Marian Platt
Celebrate the Fourth with a picnic
Published on Wed, Jun 30, 2010 by Marian PlattRead More Platt
The Fourth of July is almost here again! That noisy robust summer holiday - truly all-American and enjoyed by all, young and old alike.
So many ways America celebrates the Fourth - it simply depends on what part of the country you live. The old-fashioned Yankee Fourth features fresh lobster with corn on the cob and baked beans. In the northeastern states, it is fresh salmon, peas and new potatoes. In the Deep South, it is specialties handed down from generation to generation, such as golden fried chicken with hot corn sticks, fried green tomatoes and watermelon. The Midwest offers barbecued spareribs, chowchow relish and creamy potato salad flavored with bacon.
It is celebrated in a variety of ways - family reunions with hot dogs and homemade ice cream and softball games, wooden boat festivals, pancake breakfasts, patriotic concerts in the park and picnics.
And what better fare for a picnic than chicken. Picnics have been a favorite treat in the summer for me ever since I moved to the Northwest. I have done gourmet picnics with Cornish pasties, pickled asparagus and green beans, stuffed green olives, wedges of assorted cheeses and chocolate-covered strawberries. I have done a picnic "en route" - meaning a stop at the market for sourdough bread, boiled ham, Swiss cheese, fresh fruit and bakery cookies. And I have taken the cast-iron pot and cooked sausage with peppers and served it with big buns. But a favorite always has been chicken - and the most fun one was roasting the chicken at home and taking it wrapped in foil in a basket of herbs from my garden.
GARLIC-HERB ROASTED CHICKEN
Mix together 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons each chopped fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and parsley, 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh sage, salt and black pepper. Rinse 1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken and pat dry. Gently loosen and lift skin from breast and drumsticks with fingers - do not totally detach skin. Rub herb mixture evenly underneath skin. Carefully replace skin. Place chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased wire rack in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan.
Bake in preheated 450-degree oven 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes.
Cover loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
Wrap in foil and pop into a basket filled with herbs and take off for the picnic site.
Be sure to pack a knife for slicing.
Recipe from my files
We call this a PICNIC CHICKEN - with a potato salad and a pot of baked beans, you have an all-American Fourth of July feast.
In a shallow bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 3 tablespoons water. In another shallow bowl, combine 11/2 cups dry bread crumbs (I like Panko), and 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon each dried marjoram, thyme and rosemary, crushed. Divide 1 cup melted butter between two 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pans.
Dip 12 chicken drumsticks and 12 chicken thighs in egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture. Place in prepared pans. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 375-degree oven for 1 hour, turning once. Cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate until chilled.
Serve the cold chicken with this CREAMY LEEK DIP
In small mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, combine 11/2 cups plain yogurt, 1 envelope leek soup mix and 1 cup shredded Colby cheese; fold in whipped cream. Put into covered container and pop into the picnic basket.
Recipe from my files
Finger-lickin' chicken wings are always fun on a picnic - here's a recipe for BURNISHED CHICKEN WINGS.
Combine in a large bowl 1 cup hoisin sauce, 1/2 cup plum sauce, 1/4 cup each soy sauce, dry sherry and rice vinegar, 1/2 cup orange juice, 6 chopped cloves of garlic, and a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced.
Add 4 pounds chicken wings, toss to evenly coat, cover with plastic and marinate in refrigerator overnight.
Lift wings out of marinade, wiping off excess, and place in single layer on rack in roasting pan. Reserve marinade. Roast, uncovered, in preheated 350-degree oven 30 minutes per side, basting with marinade every 15 minutes. Run wings under broiler just to crisp, about 2 minutes per side.
Put into a deep bowl, cover and pack into the picnic basket with lots of paper napkins!
Recipe from "The Totally Picnic Cookbook" by Helene Siegel
Backyard barbecues are the way to celebrate the Fourth for many families - the youngsters might prefer hot dogs, but for those others, try these CITRUS-MARINATED GAME HENS.
Whisk together 11/2 cups orange juice, 1 cup olive oil, 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Split 6 Cornish game hens in half by whacking through the center of breastbone and spine with a heavy knife. Press to flatten, and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
Arrange in a single layer in roast pan and pour on marinade. Cover and marinate at room temperature 4 hours or in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the grill or light the briquettes in the barbecue. When fire is ready, remove from marinade and grill, skin-side down first, about 20 minutes total. To avoid burning, turn hens frequently, until skin is lightly charred.
Recipe from "The Totally Picnic Cookbook" by Helene Siegel
Maybe it is just the two of you taking off to some nice secluded spot in the woods or down by the water with a picnic basket in tow. Here's a CRISPY ONION CHICKEN just for two.
Coat 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each) with 2 tablespoons honey mustard, then roll in 1/2 cup crushed French-fried onions. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
(Use leftover French-fried onions to dress up a green salad or green beans or add them to sour cream for a baked potato topping.
When John Adams signed the Declaration of Independence, he wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the day of the signing "will be the most memorable ... in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other. From this time forward, forevermore."
Let's go for it! Happy Fourth of July!
Copyright. Marian Platt, Sequim, 2010. Reach her at 683-4691 or via e-mail at mlplatt@olypen.com.
So many ways America celebrates the Fourth - it simply depends on what part of the country you live. The old-fashioned Yankee Fourth features fresh lobster with corn on the cob and baked beans. In the northeastern states, it is fresh salmon, peas and new potatoes. In the Deep South, it is specialties handed down from generation to generation, such as golden fried chicken with hot corn sticks, fried green tomatoes and watermelon. The Midwest offers barbecued spareribs, chowchow relish and creamy potato salad flavored with bacon.
It is celebrated in a variety of ways - family reunions with hot dogs and homemade ice cream and softball games, wooden boat festivals, pancake breakfasts, patriotic concerts in the park and picnics.
And what better fare for a picnic than chicken. Picnics have been a favorite treat in the summer for me ever since I moved to the Northwest. I have done gourmet picnics with Cornish pasties, pickled asparagus and green beans, stuffed green olives, wedges of assorted cheeses and chocolate-covered strawberries. I have done a picnic "en route" - meaning a stop at the market for sourdough bread, boiled ham, Swiss cheese, fresh fruit and bakery cookies. And I have taken the cast-iron pot and cooked sausage with peppers and served it with big buns. But a favorite always has been chicken - and the most fun one was roasting the chicken at home and taking it wrapped in foil in a basket of herbs from my garden.
GARLIC-HERB ROASTED CHICKEN
Mix together 3 minced garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons each chopped fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and parsley, 1 teaspoon each chopped fresh sage, salt and black pepper. Rinse 1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken and pat dry. Gently loosen and lift skin from breast and drumsticks with fingers - do not totally detach skin. Rub herb mixture evenly underneath skin. Carefully replace skin. Place chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased wire rack in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan.
Bake in preheated 450-degree oven 30 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes.
Cover loosely with foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
Wrap in foil and pop into a basket filled with herbs and take off for the picnic site.
Be sure to pack a knife for slicing.
Recipe from my files
We call this a PICNIC CHICKEN - with a potato salad and a pot of baked beans, you have an all-American Fourth of July feast.
In a shallow bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 3 tablespoons water. In another shallow bowl, combine 11/2 cups dry bread crumbs (I like Panko), and 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon each dried marjoram, thyme and rosemary, crushed. Divide 1 cup melted butter between two 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pans.
Dip 12 chicken drumsticks and 12 chicken thighs in egg mixture, then coat with crumb mixture. Place in prepared pans. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 375-degree oven for 1 hour, turning once. Cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate until chilled.
Serve the cold chicken with this CREAMY LEEK DIP
In small mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, combine 11/2 cups plain yogurt, 1 envelope leek soup mix and 1 cup shredded Colby cheese; fold in whipped cream. Put into covered container and pop into the picnic basket.
Recipe from my files
Finger-lickin' chicken wings are always fun on a picnic - here's a recipe for BURNISHED CHICKEN WINGS.
Combine in a large bowl 1 cup hoisin sauce, 1/2 cup plum sauce, 1/4 cup each soy sauce, dry sherry and rice vinegar, 1/2 cup orange juice, 6 chopped cloves of garlic, and a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced.
Add 4 pounds chicken wings, toss to evenly coat, cover with plastic and marinate in refrigerator overnight.
Lift wings out of marinade, wiping off excess, and place in single layer on rack in roasting pan. Reserve marinade. Roast, uncovered, in preheated 350-degree oven 30 minutes per side, basting with marinade every 15 minutes. Run wings under broiler just to crisp, about 2 minutes per side.
Put into a deep bowl, cover and pack into the picnic basket with lots of paper napkins!
Recipe from "The Totally Picnic Cookbook" by Helene Siegel
Backyard barbecues are the way to celebrate the Fourth for many families - the youngsters might prefer hot dogs, but for those others, try these CITRUS-MARINATED GAME HENS.
Whisk together 11/2 cups orange juice, 1 cup olive oil, 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Split 6 Cornish game hens in half by whacking through the center of breastbone and spine with a heavy knife. Press to flatten, and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
Arrange in a single layer in roast pan and pour on marinade. Cover and marinate at room temperature 4 hours or in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the grill or light the briquettes in the barbecue. When fire is ready, remove from marinade and grill, skin-side down first, about 20 minutes total. To avoid burning, turn hens frequently, until skin is lightly charred.
Recipe from "The Totally Picnic Cookbook" by Helene Siegel
Maybe it is just the two of you taking off to some nice secluded spot in the woods or down by the water with a picnic basket in tow. Here's a CRISPY ONION CHICKEN just for two.
Coat 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each) with 2 tablespoons honey mustard, then roll in 1/2 cup crushed French-fried onions. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
(Use leftover French-fried onions to dress up a green salad or green beans or add them to sour cream for a baked potato topping.
When John Adams signed the Declaration of Independence, he wrote to his wife, Abigail, that the day of the signing "will be the most memorable ... in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other. From this time forward, forevermore."
Let's go for it! Happy Fourth of July!
Copyright. Marian Platt, Sequim, 2010. Reach her at 683-4691 or via e-mail at mlplatt@olypen.com.
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