Country Kitchen:
Enjoy Backyard Picnics This Time of Year
By Mary Emma Allen
For those picnics in the backyard, when you want to entertain informally
in a pleasant outdoor setting, you can serve eary-to-prepare meals that
you
make beforehand.
Meats, cooked the previous day, make excellent picnic platters. Cold
baked ham, meat loaf, roast beef, roast pork, sliced chicken, cold cuts,
and cheese
can be arranged attractively around potato, macaroni or molded vegetable
and jello
salads.
Slices of rosy tomatoes, sweet onion, crisp cucumber on a bed of lettuce
leaves are always tasty. Don’t forget the pickles, carrot curls, and
celery
sticks as crunchies.
Picnic Fruit Desserts
Fruit bowl or fruit salad are successful endings to outdoor meals.
These are easy to make, simple to serve, and delicious.
*Scoop out the red portion from half a watermelon with ice cream scoop.
Mix melon balls with other fruits - pineapple cubes, peach slices, fresh
berries, banana slices.
Pile into watermelon half, sprinkle with lemon juice and honey; chill
before serving.
*Cut out center of a fresh pineapple and mix with fresh strawberries and
bananas; refill pineapple with fruit mixture and chill.
*Arrange a layer of sliced oranges in a glass bowl, spread with shredded
coconut, and top with layer of sliced bananas. Repeat until bowl is
filled.
Garnish with maraschino cherry halves and chill.
*Place chunk of ice in punch bowl; fill half full of mixed fruits -
cherries, grapes, orange slices, melon balls, bananas, peach slices, etc.
Drizzle
with raspberry syrup; serve in 30 minutes when chilled.
(C) 2002 Mary Emma Allen
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing her "Cooking Column" for newspapers
and online publications for 30 years and
has compiled a family cookbook. She’s currently compiling a
cookbook/story book,
"Tales From a Country Kitchen." Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
The Country Kitchen Series
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