New and Exciting Picnic Recipes

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Dressing
1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 to 4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp clover or wildflower honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
1 head romaine lettuce
1 head butter lettuce
1 small head frisée
1 small head radicchio
4 to 6 leaves multicolored Swiss chard
Dozen edible flowers, such as yellow and blue violas, purple pansies, nasturtiums, yellow calendulas and red dianthus

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, and set aside. Toss the salad greens, and arrange on a platter. Separate some flowers into petals, and leave some intact. Sprinkle the petals, then the blossoms over the greens. Let the diners dress their own salads.

Raw Beet & Apple Slaw

If you like sweet-tart-crunchy-tangy cole slaw, you’ll love this interesting variation. No added sweeteners are required, because beets and apples are sweet enough. Feel free to experiment with other firm fruits and vegetables, too, such as carrots, turnips and pears. Adapted from The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook (Jones Books, 2008).

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled
1 small cucumber, peeled
1 large apple, washed, unpeeled
1 pound beets with greens attached, washed
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Grate ginger, cucumber and apple directly into a medium-sized bowl using a cheese grater. Cut off the green tops of the beets. Peel and grate the roots, and add to the bowl. Roll together 3 to 4 beet leaves and stems, and chop them into fine shreds (about 3/4 cup). Add to the bowl, then mix all the ingredients until evenly distributed. Add vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Pea and New Potato Salad

Take a break from lame mayo-and-mustard-based potato salads, and let fresh peas and marble-sized new potatoes take center stage. Adapted from Serving Up the Harvest (Storey, 2007).

1 1/2 pounds tiny new potatoes, scrubbed
Cold water
Salt
2 cups shelled peas (about 2 pounds with pods)
3/4 cup sour cream or crème fraiche (substitute a mixture of tahini and miso for a tasty vegan alternative)
1 spring onion, bulb and greens, sliced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp grated horseradish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water and salt generously. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Add the peas and cook another 3 minutes. Plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking, then drain.

In a large bowl, stir together the sour cream, onion, dill and horseradish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the peas and potatoes and mix gently with a rubber spatula. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

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