Browsing Category Picnic Food

Pesto Pasta Salad

in Pasta Picnic Food Vegetarian on 0 31 Views

While this pasta salad has evolved over the years, it started as a means of using up leftover ingredients from a charcuterie plate. If I had to request a last meal, it would be a charcuterie plate with a bottle of Napa Cabernet. I just love a meat and cheese plate for dinner. It allows me to concoct several different permutations of meat, cheese, jam, honey, nuts, and fruit all in the same meal. The specialty crackers take it to the next level – with the charcoal, rosemary, and nut-laden crackers being among my favorites.

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Green Goddess Slaw

in Picnic Food Salad Dressing Salads on 1 41 Views

The food Chicago offers, from a hot dog at Portillo’s to a re-imagined edible abstract painting dessert at Alinea, is magical and provides much needed inspiration for my culinary adventures when I return home. Sometimes, inspiration strikes when dining in a Restoration Hardware. This green goddess dressing was inspired by the Gem Lettuce Salad at the Three Arts Club within the Chicago Restoration Hardware. Yes, my favorite salad is served inside a furniture retailer. I beg you to trust me. This salad features baby gem lettuce, crumbles of feta cheese, thinly sliced radishes, and chunks of avocado all bathed in the herbiest buttermilk dressing.

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Truffle Potato Salad

in Picnic Food Sides Vegetarian on 1 113 Views

My husband loves anything truffle.  Truffle butter, truffle salt, truffle eggs, and my truffle potato salad.  He also doesn’t discriminate with his truffles.  He loves all truffles equally, even gleefully claiming that he would bath in anything truffle. Two of our favorite people, Marina and Dave, used to live on the same block as Urbani Truffles in New York City.  When we visited one December, during white truffle season, we made the oh-so-easy pilgrimage to Urbani.  We opened the doors and were immersed in truffle.  Everything smelled of truffle.  I think my husband’s glasses fogged over with truffle shavings.   It was his food heaven. 

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Creamed Corn

in Picnic Food Sides Vegetarian on 1 44 Views

This creamed corn is a perfect side dish for a picnic or backyard cookout or BBQ.  I struggle to find side dishes for BBQ chicken or pulled pork, aside from the traditional baked beans and coleslaw.  Why not try creamed corn?  Or why not serve the creamed corn alongside grilled head on shrimp?  The flavors are reminiscent of shrimp and grits without the tedious “tending to the grits”.  When you find the perfect square of grass to spread your picnic blanket on, I hope this creamed corn is in your picnic basket.  

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Pimiento Cheese

in Cheese Board Worthy Game Day Eats Picnic Food Snacks Southern on 1 26 Views

My grandmother ALWAYS had pimiento cheese in her refrigerator. It was one of the treats that I sought out within 15 minutes of arriving at her house. It was savory, a little spicy, and oh so special! We ate it on crackers for a snack, on celery sticks as a side dish to fancy meals or melted on rye bread as cheese toast for breakfast or lunch. It’s just one of those things that tastes like home.

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