Dining alfresco

Everyday Kitchen -

The romance of eating under the sun or stars wanes quickly when you plop a middle-aged behind on a lumpy blanket and confront the reality of sharing ham and cheese sandwiches with assorted vermin who also enjoy a bit of alfresco dining. So all of you who swoon at the idea of pitching a tent and firing up the Coleman stove have my admiration, but I probably won't be joining you if that's how you plan to celebrate the upcoming July 1 holiday.

Picnics charm me when they include good food, relatively civilized surroundings, a table and chair of some kind, and cutlery. A proper glass doesn't go astray either.

So now you know, the boldness of my yard is as satisfying as any campsite. How fortunate that these recipes are equally delicious in the camper at some national park or in a gravel pit, on a blanket in the back yard, or at your patio table accompanied by a chilled watermelon martini - you decide how rustic your surroundings should be for maximum enjoyment.

One more thing, use ice packs liberally when packing food for the road - eating alfresco is rustic enough; using the bathroom that way is pushing it.

Curried chicken picnic sandwiches

Let folks decide whether to heap this heavenly crunchy, sweet, mildly spicy mixture on a roll or pita, or eat it just like it is as a salad. If you prefer to prepare the sandwiches in advance butter both sides of whatever bread you use to prevent sogginess. For the ultimate in freshness bring the chicken mixture in one container and the dressing in another and combine just before serving. If that's your plan be sure to toss the apple in a little lemon juice to keep it from turning brown.

One of those grocery store rotisserie chickens is perfect for this, but a couple of chicken breasts would do the job, or leftover chicken from dinner last night. In a pinch you can even use a large can of chicken chunks. This mixture makes six generous servings.

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1 large green apple, finely chopped

1/2 cup currants or raisins

2 large stalks celery, finely chopped

2 green onions, finely chopped

1/3 cup toasted cashews or peanuts

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. curry powder (preferably hot, more or less to taste)

1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (optional)

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

6 large rolls or pitas or 12 slices hearty bread

Combine chicken, apple, currants, celery, onions, and nuts. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, honey, curry powder, ginger, and pepper and stir gently into chicken mixture. Mayonnaise usually adds plenty of salt but depending on how well seasoned your chicken is you might need more, so be sure to taste. Line rolls, pitas or bread with lettuce leaves and pile on the filling.

Picnic picnic ham

What better to serve on a picnic than picnic ham? It's perfect because you can eat it as is or with salads or finger foods, or pile it on sandwiches. It tastes great hot or cold and goes with absolutely everything.

Bone in ham always tastes better but I admit the rolled packaged kind is more convenient. The choice is yours.

1 large picnic ham, preferably bone in, skin on

1 large onion, quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole

2 bay leaves

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 tbsp. maple, corn or pancake syrup

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. Dijon or grainy mustard

1 tbsp. cider or wine vinegar

pinch each cinnamon and allspice

Cover ham in cold water in a large boiler and add onion, garlic and bay leaves. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until a skewer or thin-bladed knife inserted into the middle comes out hot.

My mom taught me to touch it to my lip as a temperature gauge but if you're a bit nervous use your fingers-you'll know when it's hot through. Remove from water but reserve that for pea soup tomorrow.

Cut off and discard the thick brown ham skin. Combine brown sugar, syrup, flour, mustard, vinegar, cinnamon, and allspice and spread all over ham.

Lay in a foil-lined roaster and bake at 350 F until you have a rich brown crust and internal temperature is about 160 F - an hour or so. Baste with the glaze occasionally. Allow to rest at least 15 minutes then slice the meat from the bone. (Save that for the pea soup, too.) Stack the slices and wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until picnic time. Serve with any salad you like -the pasta salad coming up is particularly good - or on top of bread and butter with spicy mustard and cheese.

Picnic pasta salsa salad

Hotness is decided by the salsa you choose - I like it blistering to add oomph to otherwise bland pasta. This goes with any sandwiches or cold meat at a Sunday afternoon outdoor buffet, and will still taste great Monday in a brown-bag office lunch.

To make a whole meal on a plate add any cooked meat - chunks of hot sausage would be particularly good. This mixture is enough for eight nice servings or up to 12 more modest side servings.

2 cups uncooked penne or pasta shells

1/2 cup chunky salsa

2 tbsp. lime or lemon juice

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 small can kernel corn, drained

1 to 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup canned black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and well drained

1/2 cup green or black olives, quartered or coarsely chopped

1/2 cup ranch dressing (light is fine)

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley

Cook pasta according to package instructions-use a good handful of salt in the water. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. While pasta is still hot stir in salsa and lime juice. Chill at least to room temperature then add remaining ingredients. If mixture is too dry stir in cooking water, a little at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. Pasta salads always dry out as they stand, so if I'm packing for a road trip I always make it a little looser than it should be when served. For bolder flavour use more salsa instead of water to loosen the mixture.

Cynthia Stone is a writer, editor and teacher in St. John's. Questions may be sent to her c/o The Telegram, P.O. Box 5970, St. John's, NL, A1C 5X7.