EDIBLE ENTERTAINING

Primer

Dinner parties are out. Follow our guide and invite your friends for an outdoor meal.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TUNIS AND AMBER TURPIN

In the springtime when the world is green. In the summer when the air is warm and fragrant. In the fall when the light slants sideways. Even in the winter, in a break between storms. There is no wrong time for a picnic. In fact, these times are perfect for a picnic—in wide open spaces, friends can sit six feet apart and partake in beauty, good food and companionship, while safely reducing the risk of germ transmission. Get outside, and take some snacks!

Children understand this intuitively: Breakfast is much more fun if you eat it spread on a beach towel in the yard. At its simple heart, a picnic is nothing more than this, delight in two of life’s great pleasures, good food and fresh air. Appreciation of one strengthens appreciation of the other, in a delicious feedback loop. What a beautiful meadow/ what an excellent sandwich/listen to that birdsong/have a sip of this! And so on.

So we packed our baskets. Actually, we packed four of them. Each with a theme, because we could not choose a favorite, and when writing for a food magazine, it seemed poor form to advise people to bring both quiche and spring rolls, cold sesame noodle salad and ginger beer and marinated cheese. Not that there’s anything wrong with an ad hoc assembly. In fact, one of the beautiful things about a picnic is the freedom of it; go where you like, and eat what you like, and stay as long as you like and eat it in whatever order you like. Indulge in the occasion; dress fancy if that makes you happy, or go as you are. Discover a local park, climb a peak, spread a blanket beneath a tree in your backyard. There are no rules on a picnic. Just a set of guidelines, perhaps. A framework around which to assemble an epic outdoor feast.

Amber Turpin and Jessica Tunis live with their respective families in the green folds of the Santa Cruz Mountains. They share a love of food and writing, adventure and good company.

Picnic Basket 1

OPEN-FACED MENU

Pumpernickel Open-Faced Sandwiches Smoked Almonds Sauerkraut Apples with Aged Cheddar Cheese Hard Salami with Whole Grain Mustard Beer in Amber Bottles

Pumpernickel Open-Faced Sandwiches

Assemble this one in the field or wherever your picnic takes you. A small cutting board is ideal for slicing whole cukes, or slice them ahead of time and carry them in a reusable container. 1 loaf pumpernickel bread, sliced 8 ounces cream cheese 4 ounces smoked fish 1 small cucumber, sliced 1 small bunch fresh dill or arugula

Spread each slice of pumpernickel with approximately 1 ounce of cream cheese. Top each with a few thin slices of cucumber. Evenly distribute chunks of smoked fish among all the sandwiches and top with sprigs of dill. Serves 4–8.

Topping Variations: Blend chopped, toasted walnuts + honey + dried rose petals into cream cheese and top with berries for a sweeter slant. Top bread instead with avocado + thin slices of lemon + flake salt. Picnic Basket 2

CHOPSTICKS MENU

Cold Sesame Noodle Salad Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce Miso Pickled Eggs Quick Asian Pickles Matcha Shortbread Ginger Beer or Green Tea Cocktail

Quick Asian Pickles

1 cup rice wine vinegar 1 cup cold water 1 tablespoon light honey 1 tablespoon sea salt 2 inches ginger, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, smashed 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds 6 whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed ½ teaspoon red chile flakes One pound vegetables of choice; think thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes and red onion, peeled carrots, and fennel cut on a long diagonal.

Make the brine. Combine rice vinegar, water, honey, salt and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt and honey. For a milder blend, omit the ginger from the boiling step. Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prep the vegetables.

Wash and peel carrots, peel cucumbers if desired (peeling helps the flavor penetrate the veggies.) Thinly slice the red onion, cucumbers, fennel, radishes and any other vegetable that catches your fancy.

Layer the remaining spices in the bottom of a quart or 1 liter jar. Tightly pack the vegetables in the jar on top of the spices, then pour the brine mixture over them, making sure that all the vegetables are covered by the brine. (If you have some brine left over, it makes a great base for a salad dressing.)

Let the jars cool to room temperature, then seal the lid and place in the refrigerator and allow the flavors to meld for a day or two if possible before eating. These can be eaten in as little as an hour after making them, but they are at their flavorful best if allowed to marinate for 48 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Note: recipes for Spring Rolls with Miso Sauce and Miso Pickled Eggs can be found on our website.

Picnic Basket 3

IN HAND MENU

Hand Pies Potato Salad with Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes Brownies Strawberry Lemonade (with or without vodka)

Sweet Or Savory Hand Pies

Crust 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt 8 ounces (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small cubes 4 tablespoons ice water

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend. Add the cold butter chunks and process in bursts until incorporated and the dough is sandy looking. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the ice water. Stir with a fork until the dough forms clumps, then gather together with your hands and knead briefly and gently, just until you can form a ball. If the dough is too dry, add tiny bits of water to bring together. Form a square-shaped disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Roll the disk of dough out on a floured surface to form a large rectangle, about 6 x 12 inches. Using a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle in thirds lengthwise, then in half horizontally, forming 6 squares. Place 2 tablespoons of your filling of choice in the upper half of each square, then fold the lower portion of dough up over filling. Crimp edges with a fork or fold over on itself to seal the hand pie. Cut a few vents in each pie with a knife or fork tines, then transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place sheet in refrigerator to firm up for 20–30 minutes, then bake for 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even baking. Makes 6.

Filling Suggestions 1½ cups roasted or sauteed vegetables mixed with 2–4 tablespoons of cheese (chèvre, brie, grated Cheddar) 1½ cups ricotta cheese mixed with 2 tablespoons pesto 1½ cups chopped fresh fruit mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup jam or preserves Picnic Basket 4

TAKE A DIP MENU

Marinated Goat Cheese White Bean Dip with Herbs and Lemon Zest Nicoise Chopped Salad with Little Gems Baguette Lemon Verbena Cucumber Cooler (with gin)

White Bean Dip

1 15½ ounce can white beans (such as cannellini), drained and rinsed, or 1½ cups cooked white beans 3 small cloves garlic, peeled 2 teaspoons lemon juice Zest from 1 lemon ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 teaspoons fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, dill or combination) Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine beans, garlic, lemon juice, zest and ¼ cup olive oil in food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the herbs and blend again, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer dip to a serving bowl or jar and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.