumble, olive oil
Moussaka – this classic Greek disk requires adaptation to Costa Rica, so we often use pork instead of lamb but it still has the rich savrory of the real Greek dish.
Gnocchi espinaca – ricotta and spinach made in our kitchen, then dressed up with freshly made tomato sauce and basil.
Gnocchi Perlman – potato gnocchi browned in olive oil and tossed with fresh tomato, green beans, sweet peppers, broccoli and served with fresh grated parmesan
Avocado onion open face sandwich – baguette toasted in butter and topped with fresh avocado and caramelized onions – a wonderful afternoon snack with tea or coffee.
Tomato soup – we start with 5 pounds of fresh tomatoes and a little salted water and butter, simmer for 2 hours, and serve. Just pure fresh tomato flavor – add milk and cream cheese to make soup and it blows your socks off. (gluten free)
NON VEGETARIAN: Soups start with home made chicken or beef stock with garlic and celery, simmered 2-3 hours and then cooled to remove fat layer from top before using as base for soups. No MSG, no soup mixes... just natural free-range chicken and grass fed beef.
Poached Trout Salad - poached in lemon juice and white wine with toasted pine nuts (or almonds), tossed with crème fraîche and balsamic, and served over bed of Boston lettuce with avocado, croutons and marinated onions.
French onion soup – lots of caramelized onions, home made beef stock, topped with toasted seasoned bread slices and 3 cheeses then broiled.
Chicken with fresh veggies – lightly seasoned stewed chicken stock with small pieces of chicken and cut vegetables – onion, potato, sweet pepper, zucchini, acorn squash (when we can get it). This is the absolute favorite for the first day or so after facial surgery. And we have three sizes of spoons,so we'll find a way to get this into your mouth!
Chicken noodle or chicken rice soups – also great on the first days after surgery.
Risotto – using good beef stock and vialone nano (when we can get it) or arborio rice, unsalted butter (it’s fresher), garlic and sauteed onion, fresh panne granno cheese and at the end adding fresh peas, asparagus, or caramelized carrot.
Hutsput - unpeeled potatoes, sweet onions and carrots boiled then mashed with cream cheese – goes great with any beef or chicken dish
Tilapia San Remo – farm raised Tilapia (our friends grow it) baked in a sauce of sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, sauteed onions and white wine with a sprinkle of parmesan served over creamy polenta.
Roasted chicken stuffed with mushrooms and onion stuffing – with dill, oregano and sherry crusty skin.
Chicken medallions in lemon mustard cream sauce – lightly pan fried pieces of chicken tossed with Dijon lemon cream and served with arugula.
Beef or pork Fajitas – beef or pork tenderloin strips quick-fried with rosemary and oregano then wrapped in toasted flour tortilla with avocado, vinaigrette, cheese, lettuce
Smoked pork chops with apple sweet sour sauce, served with mashed potatoes, green beans
Beef steaks in all varieties as you’d find in an American restaurant – with porcini mushrooms or smothered in onions or simply grilled on charcoal
Roasted vegetables – over real fire – zucchini, onions, eggplant, carrots, with light garlic olive oil dipping sauce