Chicago has no shortage of beautiful outdoor spaces and I'm lucky enough to live equidistant from two great parks.
The picnic menu featured a few favorites and some new creations:
- Curried Chickpea Salad
- Salted Garlic Kale Chips
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Tomato and Olive Bruschetta w/ toasted Rye Bread
- Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mackinac Island Fudge
Curried Chickpea Salad:
1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of ginger
1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced finely
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2/3 -1/2 cup of water (it depends on how thick you want your curry sauce)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 small- medium yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups of mustard greens
1/2 a green apple, chopped
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil, add chopped onions and cook until slightly browned. Add chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes. Add half of your water and let simmer. Mix in garlic, curry powder, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ginger and mustard powder. Blend well. Add the remaining water and stir. Let simmer for 6-10 minutes on low heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.
After the chickpeas are at room temp, combine greens and apples in a bowl and stir in chickpea mixture. Top with dried cranberries and serve with a baguette or other crusty bread.
Tomato & Olive Bruschetta
3 medium size Roma tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves of garlic pressed or finely minced
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 14oz can of black olives, chopped
1 handful of fresh basil (approx 1/3 cup), chopped
1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to marinate. Serve over toasted bread.
Couscous Stuffed Mushrooms
10-12 medium size mushrooms (baby bella or button mushrooms are good)
1/2 cup of cooked couscous
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
a wedge of lemon for each serving
Wash mushrooms well and peel the outer layer of skin. This isn't necessary if you wash them really well, but I do it because that's the way my mom always made stuffed mushrooms and I figure she has good reason. Using a small parring knife, cut the stem as close to the head as possible, so you have a little mushroom bowl. Chop the stems coarsely, these will be used in the filling. At this point, pre-heat the oven to 325.
Cook the couscous according to the instructions on the package. In a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onions, garlic and mushroom stems until thoroughly browned. Mix in the cooked couscous and stir until well blended. Remove from heat and let cool.
Use a small spoon to fill the mushrooms with the filling. The filling should be densely packed in the mushroom cap. Top with a slice of Roma tomato and set in a shallow, lightly greased baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve with a wedge of lemon for those who like a more tart mushroom.
This meal was lovingly topped off with some iced green tea, served in my new favorite mug. I found this gem in an thrift store in East Lansing, MI last weekend.
On another note, I'm currently making some Sun Pickles! This is the first time I've made them, but they were a staple of my childhood. My mom would make huge jars of them every summer. They won't be ready until Sunday, since they have to sit in the sun for a few days and finish fermenting. The jar with the darker water has dried sage instead of dill for flavor.
Sun pickles are much like sun tea, so some people are reluctant to try them since there's a healthy amount of bacteria that forms in the fermenting process, which can look gross. However, I assure you these are the most flavorful pickles in the world.
I'm so excited to taste these. If they turn out good, I may stock up on jars and pickle cukes to make a supply for the winter.
