"picnics" news and stories

I have not been on what anyone would call a "picnic" in approximately 22 years. No joke. But it's June and that means many people will be heading out to parks and lawns and other places where they can spread out a blanket and eat various foods, so I'll start doing some posts on picnic-friendly recipes.

Today is Picnic Oven-Fried Chicken, over at AOL Food. It's from EatingWell, so you know it's not really fried, it's baked. The hot sauce, sesame seeds, and Dijon mustard in the recipe guarantee lots of flavor and kick.

• Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven end their Globe column after 25 years.
• What is roti?
• It's picnic time again.
• Has Wal-Mart been caught selling conventional food under an organic label?
• Local fruits and veggies can make all the difference in recipes.
• Hey, Mother's Day isn't over yet! Maybe the kids can make her this.
• This week's recipes: Easy Cinnamon Rolls, Curried Chicken Salad, Asparagus and Gruyere Frittata, Chicken Tagine, and Ham-wrapped Scallops with Vegetable Medley.

What do you get when you throw together 60 people with a shared passion for food, a dash of Internet, a pinch of wit, and handful of colorful photos?

A Bay Area foodblogger's feast!

Held at the home of Tomatilla! and coordinated by Meathenge, it was a gathering of food blogstars. Here's a round-up of some the attendees' reviews of the fete, with photos and peeks at some of the faces behind the blogs' voices:

• Sam of Becks and Posh
• The Bunrabs
• Vanilla Garlic
• Pengrin Foodie
• Hedonia's Flickr set
• Bay Area Bites
• Cooking with Amy
• More photos
• And even more photos
• Heidi from 101 Cookbooks
• Dessert First
• Jennifer Jeffrey
• Life's a Picnic
• I'm Mad and I Eat!
• Confessions of a Restaurant Whore
• Something in Season
• Shuna of Eggbeater

The UK is a touch on the warm side at the moment. [video details] Thoughts turn to out-door eating in such glorious conditions; which of course means picnics.

There is a guide to picnics on the screwpull website (which I have found a little late for the Slashfood Picnic Day). It has been compiled by some etiquette expert who has appeared on TV (on programs I wouldn't watch even if you paid me). Rules include such instructions as Check the Weather forcast, provide tables and chairs for your gran, pick a sheltered spot away from the sun and the rain, bring bags for the rubbish, and dont forget the silver sugar tongs.

The last one I made up. BUt I think you get the drift - basic common sense!

Source

While it may seem like a "duh" moment when you hear that there are a lot of veggies that taste great at room temperature, it's a good thing to keep in mind for a picnic. I know that I tend to think of sandwiches and salads, as well as cookies and other treats, all of which can pack up nicely, but not of things that are usually served hot. At home, I usually cook and serve vegetables right away, but as I noshed on a leftover ear of grilled corn on the cob, I realized that it would be perfect picnic fare. With corn, you can grill it or boil it, tuck it into a ziploc bag (once it is cool) and bring it along. Once you hit the picnic table, you can still butter and salt it or, better yet, use some lime juice to really bring out the flavor.

Other cooked veggies that I like at room temperature are artichokes, which require a little more preparation than corn on the cob since you'll need a spoon to remove the choke, but are excellent even when chilled (try lemon juice and salt to avoid bringing heat-sensitive dips outdoors), asparagus (if they still have it at the markets in your area), zucchini/summer squash and any kind of beans. Of course, you can always add in some raw veggies, like tomatoes, cucumbers, celery and carrots, but you'll probably want some hummus or other dressing to make them a little more interesting since they're not as easy to simply spice up as cooked vegetables are.