Happy Birthday, Canada!
On PEI, Canada Day heralds the true beginning of the summer season. Once Canada Day celebrations are underway, Islanders are in summer mode.
Once again, this year, we are celebrating Canada Day with a picnic. I have chosen a beach location on the Island’s south shore. Beaches on the south side of the PEI commonly have more red sand than those on the north side which tend to have sand in a more pale pink color.
Picnics are a great way to engage in casual dining. However, that doesn’t mean a pleasing setting can’t happen.
In honor of the colors of the Canadian flag, I have chosen a red and white theme for today’s picnic. Yes, my choice of foods is even red!
On today’s picnic menu:
- Lobster rolls featuring PEI lobster mixed with pineapple and avocado complimented by a citrus aioli
- Sides of creamy coleslaw and potato chips
- Rhubarb and strawberry hand pies
I love my antique picnic basket with its red and white gingham liner. A red and white checked cloth sets the stage for the picnic lunch.
One of the things I like to do in preparation for a picnic is to wrap the utensils and drinking straws inside the napkins and place them in the glasses. They are quick and easy to pull out of the picnic basket and I’m sure not to forget utensils and napkins when I do this prep work before leaving the house.
Non-breakable dinnerware has come a long way. The white plates have the china look but are really just lightweight, unbreakable dinnerware from a dollar store. Regardless the venue, food always looks appetizing on white plates.
While I normally like my lobster rolls with little else but the lobster and mayonnaise and maybe some celery, I did jazz these up a bit. I added pineapple and avocado and used a citrus aioli to hold the ingredients together.
The rolls came from Mary’s Bake Shoppe in Kensington, PEI. For these rolls, I wanted ones that would hold together and had a nice texture and flavour. These certainly met the challenge on that front. I sprinkled each roll with a few sprigs of microgreens we’ve been growing along with some fresh chives from our herb garden. A tasty coleslaw and some potato chips rounded out the main course.
For dessert, I was looking for something that was easily portable and tasty.
Hand pies are a common picnic food because they hold together and pack well and you don’t need plates or utensils for them. These tasty treats combine two complimentary flavors – rhubarb and strawberry – encased in a flaky pastry. Add some fresh fruit, such as apples, and your favorite beverage, and the picnic fare is complete.
And this was the view from our dining spot on the beach.
Better eat our lobster rolls before these guys decide to fly on over and join us for our picnic!
I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse into our Canada Day picnic in PEI.
