As the reigning Queen of Picnics, a skill honed by 20 years of al fresco meals on the lawn at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, I have been thinking of giving up my title and just retiring. I haven't been in a terribly picnicky mood lately. Perhaps it has something to do with not having the time or money to actually BE at Tanglewood anymore. Perhaps its my funk just knowing that the season has begun for my Berkshires rat pack and I'm not at the party anymore. The Great White Middle Class Yuppie Culture-Fest is underway, and I am consoling myself with plans for one splendid night in August, and the Berlioz Saint-Saens program. It will have to be enough.
Picnicking on the Lawn at Tanglewood
At any rate, Mark Bittman wins my vote for King of Picnics. Today in the NY Times he offers 101 20-minute "Inspired" picnic recipes, and man they're good. This is like getting a picnic cookbook for free. The categories are:
- Raw Vegetables
- Cooked Vegetables
- Beans, Rice & Grain Salads
- Potato Salads & Egg Salads
- Fruit
- Seafood
- Meat & Poultry
- Sandwiches
- Cold Noodles
- Desserts
Now on to one of my own picnic favorites --
Israeli Cous-Cous Salad
1 cup Israeli Cous Cous (fat, pearl sized)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup of fresh dill, minced
1 can (drained) garbanzo beans
1/2 bag (2 cups) fresh uncooked spinach, arugula or swiss chard, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, seeded and minced
olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
Boil the cous cous and drain. Toss with olive oil and salt to taste.
Add the remaining ingredients while cous cous is still warm.
The greens will wilt.
Serve warm or refrigerate for your picnic.
Wow - a lot of those recipes look like winners.
Thanks for the link!
Now...why am I hungry all of a sudden?
Posted by: Elisson | July 02, 2008 at 05:03 PM