The Grand Prix Gourmet -
Phil Hitchings
Like your beloved
editor, Phil Hitchings from the UK includes amongst his
passions in life, gourmet foods, fine wines and
When my grandchildren ask to eat their lunch at the table
on the deck, I know picnic time has arrived. Whether it's
on the deck or a picnic in the yard, this is the time of
year we enjoy the out-of-doors for dining.
With summer meals tending to be more casual, impromptu
outings can be taken to all sorts of unexpected places -
beside a bubbling brook, in the quiet of the woodland, on
a sandy stretch of beach, or in your own backyard.
Picnics Are Pleasure Outings
Picnics, according to one dictionary definition, are
"pleasure outings at which a meal is eaten outdoors." They
range all the way from simple sandwich fare to fancy
family reunions and group outings - school, church, or
club - with each cook contributing a special dish.
Although the classic American picnic menu used to consist
of fried chicken, potato salad, deviled eggs, pickles,
rolls, chocolate cake, coffee or lemonade, an enjoyable
meal can be prepared "on the spot". Simply take along
bread, sandwich makings, potato chips, pickles, cookies,
fruit, cold or hot drinks.
Just pack everything into a hamper and let each person
make the meal of his choice when you arrive at your picnic
area. This way you don't have leftover sandwiches or ones
that get soggy en route.
Backyard Picnics
For those picnics in the backyard, when you want to
entertain informally in a pleasant outdoor setting, you
may want to serve fancier fare. But this can be easy on
the cook, too, if she prepares beforehand.
Meats, cooked the previous day, make excellent picnic
platters. Cold baked ham, meat loaf, roast beef, roast
pork, sliced chicken, cold cuts, and cheese can be
arranged attractively around potato, macaroni or molded
vegetable and jello salads.
Slices of rosy tomatoes, sweet onion, crisp cucumber on a
bed of lettuce leaves are always tasty. Don't forget the
pickles, carrot curls, and celery sticks as crunchies.
Picnic Fruit Desserts
Fruit bowl or fruit salad are successful endings to
outdoor meals.
These are easy to make, simple to serve, and delicious.
*Scoop out the red portion from half a watermelon with ice
cream scoop. Mix melon balls with other fruits - pineapple
cubes, peach slices, fresh berries, banana slices.
Pile into watermelon half, sprinkle with lemon juice and
honey; chill before serving.
*Cut out center of a fresh pineapple and mix with fresh
strawberries and bananas; refill pineapple with fruit
mixture and chill.
*Arrange a layer of sliced oranges in a glass bowl, spread
with shredded coconut, and top with layer of sliced
bananas. Repeat until bowl is filled. Garnish with
maraschino cherry halves and chill.
*Place chunk of ice in punch bowl; fill half full of mixed
fruits -
cherries, grapes, orange slices, melon balls, bananas,
peach slices, etc. Drizzle with raspberry syrup; serve in
30 minutes when chilled.
In addition to
writing cooking columns, Mary Emma Allen writes for
children. Her latest book is a coloring book to accompany
her children's anthology, "Tales of Adenture & Discovery.
Visit her web site to view more "Country Kitchen" columns:
http://homepage.fcgnetworks.net/jetent/mea;
mailto:me.allen@juno.com)
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