It's Picnic Season!!!! - Part 2

As I mentioned last month, Cinespia was showing one of my favorite films of all time - Heathers!

For this screening, the food was done potluck style (well, organized potluck) with everyone bringing an item to share. Items included a gorgeous salad, many cheeses, fresh fruit, gourmet cupcakes in addition to the items below. We shared a picnic area with another group of friends who also brought a fabulous picnic so really we had more options than we knew what to do with!

Antipasto & Caprese Skewers

(Note: All ingredients are from Trader Joe's but similar items can be found at any market.)

1 8oz container ciliegine mozzarella, each piece cut in half (or fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 cherry tomato sized pieces)

24 pieces of salami

1/2 roasted red pepper, approximate

24 kalamata olives, pitted

48 sugar plum (grape) tomatoes

4 basil leaves, approximate

balsamic reduction

Antipasto Skewers

1. Cut red pepper in to bite sized pieces large enough for your skewer.

2. Spear kalamata olive, folded piece of salami, red pepper and mozzarella onto skewer. Repeat for all 24 skewers.

Caprese Skewers

1. Tear or cut basil into appropriate sized pieces for skewers.

2. Spear tomato, basil and mozzarella onto skewer. Repeat for all 24 skewers.

Serve with balsamic reduction (click here for instructions).

Makes 48 skewers

Before

After

Lentil Cashew Pate

(Note: This is a recipe created by my friend Katie. She can be quite the culinary wizard and just made this recipe up as she went. Heathers is known for such lines as "Great pate but I've got to motor if I'm going to be ready for that funeral." so pate was a must have for this event. With a lot of vegetarians in the house, this was an ideal option!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup cashews

1 cup lentils

1 tablespoon lemon juice

rosemary, salt, & pepper, to taste

crackers

apples, sliced

1. Heat olive oil in skillet and saute garlic and onions until lightly browned.

2. Place garlic and onion mixture, cashews, lentils and lemon juice into a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth yet is still retaining texture.

3. Add rosemary, salt & pepper to taste and lightly pulse to mix.

4. Serve with crackers and apple slices.

This event was perfect to use the Steady Sticks! Here is a (slightly overblown) action shot.

We still don't have the Table in a Bag but I am hoping to acquire one soon since they are currently on sale! This is the perfect picnic item for cemetery screenings.

It's Picnic Season!!!!

So it should be obvious by now that I love summer picnic season. Living in LA it is often nice enough to picnic year round but between Hollywood Bowl, Cinespia, and Malibu Wines there are lots of opportunities this time of year. Plus getting a group together to enjoy a fun activity along with your picnic makes it so much more fun!

This past Saturday we kicked off summer with a great evening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for the Cinespia screening of Vertigo. In an effort to keep things simple (and because I love to make food for a group), I assembled much of the base for our picnic with everyone bringing extra items to snack on. One thing I always find at the cemetery screenings - you will never go hungry!

Turkey, Goat Cheese, & Red Pepper Sandwich

(Note: All ingredients are from Trader Joe's but similar items can be found at any market.)

1 Kalamata Olive Loaf (or your favorite bread)

1 8oz Package Roasted Turkey Breast

2oz Goat Cheese (I used 2 1oz Fresh Goat Cheese Medallions)

5oz Roasted Red Peppers (approximate as I used about a 1/2 of a 12oz jar)

1/2 teaspoon Prepared Pesto (approximate)

1 teaspoon Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (approximate)

1. Slice olive loaf in half longways.

2. Spread the inside of both the top and bottom of the loaf with goat cheese.

3. Place entire package of turkey on bottom side of loaf on top of the goat cheese.

4. Place roasted red peppers on top of turkey. You want to create a layer of red pepper.

5. Mix prepared pesto and greek yogurt together. These quantities and ratios are approximate as you should make it to taste.

6. Spread pesto yogurt mixture on top side of the loaf on top of the goat cheese.

7. Close sandwich and cut into desired number of pieces (I cut mine into three pieces).

8. Add toothpicks if you wish to keep sandwich pieces together while moving to your picnic location.

9. I recommend packing in a plastic container to minimize damage but if that is not available wrapping in foil and keeping it at the top of your cooler is the next best option.

Before

After

Three-Melon Mozzarella Salad

This salad is actually from Real Simple so I can't take credit for it. The link to the original recipe is above. I did make a few modifications and they are as follows:

• Subtracted Honeydew (mostly because I am not a fan and it's also not available pre-cut at the market) and Added additional Watermelon and Cantaloupe.

• Substituted Dorot Chopped Frozen Basil (frozen fresh) for the Fresh Basil (I can never go through an entire package of fresh basil before it goes bad!).

Before

After

In addition to the above items, I also picked up the delicious Goat Cheese, Walnut, Red Bell Pepper Salad from Trader Joe's.

And if that still wasn't enough cheese, we also enjoyed Italian Truffle Cheese and what I believe was a Porter Cheese. As I mentioned there was tons more food including dessert (Powerberries) and wine!

Here we are sitting back and enjoying our wonderful picnic!

And a few photos of the film itself!

Can't wait to go back in a couple weeks for one of my favorite films of all time - Heathers!

For more fun picnic ideas, don't forget to check out my previous posts on the Table in a Bag & Steady Sticks!

Product Placement Wednesday - Steady Sticks

Keeping with last week's theme of picnic friendly items (as well as my next post), I am pleased to introduce you to Steady Sticks! Steady Sticks are stainless steel in-ground stakes that hold your wine glass. They are perfect for a picnic or even at the beach (don't forget to use a plastic wine glass like these). I am wishing we would have had them for last week's Cinespia cemetery screening of Vertigo. Let's just say that one of our picnic blankets is going to need a visit from a serious stain remover.

While the site above sells the Steady Sticks, I have found better pricing as follows:

Crate & Barrel - $9.95

Amazon.com - $10.07 (available for Super Saver Shipping)

Also offered on Amazon, is the Steady Sticks holder for your wine bottle. This sells for $10.07 and is available for Super Saver Shipping too.

The best deal is the full set by True Fabrications. It is not officially "Steady Sticks" brand but you get two wine glass holders and the bottle holder. It is available via Amazon.com at is $14.99.

Product Placement Wednesday - Table in a Bag

This week's product is one I have been coveting for years! Just in time to kick off of the summer season this Memorial Day Weekend, it is Crate & Barrel's Table in a Bag.

As implied by the name, this table collapses and fits into an easy to carry bag. Crate & Barrel also offers matching chairs should you be opposed to sitting on the ground. This table is perfect for picnics, taking to the beach, or even a fun alternative to the "kids table" for your little ones. I personally am looking forward to getting one to take with me to the Cinespia summer cemetery movies at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Right now Crate & Barrel is offering the Table in a Bag at a special price of $33.96 (normally $39.95) and is eligible for free home delivery! If anyone is looking to surprise me with an early half birthday gift, this would be a great choice!