- Autumn Home Cooking
- How to Cook
- A P P L E C I D E R D O N U T S
- Snippy Doodle Coffee Cake
- Onion Pudding
- A Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Mexican White Bean and Chicken Stew
- BRICK-FLATTENED LEMON CHICKEN
- Stuffed Sweet Potato
- California Corn Salsa
- Quinoa Salad
- White Bean Salad
- Linguini and Clam Sauce- My Dad’s Favorite
- Orange Marmalade Cake
- How To Make Herb Vinegar
- Domesticity City
- 100% Original You
- The New Trend Called “GrannyChic”!
- Letter Writing 101
- The Legacy
- Sweet Vintage Linens
- Glass Obsession
- Old China Dishes
- Little Vases
- I ♥ Quilts….
- Dishtowels
- I Like Jars ♥
- My Bathroom Photo Wall
- Wooden Things
- Cleaning Silver
- Peter Rabbit Room
- How to–Kitchen Garden
- Hurricane Lamp
Oh Sweet Sue…You Truly “Inspire” Me to Take The Herbster on a Delightful Picnic…with all Your Yummy Delights! xoxo Poof! Thanks! 🙂
I have always loved this page (the old-fashioned picnic menu) in The Summer Cookbook.
The illustrations in the entire cookbook are just beautiful and there are just so many delicious recipes its impossible to pinpoint a favorite. This is such a fabulous book. The quote by Garrison Keillor on page 69 is hilarious. Having grown up with seven brothers and sisters, this has happened more than once when we were seated around the dinner table. Another favorite quote is “The town where I grew up had a zip code of E-I-E-I-O.” I think I have relatives in that town! LOL! Can’t wait for the new cookbook to come out!
Carol,
We must have grown up very near each other because I lived in COCK-O-DOOLE-D00 which as you know is right next store to E-I-E-I-O ! Small world isn’t it ????? LOL ! ~ Doreen ~
Hey! We lived in “knick – Knack paddie whack.”
The summer my dad passed away, I made up my Fourth of July picnic menu from this menu. He was so appreciative, loved everything, and we had an absolutely wonderful day together. It was the last time I saw him, he passed away just a few days later. It’s been a favorite memory of mine that we had such a happy day together. Everytime I look through The Summer Book, and see this page, I think of him 🙂
Cathy, you can do what I’m planning on doing! I’m going to buy another book, take the page with the ” Picnic Menu” on it out and put it in a frame to put on the counter in my kitchen! I also took Susan’s advise and but out bowls filled with lemons and placed them on my counter. I’m going to go look for a new “old fashion” lemonade pitcher with matching glasses and put that next to one of the bowls of lemons! I just love the feeling of knowing I am doing this for my own pleasure and it not only brings to mind memories of those summers of years gone by, but also the promises of those to come! ~ Doreen ~
Kathy that was so wonderful to have done that for you beloved.Father.In sorry he moved on but heaven problem needed him .You sound so great .love to you Cheyenne in Henderson Nv
Ahhhhh…you take me back to a place that I loved so much as a little girl, my gramma’s cottage. It was such a simple life and picnics like this are a memory one can never forget and will treasure forever. Today I will think of you as a pit some juicy plump cherries from our farmers market and make the yummiest cherry vanilla ice cream. Enjoy your summer picnics….and thanks for the memories!!
I made your tortilla wraps yesterday for a fourth of July picnic and they were such a hit!! I had to eat one before a went to the cookout and couldn’t believe how could it tasted! Thanks for the awesome recipe!! 🙂
In response to your request to pass along favorite tomato recipes, I want to share this recipe from Hediard in Paris – Gaspacho a la Tapenade. It is not like the traditional gaspacho as the tomatoes are cooked the day before. Bon appetit!
Four 4 persons. Preparation 20 minutes. Marinate 12 hours. Cook 2 hours.
1 red pepper
4.5 pounds very ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Tabasco
1 tbsp tapenade
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 onion
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 branch fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Roast the red pepper by broiling it in the oven until it blackens. Remove it and put it in a plastic bag until cools. When it is cool enough to handles, remove the skin and the seeds. Try to do this by hand with as little water as possible to keep the flavors. Cut into strips.
2. Wash the tomatoes and chop into large rough chunks. Peal and mince the shallots, garlic and onions.
3. Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl (except for the tapenade), season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme, bay leaves and vinegar. Add Tabasco to taste. Mix well, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours. Overnight is best.
4. The next day, put the contents of the bowl into a pan and cook for 2 hours at 340F. Check it from time to time to ensure that the top doesn’t burn.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool. Remove the thyme and bay leaves. Add the tapenade. Using a hand blender or a food processor, puree the mixture. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Good Morning, Susan ☺
I recently wrote on your “I love England” page since that is where I now live….and LOVE! My husband and I went on a beautiful picnic yesterday in the County Durham area and I am proud to say, our food choices came out spectacularly! I made a roast chicken salad with red pesto, arugula and an array of fresh sauteed good-for-you veggies (to stuff our little brown pita pockets with), carrot, celery, spring onion and courgette sticks for dipping into organic humus, beet root salad with wholemeal croutons and tomato and mozzarella tortellini salad with chopped yellow peppers & mayo/balsamic dressing. For dessert, I had baked dark chocolate chunk biscuits and a wholemeal banana chocolate bread. Of course we washed that down with lovely hot cups of Rington’s tea. Pure Bliss! “Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.” Alice Walker …Enjoy a lovely Sunday everyone! Marie ♥
Pure Bliss is right! Our picnics in England remind me of the Mark Twain quote “The English countryside is too beautiful to be left outside.” ♥
I’m still enjoying my corn salad (just had some!), from your recipe – the lime in there is soooo just right! Thank you!
Sooooo glad you like it!
I love this site. My friends are all having an old fashioned picnic in the park for Mother’s Day. Your Summertime picnic menu is perfect. I’m going to have my friends check out this site.
What a wonderful way to spend Mother’s Day!
Susan I just absolutely adore your website and blog! The music is perfectly divine and wafts thru my computer speakers conjuring a whirlwind of good-time memories.
Hubby surprised me by pre-purchasing your newest book and I’m simply on pins and needles eagerly looking forward to it’s far too distant arrival!
Meanwhile….your delightful Summer Picnic Menu has me mouth-wateringly awaiting a lazy Sunday country drive ending somewhere I can lay out all it’s yummy bounty upon a gorgeous quilt to properly thank my honey for his gracious gift.
One thing’s missing though…..I’d love to serve him your corn salad but can not find the recipe! Can you PLEASE help a girlfriend in need??????
It’s in my Summer Book if you have that . . .? I haven’t posted it, so it’s not yet on the computer, but I can do that.
UPDATE: As I was showing my amazingly computer literate husband the Summer Picnic Menu above, he noticed when the computer cursor hovers over a suggested menu item the ‘little pointing hand’ appears. If one clicks on the ‘little pointing hand’ the recipe appears! VIOLA! Husband comes to the rescue again! Your Corn Salad will be made by sundown!
Brilliant! Tell him I said thank you!
Love it!!
Hi Susan! Just love your stuff! This would look great on fabric…
It would! I had tea party fabric that looked a lot like that at one time . . . words and art together.
How cool! I really like to go on a picnic on a bike with a backpack.So you still get a small journey and it’s more fun!
And you work off the picnic!
Bumping this wonderful post – and very curious to know others’ favorite picnic foods? egg salad sandwiches, egg-and-olive, yes! sardine and egg! tuna! bologna!
I need to have homemade potato salad.
Elegant picnics? cold lobsters, or lobster salad / lobster rolls, cold roast chicken, roast beef, steak sandwiches…
and there’s also cooking out, which for me is grilled steaks and fried onions and potatoes in a cast-iron skillet, maybe corn roasted in foil in the coals…
Brownies. always brownies!
YUM! Just keep talking! 😃
This piece of art would make a darling jigsaw puzzle. As long as it’s LARGE, like 1000 pieces large. How fun would that be?