What a Great Month for Picnicking

I love September this year, having already picnicked four times in eight days. Three were over Labor Day weekend alone when an out-of-state friend was visiting.

Cassidy Hill Vineyard, located in the rolling hills of Coventry, has been making wine for about two years. The winery is housed in a log cabin that feels right at home in this part of the state. Enjoy a tasting and lunch inside at a table as we did, or on the porch complete with rocking chairs begging you to sit a spell. For our picnic, we chose takeout from Coventry’s Highland Park Market. (www.cassidyhillvineyard.com)

Coventry Farmers Market, located on the grounds of the Nathan Hale Homestead is big, diverse and fun. Open every Sunday from 11-2 through October 31st, it is a perfect Fall destination. We had several choices for picnicking right at the Farmers Market. I chose Indian food, and although I can’t remember the name of the chicken and rice dish I chose, it was delicious.

I love Connecticut Town Greens and No. 34 (or thereabouts) on my wish list of books to write would be one highlighting all the Town Greens in the state. A friend and I happened to be in Windsor one day and we stopped for a takeout pizza at one of my favorite pizza joints and drove to the lovely and spacious town green. Here we found a bench right in front of a fountain, and since it was a holiday weekend, we had a quiet 2 hours to eat and visit.

Picnic No. 4 on Saturday, September 11th was the ultimate picnic, when 18 family members gathered on the lawn at Gouveia Vineyard in Wallingford. Everyone brought a plate of finger foods to share, and the offerings were phenomenal: small chicken salad sandwiches, deviled crab stuffed eggs, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and cheese, skewers of marinated fresh tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms straight from someone’s garden, Sandwiched meat loaf, and at least a half dozen other delicacies. We had so much fun we’re already looking forward to next year! (www.gouveiavineyards.com)

Don’t forget about the Big E going on now through October 3rd. And, speaking of picnicking, I counted 82 food booths on the website!! Astounding, isn’t it. But my personal choice is to tour the State Buildings for food offerings, because nothing compares to the giant Idaho stuffed potatoes from Maine, fresh blueberry pie from Vermont, seafood dishes from Rhode Island, and well, you get the idea.

When you get to the Connecticut Building, after filling up on fried dough and Italian ice, don’t forget to stop at the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association Bookstore. The vast array of books, in all genres, is incredible and local authors are here signing books continuously for the entire 17 days. If you happen to visit on Friday, September 24th from 9-4 please stop and say hello. I’d love to meet you.

Happy Picnicking!

Q&A's From My Book Talks About Connecticut Attractions

For the past five years I have had the privilege of traveling around the State talking to folks at libraries, garden clubs, civic organizations, church groups, newcomers clubs, and book stores about the great destinations for day tripping and picnicking in this state. During some 180 appearances I been asked many questions, a few of which are posted here along with my answers.

Q. What is your favorite day trip?
A. It would be impossible to pick just one, plus the favorites sometimes vary from visit to visit. But I'll tell you about some of my personal favorites in each season: In the Fall,the wineries,and it’s also a great time of year to hike up to Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park. Plus every year, on a weekend day closest to October 15, I take my annual fall foliage day trip to Kent Falls in Kent, Cornwall Covered Bridge in West Cornwall, and Hopkins Vineyard in New Preston, the latter to marvel at the beautiful foliage on the banks of Lake Waramaug; in the winter, Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, and especially during the holidays when they are decorated, Gillette Castle and Mark Twain House; in the Spring, Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury and Connecticut College Arboretum in New London for spring wildflower hunts and almost any place in Mystic; and in the summer, Main Street, Essex, and any place in or near the water, one of my favorites being the Thimble Island Cruise in Branford.

Q. What is your favorite place to picnic?
A. My favorite picnic is always the one enjoyed at the same location as my day trip/activity, but if I take the activity out of the equation, in the summer it’s the pond at Gillette Castle State Park (on the left before you drive up the hill to the Castle parking area) filled with pink, white and fuchsia water lilies. I like picnicking at the Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park at any time of year for the diverse areas available at the top of the mountain, all with great views, and Gouveia Vineyard in Wallingford because of the option of picnicking outside in the nice weather or in a comfortable room inside when the weather is questionable.

Q. After scouring the state day tripping for so many years, you must know about everything that is available?
A. Even I find it hard to believe, but I’ve hardly scratched the surface. There are numerous state parks that I have never visited, all with their own unique points of interest, historic homes I will probably never get to, hiking and biking trails, museums, and new wineries seem to be springing up faster than I can count.

Q. Was it hard to decide which places to write about.
A. Yes, I struggled with this decision, but I wanted diversity, not only in activities, but in locations throughout the state. This meant I had to leave out some great places because they were too close to another destination. Others did not have a suitable place to picnic. And, still others went out of business or changed drastically between the time of my research and years later when I finally got around to publishing my book.

Q. How did you decide on the recipes?
A. First, I designed a suggested menu for each day trip that suited both the activity and the picnicking facilities. For example, my picnic basket looks very different when I am visiting a state park with picnic tables and grills than when I am taking a walking tour of Hartford and stop for a light lunch on a park bench. Then, I found or designed recipes that covered all the food categories, because I wanted them to be enjoyed at home as well as on picnics.

Picnics Japanese style

Today, I am happy to welcome a guest blogger, Alexis Bonari, who shares with us the charming customs of picnicking Japanese style. Thank you Alexis!


Picnics Japanese Style

If anyone enjoys a good picnic more than Americans and the French, it would be the Japanese. Many of their traditional holidays incorporate picnics into the festivity plans. If you ever need an excuse to have a picnic, here are a few Japanese picnic traditions to savor:

Moon Viewing Festival (O-tsukimi):
The moon is believed to be the most beautiful it will be all year on O-tsukimi. Therefore, the people of Japan arrange nighttime picnics to view the moon and the fireflies that are abundant at this time of the year.

O-tsukimi is celebrated on August 15th of the Japanese Lunar Calendar. Because the dates of the lunar calendar change from year to year, the actual date to celebrate O-tsukimi usually occurs in September or October of the standard calendar. Derived from an equivalent Chinese holiday over 1000 years ago, the traditions associated with O-tsukmi have long since taken on a completely unique, Japanese set of characteristics.

Foods are prepared to represent the moon. Dumplings and satiomo (taro potatoes) are served to guests. These are also offered on an altar to the moon. Other important foods are pumpkin and chestnuts. Food is eaten outside on the grass or just inside the doors of a teahouse.

Cherry Blossom Viewing (Hanami):
The end of March and the beginning of April mark the beginning of Hanami, cherry blossom viewing time. During this popular holiday, Japanese take time out to sit under the cherry trees and indulge in a picnic. Walkways between the trees are illuminated by torches, allowing the picnic festivities to continue into the night.

Traditional picnic foods are prepared at home and brought to the gathering in bento boxes. (These are wooden or lacquered boxes with partitions in them for different varieties of food.) Foods commonly brought to a Hanami celebration include: fish cakes with pink designs, spring herb dumplings, grilled fish, simmered spring vegetables, and other artfully arranged delicacies (http://www.savoryjapan.com/learn/culture/festivals/hanami%20bento.html).

Japan has a long cultural history of celebrating nature. It is therefore no surprise that outdoor eating holds a special place in their festive traditions.

Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, researching areas of online education. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Three Days = Three Cruising Connecticut Destinations = One Picnic

This past Friday the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, the oldest public art museum in the Country, sponsored a Gallery Talk on Sol LeWitt. Although I had heard of this artist. born in Hartford in 1928, I was totally unfamiliar with his work. What a treat, not only to learn something of the man, who as a young boy took art classes at the Museum, but then to view the exhibit of this world renowned artist, best known for his contribution and leadership role in conceptual art. Before you go to the exhibit room, note the fascinating and colorfully detailed wall painting that takes up the entire wall behind the admissions desk. The exhibit runs through August 15th.

For our pre-museum outdoor picnic, we went straight to Burr Mall on the south side of the museum. As described in Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket, we had a commanding view of the well-known sculpture Stegosaurus, and a pool and fountain while picnicking on one of the white marble slab benches outside the Municipal Building. This bench was even more perfect, both as a seat and a table than I remembered.

Our simple lunch of hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers, watermelon and fresh cherries was thoroughly enjoyed in this setting, even though the serenity was somewhat overshadowed by the construction of the museum's new roof. Inside, we found several display rooms empty and closed to the public as they are also being spruced up.

Speaking of construction, folks who have Cruising Connecticut may remember that in 2008 when my 2nd Edition was published, I inserted a note at the end of the Hartford chapter (City Walking Tours) that the Connecticut Science Museum was still being constructed. Well, earlier this month I finally visited this facility, urged in part by a gift of free passes! I am hoping that in time this attraction, like so many others in the state, will have reduced-rate passes that can be checked out at local libraries.

The architecture and creative design of the exhibits immediately grabbed my attention, but after awhile there was a bit of frustration as massive groups of school children prevented a close-up view of the more popular displays. While it was heartening to see how animated and boisterous the kids were about science, I began to wonder whether it was the science itself that was the attraction, or simply the fun of playing with the hands-on exhibits. A little bit of both most likely. Next time, I plan to arrive in mid-afternoon when it will be quieter and easier to get up close ~ and to have a turn to play!

On Sunday, I delivered books to The Gift Shop at Connecticut Trolley Museum. This tourist spot was busy with happy families riding a trolley dating back to the late 1800's or early 1900's. If I hadn't planned on running up to UConn with another book delivery, I would have been tempted to join them.

After my book drop at UConn Bookstore, I drove past some of the barns on the animal trail admiring the beautifully kept grounds, but the only place I stopped on this very warm day was at the Dairy Barn. Yum, they still dish up the best homemade ice cream in the state.

Happy day tripping and picnicking!

All About Picnics

Although I enjoy picnicking at any time of year, I join the throngs of people who picnic more in July than other months. I suppose it is because July is the first full month of summer, school is out, vacations begin and the most popular single day for picnicking falls in this month, July 4th. No wonder someone thought to designate July as National Picnic Month.

During my various talks throughout Connecticut, people sometimes ask about the origin of picnicking and are surprised to learn that the custom dates back to France and shortly thereafter in England in the 17th century where feasts were moved outdoors to coincide with a planned activity, such as shooting parties, fox hunts, sporting event, or garden parties. Mostly formal affairs, I visualize servants carrying large hampers of delicacies to the designated destination. In the mid-1800's picnicking slowly began to take on an informality where each invited guest brought a food item to share.

Today, we call this a pot luck picnic. I planned such an event with a group of friends for a day later this month at Elizabeth Park in Hartford. Hopefully, we have timed it so the roses are in full bloom. (www.elizabethpark.org) I love the idea of an authentic pot luck picnic as opposed to our holiday pot luck where we sign up ahead of time with our food contribution. For our summer pot luck picnic no one knows what the others are bringing. So, we take the risk that we might end up with 8 cheese and cracker appetizers, 8 meat loafs, or 8 desserts (I should be so lucky!) What fun it is to see the delicious delicacies that end up on the picnic table, and to ultimately enjoy a versatile and well-balanced luncheon every time.

Are you ready for picnic season? Have you taken your picnic bag or basket out of storage and checked for any missing items? Is it time to jog to the discount store and restock? Just think picnic and you will be amazed at how easy it is to put together an informal pot luck picnic with friends and family in the great outdoors.

To get you in the mood to find the perfect place, check out the collection of photos I took at various picnic areas around the state. Go to http://www.cruisingconnecticut.com/ and click on Photos on the left.

May all your picnics be perfect!

6 Steps to The Perfect Picnic

One or more of these basic steps have been used to plan all my picnics through the years. Every single picnic is unique, but for me that is the best part. Different people, different locations, different menu all add up to a new adventure each and every time. I hope these tips inspire you to get out and picnic more:

1. Keep your picnic basket packed and ready to go at all times. Nothing discourages picnicking more than having to hunt for necessities like dishes, silverware, napkins, tablecloth and all the other basics. For a complete list of items to pack in your picnic basket, check my Blog dated May 3, 2008.
2. Pick a location. I like to combine a picnic with some sort of activity, whether it is a tourist attraction similar to those found in Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket, or something more passive, like watching your kids play ball at the park, or enjoying a romantic sunset.
3. Decide who to invite -- a friend, relative, neighbor? Anyone would be thrilled to be invited to go on a picnic. But, what if it is spontaneous and everyone in your circle is busy? Well, I hope you will agree that you are the best company you know and go anyway.
4. Choose your menu. First, take into consideration the location and picnic facilities since the menu for a picnic at a state park with tables and grills might be very different than for a picnic on a blanket at the beach. Also, think about the safety and ease of transporting the food. For ideas on getting a head start on picnic foods see my Blog dated April 27, 2008.
5. Be flexible. If the weather decides not to cooperate, you may have to pick another destination, one that has an overhead covering. Or, in the extreme, spread your picnic cloth on the living floor. Hey, it's not as bad as you might think ~ all your favorite foods, background music and no ants. Story telling or board games may be the perfect activity to complement your home picnic.
6. It's okay to ignore Steps 1-5. Let's say you wake up to a beautiful day and some rare leisure time to get outdoors and play, which of course, will include a picnic. You don't have a plan, you can 't think of where to go, you don't know if anyone is free on the spur-of-the-moment and don't feel like calling around. More importantly, your picnic basket is definitely not ready to go, in fact, you can't even find your picnic basket, and you certainly don't have anything interesting in the fridge because you haven't been grocery shopping in a while, but even if you do have food you don't feel like taking the time to get it ready.

What to do? SIMPLE!

Walk out the door empty-handed, well, except for maybe a table or ground cover. Stop at the nearest market and buy the fixings for a grand French picnic: a loaf of crusty bread, some good hard cheese, and a bunch of grapes. Oh, and a bottle of fizzy water. And, then let your car guide you to the perfect picnic spot. The key is not to get so caught up or overwhelmed by the details of picnicking that you give up the idea altogether.

I like to think that when we have an open and willing heart, and an adventuresome spirit, all our picnics will be perfect!

Picnicking Season

I personally believe that picnicking knows no season, although I know most people prefer to picnic in the warmer weather. If you fall into this category picnic season is finally here. The first step is to dig out your picnic basket and make sure it's stocked with all the basics so you can just grab it and go when the spirit, and the weather suits you.

Here is one of my all-time favorite main dishes from Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket. It's simple to prepare, uses basic ingredients, and travels well.

Glastonbury Gourmet's Chicken Caprese
(Courtesy of Les Harris - Executive Chef @ Glastonbury Gourmet)

Chicken Breasts (sliced thin)
Flour
Eggs, Milk
Fresh Tomato
Fresh Ovoline Mozzarella (4 oz. balls)
Balsamic Vinegar (for reduction)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Basil

- Wash off chicken breasts and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Place Balsamic Vinegar in a heavy bottom sauce pan and begin reducing to a thin syrup consistency.
- Prepare a flat bottom container for flour. Season four lightly with salt & Pepper. Place chicken into flour (both sides) and tap excess flour off the chicken breasts.
- Place the above chicken breasts in an egg wash (beaten eggs with milk.) Remove when coated thoroughly and place back into flour (the egg wash acts as a glue.) Lightly coat each side of chicken with the flour and tap off excess again.
- Heat up saute pan with olive oil and butter. Place chicken into hot pan and saute both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and place into a preheated oven (325 degrees) for approximately 7 to 10 minutes (time depends on thickness of chicken.) The chicken should be cooked completely.
- Place cooked chicken on plate. Slice your tomato and ovoline mozzarella and layer them down the chicken sideways. Add a fresh leaf of basil in between the tomato and ovoline. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction over the above finished chicken and enjoy!
- Total time from start to finish is 20 to 30 minutes.

Note from Jan: I've enjoyed this dish warm by timing it to come out of the oven right before leaving for the picnic. Wrap well, then cover with layers of newspaper to help hold in the heat and eat within 2 hours. I also enjoy making ahead and refrigerating until leaving for my picnic. In either case, if it is convenient you can wrap the tomato, mozzarella, and Balsamic vinegar separately and assemble at the picnic site.