Small Bites…Adventures in Downsizing

By Jan Kinzel

A tisket, a tasket, what’s in your picnic basket? Since moving to a small space but still having a desire to host larger
groups of friends and family, I have had to think way outside the box…er… basket! A picnic is a great solution as there are many venues available – a city park, the beach, even renting a boat on a lake come to mind. The beautiful weather is inviting – no – urging us to be outdoors! Plan a unique menu, round up a group of your favorite people and head out for a great day. There are several ways to approach this. One is to have everyone bring their own food for themselves and their crew; or host it by providing all of the food and drink. Those are two extremes. I think it’s fun to plan a menu and ask people to bring the different dishes. A pot luck works well, too, but that’s just it…you might get pot!!! Choose your friends carefully!!

Assign the dishes thoughtfully. My friend, Mary, is the best baker so I am assigning her brownies. Another of my friends works with a long commute and not much time. I am assigning chips and watermelon to her. Dennis has a much deserved reputation for the best baked beans. He gets to contribute those and further secure his reputation! Another of the guys makes wonderful tri-tip roast beef. He can bring that already cut into thin pieces for sandwiches. As host, I will provide the sandwich makings and a few other dishes to round out the menu. It’s a good idea to have everyone bring the drinks they want for them and their crew. Just have a big tub of ice for those drinks and even the watermelon.

NO MAYONNAISE FRESH HERB POTATO SALAD

20 Small Red Potatoes (about 2 1⁄2 pounds)
1⁄2 Cup Vidalia Onion diced into quarter- inch pieces
1 Cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
Salt
Pepper
3⁄4 Cup Fresh Herbs, finely snipped with kitchen shears
(Use a variety of fresh herbs that you especially like; ex: dill, thyme, flat leaf parsley, basil)
Cook potatoes in gently boiling water for 20 minutes. Cover pot and let stand until cool. Refrigerate the cooked potatoes and chill thoroughly. Leave the skins on and cut into quarters. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Pour mixture over the potatoes and gently stir to coat. Mix in the onions. Place in a covered container and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. An hour or so before serving, stir in the fresh herbs. Keep chilled. At the picnic, serve in 5 ounce plastic cups with a sprig of dill and brightly colored plastic spoons to match your color scheme .

TRI-TIP SANDWICHES WITH PIPERADE and ROASTED TOMATOES

Prepare ahead 3 loaves of round sour dough bread by cutting off the tops and scooping out most of the bread. Brush the inside of the loaves lightly with olive oil and set aside until it’s time to construct the sandwich. Fill the rounds with layers of the tri-tip, piperade and tomatoes.

Piperade

3 Colors Bell Peppers – red, green, yellow – 4 of each color 6 Yellow Onions
Garlic Infused Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper
Slice peppers into strips and onions into half-moons. Place in a large baking pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour and a half, stirring a couple of times. A disposable aluminum roasting pan works very well. Peppers and onions should be soft and will taste very sweet. Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Basil and Parmesan Cheese
2 Pounds Roma, Compari or Plum Tomatoes
Salt & Pepper
Basil Leaves
Cloves garlic, minced
Parmesan Cheese
Slice tomatoes in half, lengthwise. With a spoon, remove seeds and core from each tomato. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Place the tomatoes on the sheet, cut side up. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Place a small piece of basil leaf in each tomato and top with a pinch of minced garlic. Put a teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese in each tomato. Bake in a 325 degree oven until tomatoes are cooked through but still hold their shape – about 30 minutes.
Place the piperade and tomatoes in separate containers and store in refrigerator until time to go to the picnic. To make the sandwich, place the tri-tip strips into the bread rounds and cover with the peppers and onions. Place the roasted tomatoes on top of the peppers and onions. Replace the tops of the loaves and press down to compress a little. With a very sharp serrated knife, slice into sandwich sized wedges. Serve with potato salad, beans, chilled watermelon slices and brownies.

Tip: It’s not about the basket; it’s about what’s in the basket!

…then Pharaoh’s daughter’s maid plucked the basket from the river. Upon opening it she saw a beautiful child and took it to Pharaoh’s daughter to become her son…She named her son, Moses…Exodus 2:8-10 …I was let down in a basket through a hole in the roof….and escaped death …2 Corinthians 11:33