Packing a picnic for the Fourth of July? Consider this before reaching for the packaged potato salad:
“One of the things that picnics should do is reflect a part of our culture,” says Russell Cronkhite, author of “A Return to Family Picnics.” At this time of year especially, “we want to have foods that celebrate our heritage.”
“What is really valuable to us is the simple pleasure of having a meal together, passing down our heritage from previous generations,” he said.
The rewards of this great American tradition of picnics are at least twofold: really, really appreciative diners and a change of scene for the cook.
In “A Return to Family Picnics,” Cronkhite leaves no excuse for not making a picnic. His beguiling introduction traces the history of picnics and the way they’ve been a part of American life at least since the first Thanksgiving.
Talking from Alexandria, Va., Cronkhite quickly taps into his reverence for heritage. “If we don’t cook, we lose dishes. If we prepare it ourselves, now we’re eating our heritage, passing down the history of the family and the country.”
Fried chicken is a perennial picnic favorite. It travels well, it’s best at room temperature, it’s easy to pack.
For dessert he suggests cherries for their historical associations and traditional place in people’s affections. “After all, July is cherry month, and the Fourth brings together all these seasonal elements.”
Taking a less traditional tack is “The Urban Picnic,” by John Burns and Elisabeth Caton, which advises you to forget rustic details, the wicker hampers and summer meadows, day trips and farmers’ fields.
An entertaining anthology of picnic anecdotes, snatches of history and relevant literary vignettes, the book also includes menu suggestions and recipes.
“Good Day for a Picnic,” by Jeremy Jackson is subtitled “Simple Food That Travels Well.” He too outlines the colorful history of picnics, including Americans’ adoption of the custom, before getting down to recipe details.
The spirit of fun comes through Jackson’s writing, and his book is lighthearted in tone. But it pauses now and then for reflection: “I think picnics have a way of stopping time and pulling the veil away from our eyes,” he writes. “Picnics connect us to our past and ground us in the present at the same time. That, in itself, is magic.”
In “Barbecues and Other Outdoor Feasts,” Hugo Arnold offers Eastern-inspired flavors. Recipes like Lamb Koftas with Quinoa Salad and Raita, and Potato, Cauliflower and Cumin Salad turn your next picnic into a melting pot.
From “A Return to Family Picnics” by Russell Cronkhite, makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
Two 3 1/2- to 4-pound frying chickens
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon celery seeds
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 to 3 drops of Tabasco (optional)
16-ounce package seasoned bread stuffing mix, crushed
K cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Adjust the baking rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400.
Rinse chickens thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to a clean cutting board and, with a sharp knife, cut each chicken into 8 pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, celery seeds, onion powder, paprika, lemon pepper, salt and thyme.
Whisk eggs and buttermilk thoroughly (and for a little extra kick, add a few drops of Tabasco); pour into a shallow bowl. Pour crushed stuffing mix into a separate shallow bowl. Pour melted butter onto a baking sheet.
Dredge chicken pieces in seasoned flour, then in buttermilk mixture; thoroughly coat with crushed stuffing mix. Transfer chicken to baking sheet and gently roll pieces in melted butter until lightly coated.
Divide chicken between two clean baking sheets – place breasts and wings on one, legs and thighs on the other. Bake 30-35 minutes for white meat, 35-40 minutes for dark. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees or when the juices flow clear after a knife is inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or breast.
When the chicken is cooked, transfer to a platter lined with paper towels and cool to room temperature.
All-American Deep-Dish Cherry Cobbler
This beloved dessert is ideally topped with good-quality vanilla ice cream. From “A Return to Family Picnics,” by Russell Cronkhite, it makes 12 servings. (Adjusted for Denver’s altitude.)
Ingredients
Cherry filling:
8 cups fresh pitted sour cherries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Cobbler topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk
Directions
Adjust the baking rack to the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375.
Make the filling:
Combine cherries with lemon juice and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Whisk nutmeg, cornstarch, brown sugar and granulated sugar; fold into cherry mixture. Cut butter into tiny pieces and add to cherries, then transfer to a well-buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Make the topping:
Sift all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Slice butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter over flour mixture; sprinkle in sugar, then cut all ingredients together with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbly meal.
Whisk egg and milk in a separate bowl, then add to crumbly mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and attains the consistency of wet biscuit dough.
Spoon topping into small mounds over cherry filling. Brush mounds with a little milk and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Bake until topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling, 40-45 minutes.
Potato, Cauliflower and Cumin Salad
From “Barbecues and Other Outdoor Feasts,” by Hugo Arnold. Serves 6
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 small cauliflower, broken into florets
vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Directions
Cube potatoes, boil until just tender and drain. Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a casserole and, when hot, add whole cumin seeds and cauliflower.
Cook 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Cover, lower heat and allow cauliflower to steam in its own moisture for 6 minutes. Add potatoes, remaining spices and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Stir well, so spices cook in the hot oil. Eat hot, or let cool overnight.
Lamb Koftas with Quinoa Salad and Raita
From “Barbecues and Other Outdoor Feasts” by Hugo Arnold.
Makes about 25-30 koftas
1 pound ground lamb
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
½ cup plain yogurt
1 dessertspoon finely chopped shallots
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and finely sliced
½ cucumber, skinned, seeded, and finely sliced
3 ½ ounces quinoa
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Juice and grated rind of one lemon
Olive oil
1. Combine the lamb, cumin, chile, and egg and season with salt and pepper. Form into balls with a teaspoon and sauté in the vegetable oil until brown and cooked.
2. To make the raita, combine the yogurt, shallots, cilantro, tomatoes, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper
3. Simmer the quinoa in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, refresh briefly under running water and mix with the parsley, lemon juice and peel, and enough olive oil to keep it moist. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve the meatballs with the raita on top of the quinoa salad.
Marsala Marinade
From “Barbecues and Other Outdoor Feasts” by Hugo Arnold.
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of chile powder
pinch of turmeric
vegetable oil
Mix everything together and combine with enough oil to form a paste. Use to coat the meat/fish. Broil until cooked.
Tamarind Marinade
From “Barbecues and Other Outdoor Feasts” by Hugo Arnold.
4 chiles, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1-inch piece of galangal or fresh gingerroot, peeled and finely chopped
4 lime leaves, finely sliced
2 sticks of lemon grass, the dry outside leaves discarded and the inside finely sliced
2 walnut-sized pieces of tamarind soaked and squeezed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Blitz all the ingredients in a blender, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes in a small saucepan. Let cool and use with your chosen meat or fish. Broil until cooked.
Peaches with Lime and Ginger Cream
From “Barbecues and Other Outdoor Feasts” by Hugo Arnold.
Serves 4-6
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
jar stem ginger and 4
tablespoons of the syrup
4 limes
6 peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into half-moon slices
1. Whip the cream
2. Chop the ginger as finely as you can, a sticky job at the best of times
3. Grate the peel from the limes and combine the chopped ginger, ginger syrup, and lime peel with the ice cream.
4. Leave to sit for half an hour or so and serve with the peaches.
