A Picnic Bounty: Fresh Summer Bites + Meals Beyond the Basket
Picnic Basket Bounty: Taste + Feel The Freshness
One of my all time favorite spring/summer and early fall events is the picnic. There's an art to a picnic, you see. One does not want to pack food that is messy or cumbersome, as proper picnic food should be portable, light and easy to eat. The best picnic baskets, if you ask me, are filled with fresh fruit, nuts, spreads, bread, olives, a simple veggie salad and some meat and cheese. Here I opted for a quick steamed string bean and tomato salad doused with balsamic and olive oil. Done and done.
Now, listen, the following items take some time to prepare - however - they're not only useful for a picnic, but for other meals throughout the week. I fancy them to be fully functional delightful bites that you want to take the time to prepare beyond a picnic.
A few of my favorite spreads for a picnic that can be added to bread or veggies, but also incorporated throughout a week of mealtime are:
Pesto: beyond the basket --> toss with pasta or veggie noodles, top chicken or fish, spoon on a soft scramble or omelette, use it to dress steamed or roasted veggies - particularly string beans, tomatoes and eggplant
Onion Jam: beyond the basket --> incredible on a burger, from the turkey type to beef or chicken and use to top a veggie filled frittata
Caramelized Cabbage: beyond the basket --> take a burger to new heights, toss in vegetable noodles or serve over crispy fish tacos or a soft filet of sole to add a flavor boom
These are 3 amazing ways to make use of veggies and herbs that you might often times put aside. For some, basil is only used to finish red sauce or for pesto on pasta, but pesto has many uses beyond pasta. Let those expressions come out in your meal preparation! Onions, always a base for a meal - never a main - when it comes to a slow cooked onion jam, the onion is the hero - the star and the main attraction. Again, its application can go beyond burgers and can be paired with any protein or served with a baguette and soft ricotta - YUM. And, the poor cabbage, destined for darkness and diner slaw ... not on my watch. If you ask me, cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables in the land, as I showed in this post where I used it as the foundation for a breakfast scramble. Cabbage can be shredded and added to salads, made into giant crips (I'll show those another time) and, as previously mentioned, caramelized. A little butter, oil and a good balsamic vinegar go a long way to break down tough cabbage leaves - turning them into tender purple or green shreds that are supple, satisfying and appealing to eat. Long live the cabbage.
If you want to boast an even greater basket, filled with fresh and healthy delights - take a look at some of these dips and add them to the mix too, along with these nuts, speckled with sprinkles, salt and maple syrup - to add a sweet twist to your basket.
My friend came up with the brilliant idea of making antipasto skewers, which took care of meat, cheese, olives, veggies and bread all boasted on one wooden stick. This made the spooning of all dips and delights simpler and easy to eat. You can also pack an additional loaf of bread or more veggies to scoop up the goodness.
Want this basket? Or fancy an indoor picnic at home, here's your shopping list! My hope is that you'll have staples like olive oil, vinegar, salt and garlic already in your home - but I've added them just in case.
If this is too Martha for you, I get it. But maybe try to make one item. Just one. Maybe? Or tell me to eff off, it's cool. Go on and get some Tribe or Sabra Hummus, cheese, mortadella, a loaf of bread, grapes and call it a day.
Pantry basics: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Pepper, Garlic + Butter
Basil (2 cups), garlic and walnuts for dairy free pesto
1 bag of cabbage pre shredded or one small head of cabbage shredded
1 x 2 lb back of onions, sliced or diced - can also buy pre-diced onions
Mixed meats, cheese, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, bread and skewers to assemble antipasto sticks
Additional veggies of choice
Fresh fruit of choice
Pesto Sauce
2 c. fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic
3 T. walnuts
2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Optional: 1/2 c. grated pecorino romano
Place basil, garlic and walnuts in a food processor fit with a steel blade and process until all ingredients are finely chopped
With the processor still running, slowly pour olive oil through the top spout and process until creamy and all oil is incorporated
Salt to taste OR fold in pecorino by hand
Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to one week
After a few hours, you may notice the pesto is brown at the surface, simply mix and voila - green again
Onion Jam
1 x 2 lb. bag of onions thinly sliced or diced, may also use pre-diced onions to save time
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
Water as needed
2-3 T. good balsamic vinegar *I recommend, based on flavor and cost, Trader Joes: Trader Giotto's Gold Aceto Balsamico di Modena 8.5oz for $5.99
Salt to taste
Optional: freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over a medium flame - you want room for your onions to breathe and you may choose to separate your onions in to two skillets
Add onions to skillet(s) and allow to sweat for 15 minutes or so, keeping a watchful eye that the onions are not burning or sticking - moving occasionally - turning flame to medium low or low
Continue to cook for an additional 45 minutes and if onions are sticking (they likely will), add water 1 T. at a time to deglaze the pan and continue to cook - adding a few sprinkles of salt at the half way point and, remember, you're going to be cooking the onions for about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes to get them jammin'
At the hour mark, onions should be browned, super soft, caramelized and ready for their balsamic bath
Add balsamic vinegar to completely deglaze pan and continue cooking until absorbed into onions, about another 10-15 minutes on low flame
Remove from heat and allow to reach room temperature, test for salt and store in a glass jar for up to one week
Caramelized Purple Cabbage
1 small head of cabbage shredded or 2 bags pre-shredded
T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
Water as needed
2-3 T. good balsamic vinegar *I recommend, based on flavor and cost, Trader Joes: Trader Giotto's Gold Aceto Balsamico di Modena 8.5oz for $5.99
Salt to taste
Optional: freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over a medium flame - you want room for your cabbage to breathe and you may choose to separate your cabbage in to two skillets
Add cabbage to skillet(s) and allow to sweat for 10 minutes or so, keeping a watchful eye that the cabbage is not burning or sticking - moving occasionally - turning flame to medium low or low
Continue to cook for an additional 35 minutes adding water when the pan is dry and doing so 1 T. at a time to deglaze the pan and continue to cook - adding a few sprinkles of salt at the half way point and, remember, you're going to be cooking the cabbage for about 45 minutes to an hour to get those fibrous shreds broken down and browned
At the 35 minute mar the cabbage should be, super soft, browned and ready for their balsamic bath
Add balsamic vinegar to completely deglaze pan and continue cooking until absorbed into cabbage, about another 15 minutes on low flame
Remove from heat and allow to reach room temperature, test for salt and store in a glass jar for up to one week