Pack a pleasant picnic
[attach]2071[/attach]Dining al fresco is one of the joys of summer. It’s time to revive the art of the picnic. Some picnickers insist on doing the cooking in the great outdoors and certainly there are plenty of areas that offer barbecue pits. But a traditional picnic is a time of relaxation — all play and no work. Do the work at home in advance.
A good picnic feast needs to be simple. Use a cooler so you can transport food safely in the heat – it means you can include wedges of lovely cheeses, without which no real picnic is complete.
Make your picnic elegant. Start with cold soup. Served in pretty plastic cups, these are a wonderful opener to a picnic meal. Ravi Kanagarajah of Ravi’s Soups learned his skills at Mildred Pierce (now Mildred’s Temple Kitchen), then opened his own restaurants serving eclectic soups and wraps. We asked him to share one of his own recipes for a really perfect summer soup. If you’d rather not do the work, pick up a container at one of their two locations. We’ve added an easy summer salad to take along. Just add cold chicken, some artisan cheese wedges and fresh breads and you’ve a picnic fit for royalty.
Ravi’s Carrot, Ginger and Cucumber Gazpacho
All you need is a pot and a blender to make this refreshing soup. Make it the night before so it’s well chilled, then take in a thermos.
Take the cucumber separately. The crunchy cucumber pieces and smooth carrot and ginger make a wonderful contrast.
1 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 1⁄2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
2 Thai bird chillies
1 lb bunch of young carrots, cut into 1” pieces
1 1⁄2 litre vegetable stock or water
1⁄4 cup lime juice
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp salt or to taste
For the garnish:
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped finely
3 tbsp yogurt or sour cream
Sauté the onions and ginger in the oil in a large pot. Add carrots, ginger and chillies and sauté another couple of minutes. Add the stock or water and simmer, covered, on medium low heat for 30 minutes or until carrots are soft. Cool and blend in a processor or blender in batches until smooth, then run through a sieve to remove any stringy ginger pieces. Chill at least three hours. Blend again, adding about a cup of ice and the lime juice, honey and salt to taste. If the carrots weren’t sweet, you can add a tablespoon of sugar as well. Serve garnished with a tablespoon of crunchy cucumber pieces and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream (this is optional for picnics).
Summer Mosaic Salad
Easily made, this salad requires little work and is both colourful and tasty.
For the salad:
5 medium red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2” pieces
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
3 green onions, thinly sliced
For the vinaigrette:
2/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Steam the potatoes until tender. Steam the beans until crisp-tender. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the vinaigrette ingredients. Pour over the vegetable and toss. Chill to take on the picnic.
Tips for a successful picnic
• Must haves include plates and spoons, condiments, can opener, and napkins. Don’t forget a sharp knife (wrap in cardboard for safe transport) and a cutting board
• For clean-up, bring paper towels and a couple of damp face cloths in a plastic bag for sticky fingers
• To be safe, include insect repellent and sunscreen
• Don’t forget to bring 3 garbage bags – one for compost, one for recyclables and the third for non-recyclables. Take garbage home
• Don’t spoil a good tablecloth or even a blanket. Buy an inexpensive plastic cloth at the dollar store
• Bring easy-to-nibble fruit – grapes, watermelon, apple slices, cantaloupe. If you bring stoned fruit, make sure the pits are collected in the compost bag
• Bring plenty of cooler packs to ensure food remains safe to eat. Keep food in coolers and pack away leftovers quickly
• Bring plenty of beverages to prevent dehydration
• Take a small bottle of sanitizer for dirty hands
• Don’t take too much or the basket will be too heavy to carry comfortably. Picnics are one meal where you don’t want leftovers
Picnic Places
Toronto is blessed with plenty of green spots and sandy beaches. You don’t have to leave town or go far to find a great picnic spot. Here are a few places to take your picnic basket this summer:
Centre Island: Vast parklands and a lifeguard-supervised beach make this a wonderful family spot. Then there’s all the fun of the ferry ride over. The ferry leaves from the bottom of Bay St.
The Leslie Street Spit: This man-made headland extends from the city’s east end in a roughly southwesterly direction into Lake Ontario. About 5 km long, it was intended as a breakwater. Apparently some 300 species of birds can be seen there. There is a shuttle bus that stops along the length and takes visitors out to the headland. At the south end of Leslie St.
Bluffers Park: One of the city’s best-kept secrets, Bluffers Park offers spectacular scenery, a sandy beach, picnic areas, walks, lookouts, a double launching ramp and visitors dockage. Go south on Brimley from Kingston Road.
Edwards Garden, Wilket Creek Park, Serena Gundy Park: The three parks are all linked together, and have lots of parkland, bike and walking trails. They run parallel to Leslie Street between Lawrence and Eglinton; entrance to the parks is from Leslie.
James Gardens: On the west bank of the Humber River, the flower gardens, stone pathways and mature trees were created by Fred T. James over 40 years. These picturesque gardens are bordered by woodland with walking and cycling trails. The entrance is off Edenbridge Ave. (between Scarlett and Royal York Roads).
High Park: The park, more than one-third of which remains in its natural state, is home to many species of wildlife, including birds, fish and animals. With historic Colborne Lodge and the Coach House, a playground, landscaped Hillside Gardens and a zoo.
