July 1st is the first day of the most popular month for picnicking, especially the July 4th weekend! Why not take advantage of the many destinations in Connecticut for leisure-time activities, and bring along a picnic basket filled with your favorite foods.

One of my favorite places to picnic at this time of year is the pond at Gillette Castle State Park. Surrounded by picnic tables, the pond is covered with pink, white and fuchsia water lilies. If you are lucky, you may even see a frog jumping from one lily pad to another.

Here is a recipe from my book, Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket.

Best Ever Banana Nut Bread

My Aunt Madeline's recipe dates back more than 80 years. If you like your bread sweet and moist, you will agree that this really is the best.

 3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts

*  preheat over to 350 degrees

* Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream, mixing well. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mix to creamed mixture alternately with the bananas. Stir in vanilla and nuts.

*  Pour into greased and floured 9X5-inch loan pan.

*  Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and bread breaks away slightly from the edge of pan. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on rack.

 Enjoy the recipe and the season!

 

 

National Pecan Month

Thanks to Georgia Senator Max Cleland who in 2001 established National Pecan Month. Now, every April we are reminded of the delicious taste and health benefits of this “All American Nut.” Since this is one of my personal favorite nuts, I decided to join in the celebration by sharing one of the recipes in Cruising Connecticut with a picnic basket that contains pecans.

The following recipe is simple to prepare, packs well and is delicious, all necessary criteria for picnic fare. And, since April is the beginning of picnic season, don’t waste a moment. Get outdoors and have a picnic!

Wild Rice & Ham Salad

2 cups cooked wild brown rice
½ pound lean ham, cut into bite-size chunks
½ cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup pecan halves

In small shallow pan spread pecan halves in a single layer. Bake in 350-degree F. preheated oven until tasted – approximately 5 minutes. Watch closely. Cool. (I personally like smaller pieces so I cut them in half again.)

In large bowl, stir together rice, ham, raisins, and scallions. Add salt and pepper.

In small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar together until well blended. Slowly pour over rice and ham mixture until the salad contains the amount that suite you. (I almost never use the entire amount.) Toss.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. Just before serving, garnish with pecans. Serve on lettuce leaves.

Serves 4-6
Note: Refrigerate salad overnight, or at least two hours before packing in cooler.

If you like this recipe, you’re sure to like another recipe in my book that contains pecans. Hint: It’s sweet. It can be found on the page “What’s in Our Picnic Basket” at my website, www.cruisingconnecticut.com.

Enjoy!

Winter is Not Just for Shoveling!

I may be wintering in Florida, but my heart is back in Connecticut with friends and family who are trying to cope with the mountains of snow and sending me photos so I can see what I am missing! Oh, and waiting for the next storm.

Thinking back to a lifetime of winters in Connecticut I realized the times I actually enjoyed this season as opposed to merely tolerating it was when I was outside participating in a sport or activity: hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, building a snow fort or a snowman, having a snowball fight, ice skating (with those big, inviting bonfires!)

If you are experiencing cabin fever at this point why not plan a winter picnic. And, just so you won’t think I have lost my mind I did an online search to see if I could find some like-minded individuals. It turns out there are plenty of folks getting outdoors for some good old-fashioned fun.

Check these out:

1.www.foodandwine.com. In search bar type in: “A Chef’s Incredible Winter Picnic” and read how chef Ken Oringer combines his yearly tradition of cutting down a Christmas Tree with a tailgating party. Of course, you don’t want to wait until next December ~ simply replace that activity with another. He also shares some tempting recipes.

2.www.associatedcontent.com. In search bar type in: “Planning a Winter Picnic.” This article by J.E. Davidson prompted one reader to respond by recalling that when they were children they went cross-country skiing in a state park with finger sandwiches packed in backpacks and when they came to a picnic table they just brushed the snow off and sat down to eat. He ended with “It was sooo cool!” Sometimes as adults we forget how much joy children get from the simplest pleasures.

3.www.simplebites.net/ideas-and-tips-for-a-winter-picnic-in-the-snow. This article by Aimee is a great resource for enjoying winter and picnicking with kids.

4.www.picnicrecipesandgames.com/winter-picnic-ideas.htm. Includes Picnic Ideas for both Romantic and Family picnics.

5.www.cruisingconnecticut.com. Click on “What’s In Your Picnic Basket” to access my hot spiced cider recipe to help keep the chill away.

Hopefully these sites will inspire you to lift out your insulated containers and your warmest socks and mittens and on the first free day that the temperature reaches an acceptable level, get outside and enjoy a winter picnic. You’ll never feel the same way about winter again.

A Sampling of FREE Summer Music in Hartford, Ct.

While planning a picnic with friends at Elizabeth Park to coincide with the annual bloom of 15,000 rose bushes, I learned that this year's Rose Garden Lawn concerts will take place on Wednesday evenings June 25th through August 27th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Visitors will be treated to a variety of music, from swing, rock, Cajun, country, and pop, to top 40, R&B, Motown, and 50's. www.elizabethpark.com.

At the Butler, McCook House, the performers are also varied and eclectic. The concert series takes place on the first Thursday in June, July, August, and September from 5:30-7:30 p.m. www.ctlandmarks.org.

Bushnell Park sponsors the Monday Night Jazz series in the park's pavilion from June 6th through August 3rd. Opening bands start at 6:00 p.m.; headliners at 7:30. Also at this location is New England's largest free outdoor jazz festival on July 17, 18, 19. Get times, performers, directions and other information at www.hartfordjazz.org.

Trinity College is into the 60th annual Plumb Memorial Carillon Concert, taking place on the quad bordering the chapel. Every Wednesday evening at 7:00 through August. Tours of the chapel are offered following the concert. www.trincoll.edu/orgs/carillon.

Although the above destinations are all in the City of Hartford, no matter where you live in Connecticut, I guarantee you can easily locate a concert venue nearby. Make it a point to find and take advantage of the enjoyable summer activity of relaxing on the lawn while listening to good music. What could be better, except maybe picnicking at the same time!

Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket has 48 recipes designed to make picnicking simple and fun. www.cruisingconnecticut.com.

The Picnic Season is Far From Over

September is a bittersweet month for me. I find it hard to flip the calendar from August to September without bemoaning the fact that the carefree days of summer seemed to fly by ~ again, and sad there were so many events I did not get to. On the other hand, September has some lovely warm days with comfortable cooling breezes, plus the state's breathtaking foliage is on this month's heels. And, best of all, both months are great for picnicking. Now, this is a happy thought.

Speaking of picnics, I recently happened upon an interesting website, http://www.picnicrecipesandgames.com/, which bills itself as the "webs foremost authority on picnics and picnic planning." Check out the various topics, such as Free Picnic Table Plans, Picnic Products Guide, Picnic Baskets, Picnic Games & Ideas, and Free Cookbook.

One of the most interesting topics for me, under a heading titled Picnic Related, is Find a Picnic Area, which brings up a map listing 109 locations in America to picnic. You simply find a state and click on a flag for a pop-up of the destination. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on Connecticut and found zero destinations. I thought, how can this be, there are so many wonderful spots to picnic in this state! But, I rectified this omission when I saw an invitation to send in your favorite picnic area. And, when I checked back a short time later, there was my blurb about Gillette Castle State Park. No doubt I will send in more suggestions, and perhaps some of my readers will do the same, no matter where you live.

Most important ~ while the weather is still nice ~ get out there and PICNIC!

Picnic Recipes

Last week, I told you about my exciting picnic at Gillette Castle State Park with Kara and Scot of Better Connecticut. Since then, so many people who saw the show remarked on how beautiful the table looked, I thought this week I would share more information about the recipes.

All the recipes are from Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket, but for those who do not have my book, here is how you can obtain most of them:

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies: posted on my April 12th blog.
Wild Rice and Ham Salad: presently posted on my website.
Fresh Squeezed Lemonade: recipe given below.
Fresh Fruit Kabobs: on 8" wooden skewers I threaded the following five pieces of fruit: Pineapple, strawberry, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon.
Chicken Caprese: This recipe will not be posted because it was contributed by Les Harris, a Glastonbury Chef specifically for inclusion in Cruising Ct.

One of the reasons my picnic table looked so great is that when planning a menu, I make sure color is one of the key ingredients. Of course, I want the food to be a feast for the eyes as well as the palate, but color also guarantees a variety of healthy foods.

Speaking of color, in retrospect, I thought the table could have used a little more green and wished I had gone with my first instinct of adding my Cold Marinated Asparagus to the menu. Next time!

Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
Lemonade is the ultimate hot weather drink, and this recipe finds the perfect balance between sweet and tart. There is an added step with the syrup-making process, but the result is well worth the effort.

4-6 ripe lemons ~ 1 cup water ~ 1 cup sugar

* Wash lemons. Cut in half. Squeeze lemons to make 1 cup. Depending on the lemons, you may get less juice. If necessary, adjust the water and sugar accordingly. Set aside.
* Cut half of the squeezed lemons in slices and remove rinds.
* Put water and sugar in covered saucepan. Add rinds. Bring to a boil. Remove cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
* Remove from heat and cool. Strain into pitcher. Add the lemon juice and 5 1/2 cups cold water. Stir and refrigerate.
* Servings: 6 eight-ounce glasses.

Soup is a refreshing addition to a summer picnic

I used to think soup was something you served hot on a cold winter night. That is, until I wrote Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket and asked my daughter to help me find some suitable picnic recipes to go with my day trips. Surprise, surprise, she concocted Melon Strawberry Soup and I quickly expanded my narrow concept about soup. Try it and let me know what you think.

Melon Strawberry Soup
(Courtesy of Holly McCarthy)

Soup course ~ side with salad or sandwich ~ dessert. Take your pick. This soup will remain chilled for hours so it is a practical yet delicious addition to a summer picnic menu.

1 package (12-ounce) frozen whole strawberries (will only use half)
1 large cantaloupe
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 bottle (16-ounce) lemon-lime carbonated beverage

* If strawberries are a frozen block, partially thaw, break apart and refreeze.
* Remove rinds and seeds from cantaloupe and cut into chunks. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add orange juice, lime juice, and honey. Whirl until well blended.
* Pour into a pitcher and chill for 2 or more hours. Before leaving for your picnic, cut one-half of the frozen strawberries in half and add to soup mixture. Pour into a 2-quart wide mouth thermos to transport to picnic.
* To serve, measure 3/4 cup soup into bowl and add 1/4 cup of the carbonated beverage.
*Yield: 5-6 one cup servings.

** Fun Alternatives! **
For a festive occasion, replace the carbonated beverage with champagne.
For a little more color during blueberry season, add a few to each bowl.

For those of you who already have Cruising Connecticut, don't forget about the delicious Gazpacho contributed by Chris Prosperi of the Metro Bis Restaurant in Simsbury (Page 24.) You'll love this one.