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I wanted light and refreshing flavors with hints of herbs for this springtime picnic. I settled on a menu of BBQ Rosemary Lemon Chicken and three picnic salads - Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad, Chickpea and Red Cabbage Picnic Salad, and Honey & Lime Marinated Fruit Salad.
I also made a batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and a pitcher of Lavender & Vanilla Earl Grey Iced Tea. These cookies are a gluten free recipe and bake up soft but are full of chocolaty flavor. The iced tea is gorgeous - a real picnic treat.
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| I set up shop in the trunk of our car tailgate style. |
On top of that, our guests showed up with some beautiful pink grapefruit that I incorporated into a lemonade with honey. I love honey with grapefruit. It turned out super yummy. I had to stop myself from gulping down half the jug right after I made it. I'm gonna have to put the rest of those beauties to good use.
We also found a stink bug to follow around for a while.
My sister-in-law brought us a lovely nature press book. The boys were more interested in catching tadpoles than picking flowers, but I put the press to good use anyway.
So, that wraps up our wildflower picnics for the year. Now on to summer picnics. 😉
INGREDIENTS
The strained juice of 3 large lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp dried rosemary or 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
12 piece pack of chicken legs and thighs
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blackberries
4 kiwis, peeled, halved longways, then sliced
1 cup green grapes, halved
4 cuties, segmented
1/2 fresh pineapple, diced
1 Tbsp honey
1 lime, juiced
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine fruit in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lime juice. Add to fruit and toss gently to coat.
3. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.
INGREDIENTS
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or 3 shallots
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine last six ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together.
2. Add cucumber and onion and toss to coat.
3. Refrigerate covered for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.
INGREDIENTS
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced green olives
3/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Place first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together last 4 ingredients. Dump into veggie bowl and toss to coat.
3. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, and/or vinegar according to your taste.
4. Refrigerate a few hours for flavors to meld.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Original recipe by Beaming Baker)
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
6 Tbsp water
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups oat flour (I made my own by grinding whole oats in a food processor and then measuring out the flour)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Heaping 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips + a Tbsp or two to press onto tops
DIRECTIONS
1. Make flax eggs by whisking together the flax meal and water in a large bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
3. In your flax bowl, add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir well.
4. Dump dry ingredients into wet and stir well to combine.
5. Fold in the heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets. Flatten cookies with your fingers to desired flatness as they will not spread much during baking. Press in a couple of additional chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
8. Bake about 10 minutes.
9. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer gently onto a cooling rack.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
2 cups water
4 or 5 lemons, juiced
2 large pink grapefruit, juiced
2 to 4 more cups water
DIRECTIONS
1. Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan heat sugar, honey, and 2 cups water over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Cool.
2. Strain your citrus juice into a pitcher or jug.
3. Stir in 2 cups of your honey simple syrup.
4. Stir in 2 cups water.
5. Taste and add in more water and/or simple syrup to taste.
BBQ
Rosemary Lemon Chicken
INGREDIENTS
The strained juice of 3 large lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp dried rosemary or 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
12 piece pack of chicken legs and thighs
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag with as little air as possible and massage marinade into chicken pieces.
3. Marinate in fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Grill over a medium flame about 30 minutes or until fat is rendered and chicken is cooked through, turning a few times. If your grill has hot spots, make sure you rotate your chicken pieces accordingly.
3. Marinate in fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Grill over a medium flame about 30 minutes or until fat is rendered and chicken is cooked through, turning a few times. If your grill has hot spots, make sure you rotate your chicken pieces accordingly.
Honey
& Lime Marinated Fruit Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blackberries
4 kiwis, peeled, halved longways, then sliced
1 cup green grapes, halved
4 cuties, segmented
1/2 fresh pineapple, diced
1 Tbsp honey
1 lime, juiced
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine fruit in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lime juice. Add to fruit and toss gently to coat.
3. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.
Creamy
Cucumber Dill Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or 3 shallots
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine last six ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together.
2. Add cucumber and onion and toss to coat.
3. Refrigerate covered for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.
Chickpea
& Red Cabbage Picnic Salad
(Original recipe from Simply Recipes)INGREDIENTS
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced green olives
3/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Place first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together last 4 ingredients. Dump into veggie bowl and toss to coat.
3. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, and/or vinegar according to your taste.
4. Refrigerate a few hours for flavors to meld.
* I personally think a little bit of sugar whisked in to the dressing would make it even better. I wouldn't mind a little red onion either. I have yet to try it.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Original recipe by Beaming Baker)
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
6 Tbsp water
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups oat flour (I made my own by grinding whole oats in a food processor and then measuring out the flour)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Heaping 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips + a Tbsp or two to press onto tops
DIRECTIONS
1. Make flax eggs by whisking together the flax meal and water in a large bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
3. In your flax bowl, add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir well.
4. Dump dry ingredients into wet and stir well to combine.
5. Fold in the heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets. Flatten cookies with your fingers to desired flatness as they will not spread much during baking. Press in a couple of additional chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
8. Bake about 10 minutes.
9. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer gently onto a cooling rack.
Lavender
& Vanilla Earl Grey Iced Tea
INGREDIENTS
5 bags Earl Grey tea
1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender
8 cups of water divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Place tea bags and lavender in a heat proof bowl or jug.
2. Boil 4 cups of water and pour over tea. Let steep for 20 minutes.
3. Strain into pitcher or jug, add vanilla and 4 more cups cold water. Stir to combine.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
5 bags Earl Grey tea
1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender
8 cups of water divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Place tea bags and lavender in a heat proof bowl or jug.
2. Boil 4 cups of water and pour over tea. Let steep for 20 minutes.
3. Strain into pitcher or jug, add vanilla and 4 more cups cold water. Stir to combine.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
Pink
Grapefruit & Honey Lemonade
INGREDIENTS
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
2 cups water
4 or 5 lemons, juiced
2 large pink grapefruit, juiced
2 to 4 more cups water
DIRECTIONS
1. Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan heat sugar, honey, and 2 cups water over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Cool.
2. Strain your citrus juice into a pitcher or jug.
3. Stir in 2 cups of your honey simple syrup.
4. Stir in 2 cups water.
5. Taste and add in more water and/or simple syrup to taste.
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