|
The Pleasures Of Picnics by Nava Atlas
|
|
Savory Samplings Marinated Wild Rice With Mushrooms Zucchini, Red Onion, And Feta Tartlets Beet, Cucumber, And Orange Salad Nice Additions: Note: This menu contains eggs and dairy products.
Picnic Tips From Nava
About The Author Nava Atlas is the author and illustrator of more than eight vegetarian cookbooks. The best known are Vegetariana, Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons, Vegetarian Express and Vegetarian Celebrations. Her recent cookbooks include The Vegetarian Family Cookbook (2004), and The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet (2001). Her articles on healthy cooking with natural foods have appeared in Vegetarian Times, Veggie Life, Great Life, and other natural health magazines and newspaper features.In addition to her website In A
Vegetarian Kitchen www.vegkitchen.com/
, Nava has recently added Rediscovering Ritual www.rediscovering Nava has also written humor and is active as a fine artist. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums around the country. She enjoys exploring, hiking, reading, daydreaming, the ocean and chocolate. Her home is in the Hudson Valley region of New York State, where she lives with her husband and two school-aged sons. Ed. Note: For more wonderful vegetarian recipes and healthy lifestyle suggestions, visit Nava Atlas's websites:
|
Sometime
around mid-May, when the lilacs are in bloom, I get the urge to pack a delicious lunch and
head for a spot with a breathtaking view. After having lived in New York City for
some years, I nearly forgot how much fun picnics could be. But once I moved to a
more rural region I rediscovered this pastime with great pleasure. Food always tastes better alfresco (in the outdoors), especially when accompanied by the intoxicatingly scented air of late spring and early summer and enhanced by a lovely vista. I feel luck to live in a region full of stunning picnic spots within an hour of home. Don't just pack your basket and head for the nearest crowded park or beach -- consider where you are headed as carefully as you plan the picnic meal itself. Delve into your surroundings -- is there a rushing stream you'd like to sit by, a meadow of rolling lawns, a spread of sand dunes, or a historic home? A perfect spot adds much to the enjoyment of a picnic; the experience is transformed from merely eating lunch outdoors to a revitalization of the spirit and an awakening of all the senses. Ed. Note: For more wonderful vegetarian recipes and healthy lifestyle suggestions, visit Nava Atlas's websites:
MARINATED
WILD RICE WITH MUSHROOMS 1 vegetable bouillon cube *Note: Optional salt not included in nutritional analysis Combine 3 cups of water and the bouillon cube in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the wild and brown rice and return to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let the rice cool to room temperature. Trim the tough stems off the shiitakes, if using. Slice the shiitakes or porcinis into narrow strips. Heat a nonstick skillet. Combine the wild and white mushrooms in the skillet, cover, and "sweat" them over moderate heat until just wilted. Combine in a large mixing bowl with the cooked, cooled rice and all the remaining ingredients. Cover and marinate for 2 hours or so before serving. If making this ahead, marinate in the refrigerator, then take out about an hour before serving to bring to room temperature. Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving (w/o additional salt to taste): 258 Cal; 8 g Total Fat; 38 g Carb; 97 mg Sodium; 7 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 1 Veg; 2 Fat. 1/4 cup walnut, hazelnut or unrefined peanut
oil Combine all the ingredients in a cruet and shake well. Shake well before each use. Makes about 3/4 Cup. Per (2 tsp) Serving: 55 Cal; 5 g Total Fat; 00 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 16 mg Sodium; 00 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Fat.
ZUCCHINI, RED ONION, AND FETA TARTLETS 1 Tbsp canola oil Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the red onion and sauté over moderate heat until golden. Stir in the grated zucchini and dried herbs and add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to moisten. Cook, covered, until the zucchini is wilted but still somewhat crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs together with the milk. Stir in the feta cheese, cornmeal, and the onion-zucchini mixture. Season to taste with pepper. Line 12 muffin tins with aluminum muffin-tin liners. Divide the mixture among the 12 tins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Let cool to room temperature, then pack in a wide, shallow plastic container to transport for a picnic. If making ahead of time, refrigerate, covered, after cooling, then bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 12 Tartlets. Per (2 Tartlet) Serving: 82 Cal; 4 g Total Fat; 4 g Carb; 79 mg Cholesterol; 139 mg Sodium; 5 g Protein. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Medium-Fat Meat; 1 Fat.
BEET,
CUCUMBER, AND ORANGE SALAD 4 to 5 medium fresh beets, rinsed and cooked
or *Optional salt, or salt to taste, is NOT included in nutritional analysis Peel the cooked beets, then quarter them and slice them about 1/8-inch thick. Combine them in a mixing bowl with the cucumber, orange, and herbs. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, honey, and horseradish and mix well. Pour over the beet mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pack in a tightly lidded container and chill until needed. Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving: 49 Cal; 00 g Total Fat; 11 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 20 mg Sodium (w/o optional salt); 1 g Protein. Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 1 Veg.
FIG BARS Dough: 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour Filling: 12 ounces black (mission) figs Combine the first 3 ingredients in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, cream the margarine and sugar. Beat in the egg until the mixture is smooth. Combine the 2 mixtures and work together with hands. Sprinkle in enough water (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) so that the mixture holds together as a soft dough. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, combine the ingredients for the filling in the container of a food processor. Process until finely ground. Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. On a well-floured board, roll each out into a rectangular shape to fit a 9- x 13-inch baking pan. Oil and flour the bottom of the pan, then fit one of the dough rectangles into the bottom and trim the sides. With the help of a cake spatula, spread the filling evenly over it. Cover with the remaining dough rectangle and trim. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden. Let cool and cut into 24 2-inch-square pieces. You may, if you'd like, cut smaller pieces. To transport, pack in a tightly lidded flat plastic container. Makes 24 Bars. Per Bar: 116 Cal; 3 g Total Fat; 20 g Carb; 9 mg Cholesterol; 82 mg Sodium; 2 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Fat.
|
