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Take it outside: Packing a fall picnic By Kady Guyton
Despite the fact that my calendar shows this Friday to be Halloween, the temperatures insist on remaining in the 70s. One of the upsides to this stretch of Indian summer is that the weather is perfect for packing a picnic and heading outdoors to enjoy the fall colors without the cold nipping at your nose or getting mud on your butt. Packing a picnic lunch is an extremely underrated skill. Sure, you can always toss a sandwich into a paper bag and head out the door, but picnicking can be elevated to a gourmet experience. It's also an area to be aware of food safety. Yes, food tastes better outside, but a warm day and mayonnaise can put a quick stop to the fun. When packing up your meal, remember that a cooler will not cool warm foods, but will keep cold food cold. So everything should be the proper temperature prior to going in the ice chest. A few dishtowels soaked in cold water will help insulate containers and maintain temperatures. Plus, wet towels are a help for the inevitable spills. Cold foods should be kept below 40 degrees and hot foods above 165. The range in between is known as the danger zone - the temperature range that's most ideal for producing bacteria. Aside from not killing everyone with food poisoning, what else goes into the perfect picnic lunch? Like all good meals, it should be mostly healthy, tasty and balanced. Chicken salad in a pita pocket, fresh fruit and - this time of year - a cup of good soup will feed everyone and meet all the criteria. The soup I leave as chef's choice. Just remember to pack it in a thermos while hot and bring enough cups or bowls and spoons for everyone. The chicken salad is a great place to get creative. Everyone knows what chicken salad is supposed to taste like, so this is a good time to tweak expectations. I replaced the traditional celery with green grapes and added walnuts. Both give color and nice crunchy texture to offset the creaminess of the mayonnaise. The recipe calls for 1/2 to 3/4 cups of mayo; all that is needed is enough to hold everything together, so use your taste buds as a guide. Parsley or cilantro can be added for color and a green note. Traditional chicken salad is made with white meat only, but if dark is what is preferred or all that is on hand, go right ahead with it. My favorite picnic sandwich trick is to put the sandwich filling between two slices of lettuce to keep the bread from getting soggy. I prefer butter lettuce because the thicker leaves seem to do a better job than iceberg, but romaine or spinach leaves would work equally well. Or if avoiding wheat or gluten is an issue, use them as a wrap in place of bread. Enjoy the outdoors, pick up your litter and watch out for ants. Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts 1. Cut the chicken into thirds, then shred the meat by hand. 2. Mix all ingredients into a bowl, including salt and pepper. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate overnight. 3. Line a pita pocket with a rinsed leaf of butter or Boston lettuce. Fill with chicken salad and serve. |
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