Let’s Get Outside!
We are out & about! In bubbles and on picnic rugs, gingham-lined wicker baskets with our newly acquired puppies and Tupperware filled with potato salad and baked goods.
Picnics are great and can be more to a picnic than sandwiches, quiche & homemade slice. Perfectly nice as is, I figure it’s more about the ease of putting the meal together, into travel-friendly containers, also faring well in a carry basket or tote that might have to go up & down a hill and survive sand, ants & sun.
Homemade egg & bacon pie would be on the top of my list, along with a jar of posh chutney. Coleslaw carries well, same with potato salad. Fried Chicken a la USA, I don’t get it, I want it to be crispy straight from the oven, a little hard to recreate rug side with a breeze.
A Waldorf salad, however, with chunks of a BBQ chicken does make sense, either as is, or a filling in a baguette. A Waldorf salad is a fruit and nut salad generally made of fresh apples, celery, walnuts, and grapes, dressed in mayonnaise, first created for a charity ball given in honor of the St. Mary’s Hospital for Children on March 14, 1896. The salad appeared in The Cook Book by “Oscar of the Waldorf”.
Chicken Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
6 tablespoons mayonnaise (or plain yogurt)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 sweet apples, cored and chopped
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved, or 1/4 cup raisins
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 cups of chopped BBQ chicken
1/2 cup chopped, slightly toasted walnuts
Lettuce
Method
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise (or yoghurt), lemon juice & seasoning.
Add the apples, grapes, celery, chicken & walnuts. Mix well to coat all the ingredients. Taste to check for seasoning. Spoon onto fresh lettuce leaves or use as a filling in a crusty roll or wrap.
The ingredient list can be altered in so many ways.
Imagine changing the apple for mango, the walnuts for cashews & adding a little honey & ginger to the dressing for a summer hit.
Dream up peaches with pecans & add basil along with some balsamic through the dressing for a lazy sunset supper.
The only limit is your imagination.
When packing, think about having to carry home empty containers as well. Adding a small bottle with a splash of water & biodegradable dish soap means a quick rinse when packing up means less mess later. Even less mess is using paper or beeswax. Bamboo cutlery is an option as well. I do like a picnic set, with cutlery for slicing apples or cheese, and a proper plate & napkins.
Switching up the idea to make it breakfast is easy, with muffins, maybe a layered yoghurt & muesli jar, or savoury crepes rolled with fresh brie & asparagus, try a Spanish potato tortilla with caramelised onions & smoked paprika – vegetarian or add crispy pieces of chorizo. Neat to eat and filling. Definitely a reward after a refreshing swim. Sunrise breakfasts will have you feeling super smug & gloaty. Even a lovely idea for a birthday surprise, I hope you are finding happiness in all the small things. Next month we will be all about the fruit mince & ham glaze.
Happy daylight savings, Bernadette.