PICNICS AND PORCH SUPPERS

Transcription

1 nknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknkn PICNICS AND PORCH SUPPERS A D Text By DIANA GOLD MURPHY Foreword By RACHEL NEWMAN HEARST BOOKS NEW YORK NEW YORK nknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknkn

2 Baked Eggs with Asaragus Fresh sring asaragus turns an ordinary egg into an eegant brunch. For those watching their waistines, we ve reaced the heavy cream usuay caed for with skim mik.to kee it warm for icnics, tighty wra the dish with heavy-duty auminum foi and neste it in a towe-ined basket. MAKES 6 SERVINGS 2 thin staks ( 2 ound) asaragus green onion, siced crosswise teasoon butter 2 cus skim mik 3 tabesoons a-urose four 4 teasoon sat 4 teasoon cracked back eer 2 arge eggs Parika Fresh herb srigs such as basi and oregano Trim off and discard the tough stem ends of the asaragus. In a 3-quart saucean, heat the asaragus and water to cover to boiing over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for minute. Drain the asaragus in a coander and set aside. Heat the oven to 325 F. Lighty grease a 2-inch quiche dish or shaow round baking dish. In a -quart saucean, sauté the green onion in the butter over medium heat unti ighty browned. Stir in ¾ cus of the mik and heat to boiing. In a -cu measuring cu, stir the four into the remaining ¼ cu mik. Stir the four mixture into the onion-mik mixture and cook, stirring constanty, unti boiing and a thickened sauce forms. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. Cut the asaragus staks to 4½-inch-ong sears; reserve the trimmings. Sice the reserved trimmings crosswise into ¼-inch ieces and stir into the sauce aong with the sat and eer. Pour the sauce into the greased dish. Arrange the asaragus sears on the sauce, soke fashion, with the tis toward the outside of the dish and the cut ends toward the center. With a soon, make a dee hoow in the center of the sauce to hod the excess egg white. Centered between the asaragus sears and about inch in from the edge of the dish, make shaow hoows in the sauce to hod the egg yoks. Crack one egg into each hoow between the asaragus sears so that the yok rests in the hoow. If necessary, using a soon, he guide the excess egg white into the hoow in the center of the dish, avoiding touching the yoks. Carefuy ace the dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or unti the egg whites are cometey set. Srinke the to with the arika and garnish with the herbs srigs. BREAKFASTS & BRUNCHES 9

3 Vegetabe Frittata When anning on traveing with a frittata, whie it is sti in the an, invert it onto a ate, remove the an, and ace the frittata right-side u on a serving dish.wra it tighty in auminum foi to kee it warm unti ready to serve, or sice for sandwiches. Fee free to exeriment with this dish by substituting your favorite herbs and vegetabes, or adding a handfu of grated cheese.this recie makes individua servings, so you can custom-make each one. MAKES SERVING 3 arge egg whites arge egg 2 tabesoons finey choed fresh chives 8 teasoon sat 8 teasoon ground back eer sray of nonstick vegetabe cooking sray or 4 teasoon vegetabe oi 2 cu cubed red-skinned otatoes 2 cu broccoi fowerettes 4 cu coarsey choed sweet red eer 3 cu water 2 teasoon vegetabe oi Fresh chives, for garnish In a medium-size bow, beat together the egg whites, egg, choed chives, sat, and eer unti we combined. Set the egg mixture aside. Heat a 6-, 7-, or 8-inch oven-roof skiet. Lighty coat the skiet with the nonstick vegetabe cooking sray. Add the otatoes and sauté them unti they are ighty browned. Add the broccoi, red eer, and water. Cover and cook unti the otatoes are fork-tender 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the id from the skiet and cook the vegetabes unti the iquid has evaorated. Stir the ½ teasoon oi into the vegetabes unti they are coated. Add the egg mixture to the skiet. Let the bottom of the egg mixture set, then stir the mixture we. Cover the skiet and continue to cook the eggs unti set but sti moist on to about 2 minutes. Heat the broier. Uncover the skiet and ace the frittata under the broier, 4 inches from the heat source, and broi unti it is browned on to. Garnish with the fresh chives. Serve either hot or at room temerature. nknknknknknknknkn ADDITIONS TO FRITTATA You can make this frittata as a side dish, main dish or even to be siced for sandwiches. Try substituting a handfu of any of the foowing for the vegetabes in the method: Siced mushrooms Siced zucchini Artichoke hearts Siced eggant Fresh eas Lima beans nknknknknknknknkn 20 COUNTRY LIVING PICNICS AND PORCH SUPPERS

4 nknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknkn PLANNING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF A PICNIC A D W hen you are anning the erfect your boat? It is a good idea to kee icnic, kee these tis in mind. When your icnic near water for quick and guests are invited in advance, have an easy cean-u. aternative an indoors in case the Have a your essentias icked out weather does not comy. Survey the and ready to go the night before. area you an to dine at beforehand. Freeze water to take, ack toys for If you are aying the icnic out on a your chidren and a water bow for banket, ook for a sot with eve your animas, and write out a ist of ground, free of tree roots and hoes. the food you bring. Check if there are gris avaiabe so Once you get to the icnic site, brush you are reared with charcoa, a gri away a debris ike twigs and stones ighter, and griing utensis. Deending before sreading out your banket. Sit on the tye of icnic you an to have, near trees so you have some shade, and check the area for necessities. If you if chidren or animas wi be joining are having a fishing icnic, are there you, ick a sot where you can see the boats to rent or a ace to aunch surrounding area. nknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknkn

5 Peachy Pancakes Instead of each yogurt, any favor can be substituted in the batter of these ancakes. In ace of or in addition to mae syru, offer fruit syrus such as rasberry, backberry, or bueberry. MAKES 2 SERVINGS cu unsifted a-urose four tabesoon sugar teasoon baking owder 2 teasoon baking soda 2 teasoon sat 2 teasoon ground nutmeg arge egg 8-ounce container owfat each yogurt 4 cu water tabesoon vegetabe oi us more for frying 2 teasoon vania extract Mae syru (otiona) In a arge bow, combine the four, sugar, baking owder, baking soda, sat, and nutmeg, and set aside. In a medium-size bow, with a wire whisk, beat together the egg, yogurt, water, tabesoon of the oi, and the vania unti the mixture is bended. Add the yogurt mixture to the four mixture, genty stirring just unti the dry ingredients are moistened. Heat the oven to 200 F. Lighty oi a gridde or 6-inch skiet and ace over medium heat. Sread ¼ cu of batter onto the gridde to make a 4-inch ancake. Cook unti bubbes form and begin to break on the to surface. Turn the ancake over and cook unti the bottom is goden brown. Remove the ancake and kee warm on an ovenroof atter in the oven. Reeat with the remaining batter, adding more oi to the gridde as necessary. Serve the ancakes warm, with the mae syru, if desired. nknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknkn A WEEKEND BRUNCH FOR A CROWD Rasberry Streuse Muffins,. 4 An Irish Fry,. 32 Sweet-Cherry Pancakes,. 25 Summer Fruit & Di,. 30 Breakfast Tomatoes,. 29 Iced Mint Tea,. 78 nknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknknkn 26 COUNTRY LIVING PICNICS AND PORCH SUPPERS

6 Summer Fruit & Di Homemade crème fraîche forms a di for cherries, strawberries, and sugared currants. If you can find them, add some rosy-yeow Queen Anne cherries to the atter. On icnics, store the di in the cooer unti serving. MAKES 8 SERVINGS 2 cus ( int) heavy cream (not utra-asteurized) 3 tabesoons buttermik 4 cus (2 ints) strawberries 2 cus fresh sweet cherries quart red currants or ound sma seedess red graes, rinsed and dried, stems intact enveoe unfavored geatin 2 cu water 2 tabesoons very cod water teasoon fruit-favored iqueur 2 cu sugar Currant or grae eaves (otiona) One day before serving, combine the heavy cream and buttermik in a -quart bow. Cover oosey and et stand at Mixed- Fruit Granoa 2 cus quick roed oats 3 4 cu wheat germ room temerature for 2 to 24 hours, or unti the mixture thickens and tastes sighty tangy. Cover and refrigerate unti serving time. The mixture wi kee, covered and refrigerated, for to 2 weeks. Rinse the fruit and cut into sma custers, if necessary. In a sma saucean, soften the geatin in the ½ cu water. Heat over ow heat, stirring constanty, unti the geatin dissoves. Pour the geatin mixture into a shaow bow and stir in the 2 tabesoons cod water and the iqueur. Pace the sugar in a astic bag and di custers of the fruit first into the geatin mixture and then into the sugar, shaking genty to coat. Set aside on waxed aer unti the sugar coating dries about 0 to 5 minutes. To serve, arrange the fruit on serving atters or in bows and garnish with the eaves, if desired. Soon the crème fraîche into a serving bow and serve aongside the fruit. This heathfu bend of oats, nuts, and dried fruits is a hearty breakfast. Set it out on the tabe with a itcher of cod mik and an assortment of mixed fresh berries. Fi singe-serving ouches with dry granoa for an energizing snack. MAKES 2 SERVINGS 2 cu siced natura amonds 2 cu honey tabesoon vegetabe oi tabesoon water teasoon ground cinnamon 4 teasoon sat 2 3 cu choed itted dates 2 cu goden raisins 2 cu dried aricots 3 cu dried cranberries 4 cu hued sunfower seeds Breakfast- in- Disguise Oatmea Cookies cu unsifted a-urose four cu quick roed oats 2 tabesoons finey choed toasted wanuts teasoon ground cinnamon 2 teasoon baking soda 4 teasoon baking owder 4 teasoon sat 3 4 cu firmy acked ight-brown sugar 2 arge egg whites 2 tabesoons vegetabe oi 2 tabesoons rune ekvar (rune uree) or ae butter teasoon vania extract Heat the oven to 350 F. In a arge bow, combine the oats, wheat germ, amonds, honey, oi, water, cinnamon, and sat. Sread the mixture onto 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes, stirring severa times, unti the mixture is a dark goden brown. Pack the mixture into a 9-inchsquare baking an and coo to room temerature. Break the oat mixture into ea-size chunks over a arge bow. Stir in the dates, raisins, aricots, cranberries, and sunfower seeds. Store in an airtight container. These whoesome cookies can accomany a brunch sread, be eaten on the run, or be acked u to munch on during morning hikes through the countryside. Dried fruits such as raisins, cherries, dates, or aricots can be mixed into the batter. MAKES TWENTY-EIGHT 2-INCH COOKIES Heat the oven to 375 F. Lighty grease a arge baking sheet. In a medium-size bow, combine the four, oats, wanuts, cinnamon, baking soda, baking owder, and sat. In a arge bow, with an eectric mixer on medium seed, beat the brown sugar, egg whites, oi, ekvar, and vania unti we bended. Reduce the mixer seed to ow and beat in the four mixture just unti it is combined. Dro tabesoonfus of dough, about inch aart, onto the greased baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, or unti set but not browned. Coo the cookies on wire racks unti sighty warm. Whie sti warm, store in an airtight container to kee them moist. 30 COUNTRY LIVING PICNICS AND PORCH SUPPERS BREAKFASTS & BRUNCHES 3

7 nknknknknknknknknkn nknknknknknknknknkn APPETIZERS A D A D O utdoor arties whether they be for two or for a crowd deserve to start off with something secia. The intention is to whet the aetite and estabish the ace for a ingering reast. Whether you reare a sime di or an eaborate rouade, great beginnings set the stage for a memorabe affair. Offer a singe hors d oeuvre as a reude to your mea, or a medey of sma bites for a cocktai arty.