A Picnic Meal
Savor the warm springtime weather with a picnic. Wrap up some delicious prosciutto sandwiches, sweet potato chips, and a minted fruit salad. For something sweet to end, simple sugar cookies will do the trick. Don't forget the basket and the checkered blanket to sit on!
Tomato, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella & Prosciutto Panini
The perfect thirst-quencher on a perfect spring or summer day.
Ingredients
3 C. water
1 1/2 C. sugar
6 C. fresh or frozen strawberries
1 C. lemon juice
Directions
Heat water and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved; let cool then chill. Puree berries in blender or food processor; combine with water-sugar mixture. Add lemon juice. Serve over ice.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Tomato, Basil, Fresh Mozzarella & Prosciutto Panini
You can substitute hummus or black olive tapenade for the Roasted Red Bell Pepper Tapenade in this great, grilled sandwich recipe.
Ingredients
1 large focaccia bread
1 C. Roasted Red Bell Pepper Tapenade (recipe below)
3 green onions, washed, chopped
1 Tbs. capers, rinsed and drained
1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
1/3 C. olive oil
1/4 C. sherry wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 24 thin slices
24 large whole basil leaves
12 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
Basil sprigs for garnish
Directions
Cut the focaccia in half horizontally and then into 6 equal squares. Remove the top 6 squares, leaving the focaccia in its original shape. Brush the inner sides of the top 6 squares with the tapenade. In a medium bowl whisk together the green onions, capers, oregano, olive oil, sherry wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the mix evenly over the bottom squares. Alternately layer the tomato slices, mozzarella, basil leaves and prosciutto, overlapping them on top of the bottom squares of focaccia. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Replace the top squares of the focaccia and, following the cut marks on the top pieces as a guide, cut through the filling of the sandwiches. Separate into 6 individual servings, slice each on the diagonal and garnish each with a sprig of fresh basil.
Ingredients
2 6 to 8 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled, and sliced thinly
1 tsp. olive oil cooking spray
Herb mix
Salt to taste
Aluminum foil
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes (a mandolin makes this job a breeze). Place slices on the foil, spray slices again with the cooking spray, and sprinkle with herb seasoning and salt. Put baking sheets in the oven, bake for 20 minutes, turn over, reduce oven to 300 degrees, and continue to bake until slices are crisp, but not burned, approximately 15 to 20 more minutes. Cool, remove from baking sheet, and enjoy.
Note: A small sweet potato, 6 to 8 oz. will fill one baking sheet.
Yield: 30 slices
Photo by: Amy Chow, Hamden, CT
The peppermint extract in this fruit salad brings just the right amount of zing.
Ingredients
1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. orange juice
1/3 C. lemon juice from concentrate
1/3 C. water
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
8 C. cut up assorted fresh fruit
Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Directions
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except fruit; stir until sugar dissolves. Place fruit in large shallow dish; pour lemon juice over. Cover, chill 3 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate leftovers.
You use the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to coat and flatten these yummy cookies.
Ingredients
2 1/2 C. Flour (All Purpose)
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 Tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Butter
1 Egg
1/2 C. Shortening (Crisco)
1 C. Sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 Tbs. Milk (Last)
Directions
Mix dry ingredients (sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt) together first in one separate bowl. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients, expect milk (butter, egg, shortening, and vanilla). Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients, a little at a time. After you get all ingredients mixed together, add in the teaspoons of milk. Get a cookie scooper and scoop ball forms on a cookie pan. Take a glass, dip the bottom of it in a bowl of sugar and, press on cookie to flatten it to the size of the glass bottom. Add decorations and bake at 350 degrees until edges are brown.
