Thursday
Jul292010
Shout Out: What's Your Go-To Picnic/Beach Dinner?
With the sun on your face and the ants in your food, nothing says summer more than the outdoor picnic. When you are heading to your favorite park or beach, what do you toss in the picnic basket? Do you drive to Balducci's for take-out or do you whip up a batch of homemade fried chicken?
Sound off CTbites! What is your go-to crowd pleasing picnic/beach meal?
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Reader Comments (12)
Here is my preferred picnic plan: MATSU SUSHI in Westport delivers to Compo Beach. We order a platter of maki rolls (the perfect finger food if you can eliminate the sand). Pair this with a bottle of wine and a homemade summer fruit salad, and you've got all your basic food groups. It is also worth noting that Westport's ROBEKS also offers delivery to the beach if you're feeling supremely lazy.
My go-to meal is pulled pork sliders on potato rolls (assembled beach-side), homemade guacamole, and cole slaw. I always make my own slaw b/c store bought is always too Mayonnaise-y for me.
We have been spending lots of evenings at the beach and on boats this summer and have been packing lots of picnics. Here are my top choices for picnic food.
Homemade fried chicken drumettes, see the post from CT Bites
My new favorite sandwich:
1 sourdough baguette
feta cheese
olive tapenade
sliced tomatoes
arugula
homemade pickled onions (1 thinly sliced red onion with 1 C. red wine vinegar and 1 Tbs. sugar, combine for at least 1 day before using)
and EITHER- proscuitto slices or baked salmon filet
Layer all of this on your baguette and enjoy a mouthful of deliciousness!
Add some sliced melon, pita chips and a cold beer and you're eating a little bit of nirvana.
A bottle of wine and a cheese basket from No. 109 Cheese + Wine Market in Ridgefield. You can create your own basket of cheese, pates, and mousses and my personal favorite, the incredible smoked salmon they buy directly from Bernard's who smokes his own fish.
When it's for a group I usually bring an orzo salad.
Tastes great hot, warm or cold. Involved only cooking the orzo.
All of the ingredients are fine being left out.
I toss a box of cooked orzo with red onion, lots of very ripe tomatoes, olives, off the vine zucchini, tons of ripped up basil all with a basic vinaigrette lots of black pepper, zest of a lemon and shreds of Parmesan!
You can even add a cured meat like a sopraseta for a little salty spice!
It's so simple and always gets raves.
I like to bring assorted Spanish tapas that are served room temp. I'll make a Spanish tortilla (potatoes and eggs), Shrimp Ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce) and stuffed piquillo peppers. Store bought olives, Manchego Cheese, Marcona Olives and a baguette, make this meal a feast! Of course, a beach picnic would not be complete without a refreshing bottle of Spanish Rose' or an aromatic and crisp Albarino. If the picnic is during the day, a spritzy Vinho Verde--low in alcohol, is the perfect choice.
I'll meet you at the beach!!!
We love to buy Stew Leonard's Lobster Salad in bulk and make our own Lobster Rolls. A few sides and a glass of chilled wine and it's summer at it's best!
We love falafel, shawarma, kabobs, hummus, babaganouj, and dolmas - particularly from Layla's Falafel (Fairfield & Stamford).
I really love food from hot cultures when the weather is hot out and even like the gustatory sense of exotic travel I get from eating these things in the winter too.
I make a salad that has the dressing in the bottom, covered with thin slices of apple, baby spinach, and candied pecans on top. The apples cover the dressing and keep it separated from the spinach until you are ready to toss it at the picnic. Very easy. Dressing is a mustard vinaigrette.
Home made cold sesame noodles!
Ham and cheese crepes! A mild cheese goes well with the salty ham and crepes are slightly sweet. I use the crepe recipe from Joy of Cooking - it's very simple. The best thing about this picnic snack is that it's easily portable and never gets soggy. And tastes great!
For recipe: http://effystaste.blogspot.com/2010/07/perfect-picnic-snack-savory-crepes.html
The classic New England boil is the best thing going for large group gatherings if your picnic area allows for propane. You say "Of course, they're great, but..."
But what, why you gotta be so afraid of everything? Let's look at the pros and cons.
Pros:
1. Cheap (potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, lemons, dejulio's sausage (or Stew's)...a pittance. Stew Leonard's often has steamer sized lobsters for 3.99 a lb. Yes, you read that right, but you probably already know that.)
2. It's a one-dish meal. One pot, one strainer. With a watch and a ladle or large spoon, that's it. Timing is everything.
3. The propane torch burner is the true yin and yang of cooking tools. It puts most pro stoves to shame and instills fear in small children, as it sounds like a jet (for guys (and some girls), that's like the taste of canned beer in the summer) and it is a new "kitchen" utensil, which is nice for the ladies (or gentlemen) who like their kitchen toys. They're pretty affordable at Home Depot... or Lowes... or amazon
4. Clean up. All outside. All garden hose. All the time. Bio soap, please. Save our fishes. We want our kids to eat them later.
Cons.
1. Hauling water.
2. Explaining to your friends that it's really that simple.
3. Doing it every week, all summer long, especially when friends from the Midwest want "New England food."
4. You are still cooking.
5. You might forget a lighter to start the grill.
6. You'll get phone calls from attractive friends of friends.
7. You might drop your cell phone in the pot, or spill boiling water on your flip-flopped feet.
"SO HOW DO I DO IT?" You ask.
1. Open canned IPA.
2. Boil water, sea salt helps. Don't use sea water.
3. Start with the taters and lemons, give em a ten minute head start with some of Penzy's boil spices ($3) then add a couple tablespoons of Old Bay (or hot peppers). (20 minutes to dinner)
2. Then go to the sausage and the corn and carrots with (12 minutes to finish).
3. Add small "bugs" with 10 minutes left
4. Clams? Sure. or fish steaks? (3 minutes)
5. If you have some shrimp (2 minutes to go) , add them last.
6. Pull the strainer basket and set it down out of the reach of all the kids. Long tongs help with serving, a lot. Ouch. Burned fingers.
7. Serve with butter (melt it in the hot pot after you drain the water somewhere ecologically friendly and convenient).
8. Don't forget to add a squeeze of Sriracha into the butter. (Yes, you are welcome.)
9. Paper plates and Ikea metal utensils (seriously, they cost as much as plastic and you can wash them).
Send your thanks in credits for Mike VW to Mo's or DayOne.
Lots of love. Mike vW