Crinella Family Cookbook
Our Grandparents' Favorites
Anti Pasti
Soups
Salads
Pasta
Vegetables
Fish
Poultry
Meat
Wild Game
Sweets
Brunch or Luncheon Dishes
Odds & Ends
Sour Dough
Other Breads ETC
Entertaining Ideas
Table of Contents
People
Family Photos
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Spring and Summer Picnics
Picnic Planning Check List
Years ago I started putting together a picnic set.
I wanted to be able on the spur of the moment to enjoy a beautiful California view sitting in comfortable chairs
and using attractive plates, glasses and linens to eat some food and enjoy a glass of wine.
And so little by little I collected folding chairs, tables, cloths, and stools. I bought wine
glasses at thrift stores. My daughter sewed wonderful napkins and placemats.
Soon we had just the right thing for every outdoor event imaginable. I won't use paper plates and plastic glasses,
as I find it very little extra effort to put dishes and glasses in a dishwasher worth the effort.
Once Ron and I were driving down Highway 1 and stopped at a particularly glorious place on the side of the road over
looking the Pacific Ocean. We set our chairs with
a small table and were eating and sipping some wine watching the sun set. A couple we had met on the trip noticed
our car and stopped and then an Australian family we had given directions to earlier joined us. I unpacked more food and wine and chairs.
Next people stopped by to see what was going on and we soon had a wonderful party in a very remote area with a spectacular back drop of the sun setting off the Pacific Ocean. A photographer from the Los Angeles Times happened by and took pictures of the whole event. It was great fun.
I have unpacked picnics in the Healdsburg and Sonoma Plazas, car shows,
up and down California highways, on ski slopes, in dressing rooms, on the sides of
ponds and lakes, in boats, at the edge of trails, and in the gardens of historic properties. We also have picnics in our vineyards throughout the year. The most
special is held the Sunday after the Harvest Fair Awards when our friends fly
in from all over the country to eat and drink and taste our new wines.
I have found the best way to organize picnics is well ahead of time. I always keep the baskets ready.
In the summer I have a supply of foods on hand so that I can have something put together in a few minutes for some impromptu outdoor gathering.
Here is a terrific, very easy
Chicken paté that you can make ahead.
You can also freeze it uncooked and bake it at the last moment.
For a picnic, I
take the paté and the frozen bread loaves out of the freezer the night
before and bake them first thing in the morning while I am getting myself ready.
You can also freeze
fritatta and
torta
and keep them on hand for picnics as well as unexpected company. Make a recipe of our fritatta or torta and bake it in muffin tins. Wrap each little in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and keep in the freezer. All you have to do is unwrap, thaw overnight and pop into oven for a minute to brown a bit (not too much) if you want, you don't have to.
Another thing I like to do, is bake breads in muffin tins. Just bake your little breads in the tin, double wrap and freeze. The bread can thaw overnight, or you can put
it into the basket frozen and it will be ready to eat in about an hour. Banana nut bread
is nice to do in the muffin tins and goes well with the fruits and cheese of a picnic.
I try to find things that appeal to they eye such as our recipe for
Skewered Vegetables a la Grecque. It can also be prepared a day ahead.
Other terrific picnic items:
Always keep the following packed in your basket, wine opener, bottle opener, sharp knives, garbage bags, moist towelettes,
napkins, paper towels, bug repellent (the candle kind are the best and do have plenty of them on hand as there is nothing
like the arrival of very mean hornets to put the end to a promising party) sunscreen, fruit knives, and a cutting board.
As soon as I know the number of people I will be serving I pack the plates, cutlery and
glasses. Next I write down the menu, and lay out the platters and trays and visualize how
the foods will be served. If I am bringing chairs and tables we get those out and ready.
along with the tablecloths.
Sometimes having a picnic is more practical. Our family spends a lot of time driving up, down and across
California and there is not one place I have ever found on the I-5 or I-80 where really good food is served.
So it is always nice to have a few things in the freezer or refrigerator along with fresh fruits to bring to eat on a long drive.
The Zucchini Problem
Here is our collection of some tasty and unusual recipes for zucchini which we all need at this time of the year when the
usual recipes are getting boring. Zucchini is a wonderful ingredient if your guests happen to be watching their weight.
Zucchini Recipe Collection
Have a great summer.
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