Sliders and Salad Sunday Picnic

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I so love a good picnic!  My color theme for today’s picnic is lime green, one of my favorite summertime colors.

The dishes, cutlery, and napkins are all simply dollar store specials! If you are a regular follower to my blog, you will have heard me say before that you don’t need expensive dishes for lovely outdoor dining. Check out your local dollar stores but do so early in the season as these do tend to be items that get snatched up quickly. Unbreakable, these are great picnic basket staples and they are so much more sturdy (and classy) than paper plates.

Even though this table is set for two, it is very easy to prepare this setup for multiple settings.

Glasses are simply Mason jars into which I have placed the napkins and plastic cutlery – a good idea if you are setting the table and it’s a bit breezy – this keeps everything in its place.

I found this lime-green colored beverage and knew it would fit in with one of my summertime picnics! Sometimes I draw my color theme inspiration for a picnic from just one simple item like this drink.

I grow a lot of herbs every summer and, this year, grew several in pots.  This terracotta trio is another dollar store find.  I think they look very Tuscan with their tinge of moss green color that has appeared over the summer as they’ve ‘aged’ out in the weather.  This was all that was needed for a table centerpiece for an impromptu picnic.

I had made a batch of pan rolls and shaped them suitably so they could be used for slider buns for the grilled hamburgers.

I used my new blueberry barbeque sauce on the slider burgers.

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Burgers
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Burgers

These are as tasty as they are colorful!

The menu for today’s picnic was simple and tasty.  Slider cheeseburgers, homemade potato salad, and a green salad. 

I most often mash the potatoes for my potato salad because the salad is easy to scoop and it plates well as the salad stays in perfect mounds on the plate.  However, for casual picnic fare, I often like a slightly more rustic, jagged look to my salad so have cubed the potatoes and eggs. The salad mounds actually stayed in place quite well when plated.

I love slider burgers! Today’s burgers have a lime green lettuce leaf, ADL Cheddar Cheese, fresh Island tomato, a red onion ring, and the usual burger condiments. When adding tomatoes to slider burgers, try to find smaller sized tomatoes so the slices don’t have to be cut or don’t overpower the burger. For sliders, everything should be proportionately balanced.  To dress up the burgers, I’ve topped each burger with a cherry tomato half along with a sprig of oregano from our garden. Sometimes, it doesn’t take a lot to take a burger from plain to dressy!

One of my favorite summertime green salads starts with a mix of salad greens topped with cubed watermelon, fresh PEI high bush blueberries, and red onion rings drizzled with a blueberry vinaigrette.

A colorful and tasty summertime picnic!

Are picnics part of your summer?

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Fresh Greens and Herbs Tablesetting

Late summer is a great time for alfresco dining.  I have pulled this tablesetting together very easily by using a pot of lettuce I had growing and some tiny pots of herbs.

A simple plain pale yellow tablecloth makes a great summery canvas for this tablesetting.  You can never go wrong with basic white dinnerware and white napkins. This is my square set of dishes and the bowls make ideal holders for the little terracotta pots of herbs that I placed at each setting. The herbs add a bright touch of green and tie in with the lettuce centerpiece. Plus, the herbs can be clipped and added to the salad!

Thyme
Thyme

If you are so inclined, you can give each guest a pot of herbs to take home after your dinner party.

Basil
Basil

Floral centerpieces are not always necessary for tablesettings. In this setting, I am using a pot of lettuce and allowing each guest to cut his or her own lettuce and make individual salads. This always makes a great conversation piece and adds some fun to the event. I grow a number of these pots of lettuce over the summer and, if I am short on time or don’t have flowers for a centerpiece, I can always use the makings of the salad course as my table centerpiece!

Lettuce Centerpiece
Lettuce Centerpiece

Don’t forget to include the scissors in the centerpiece so guests can “harvest” the greens for their salads!

A simple and casual summer placesetting.

With casual alfresco dining, it’s easy to mix and match crystal pieces.

And, here’s an overhead view of the table; clean, simple lines with splashes of green for color.

I hope you have enjoyed my fresh greens and herbs tablesetting.  Is alfresco dining a part of your summer?

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Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

With the abundance of local blueberries in season and available locally, I try to maximize my use of them.  So, today, I am introducing my recipe for blueberry barbeque sauce made with high bush blueberries picked at Tryon U-Pick Blueberries in North Tryon, PEI.

High Bush Blueberries
High Bush Blueberries

As well as being tasty, this sauce is a lovely deep rich color.

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

This sauce is very versatile and can be used in the same recipes and on the same foods as any barbeque sauce.  It is particularly good brushed on grilled chicken, pork chops, ribs, and burgers.

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Grilled Chicken Breast
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Grilled Chicken Breast
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Pork Ribs
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Pork Ribs
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Burgers
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce on Burgers

Adding some blueberry balsamic vinegar to the sauce deepens the blueberry flavour. I used a chipotle and lemongrass infused maple syrup to add flavour complexity but plain maple syrup also works well.

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups high-bush blueberries
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup blueberry balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp pineapple juice
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp liquid chicken bouillon
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp pineapple juice

Method:

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes then add garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly to prevent burning, for a further 1-2 minutes.

Add the blueberries, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, chicken bouillon, mustard, lemon juice, and spices. Bring mixture to the boiling point then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

In small bowl, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp pineapple juice until smooth. Add 1-2 tsp of the hot mixture. Stir and add to the hot mixture in the saucepan. Cook, stirring regularly, until mixture is thickened to desired consistency.

Purée sauce till smooth in blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender.

Yield: Apx. 2¼ cups

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce
Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

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Barbeque Sauce

 

Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

Yield: Apx 2 1/4 cups

A tasty barbeque sauce that blends nicely with grilled chicken, pork chops, ribs, and burgers

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup onion, chopped
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups high-bush blueberries
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup blueberry balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp pineapple juice
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp liquid chicken bouillon
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp pineapple juice

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes then add garlic. Sauté, stirring constantly to prevent burning, for a further 1-2 minutes.
  2. Add the blueberries, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, pineapple juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, chicken bouillon, mustard, lemon juice, and spices. Bring mixture to the boiling point then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
  3. In small bowl, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp pineapple juice until smooth. Add 1-2 tsp of the hot mixture. Stir and add to the hot mixture in the saucepan. Cook, stirring regularly, until mixture is thickened to desired consistency.
  4. Purée sauce till smooth in blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender.
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Blueberry Barbeque Sauce

 

Blueberry Buckle

There are so many ways to use blueberries, including an endless stream of desserts.

Blueberry Buckle
Blueberry Buckle

Today, I am featuring Blueberry Buckle using high bush blueberries that I picked at the Tryon Blueberries U-Pick in North Tryon, PEI.

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Blueberry Buckle consists of three parts: A cake base, a sprinkle of fruit, and a streusel topping.  The origin of the name “Blueberry Buckle”  is not definitively known.  However, it seems it may have something to do with the cake base rising up around the blueberries and meeting with the streusel ingredients that, together, form a crumpled or buckled looking appearance on the dessert top. Whether that’s truth or fiction, this is a tasty dessert!

A Blueberry Buckle is very similar to a coffeecake.  It is a dense cake with a moist crumb that can be served either warm or cool (i.e., at room temperature). It can also be served plain, just as it is, with its streusel topping or, alternatively, dressed up with ice cream, whipped cream, and/or drizzled with a sauce. I often serve it with brown sugar sauce or sometimes with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with blueberry sauce, as I have today. I call this blueberry overload! I maximize the use of fresh local blueberries when they are available.

Blueberry Buckle with Vanilla Ice Cream Drizzled with Blueberry Sauce
Blueberry Buckle with Vanilla Ice Cream Drizzled with Blueberry Sauce

While Buckles can be made with other fruits, the most common one is made with blueberries. This dessert also freezes well so it’s a handy one to have on hand in the freezer. When I am using it from its frozen state, I take the buckle out of the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature, then heat it for just a few seconds in the microwave. Tastes like it is fresh from the oven!

[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]

Blueberry Buckle

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter

Cake Batter:

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 extra-large egg
2 tbsp orange juice
¾ tsp vanilla
1½ cup all-purpose flour
2¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
1½ tsp grated orange rind
½ cup milk

2 cups high-bush blueberries

Method:

Grease or line an 8” square pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare the streusel topping by mixing the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat until mixture is smooth.

Add the egg, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and grated orange rind. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture along with the milk in three parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (i.e.,  three additions of the dry ingredients alternated with two additions of milk).

Spread batter in prepared pan.

Sprinkle mixture evening with the blueberries.

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Sprinkle the streusel topping over entire mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Do not overbake as cake will become dry.

Serve plain or add a dollop of ice cream and, if desired, drizzle with blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce
Blueberry Sauce

Yield: 9 servings

Here is my recipe for the blueberry sauce I used over this Blueberry Buckle.

Blueberry Sauce
Blueberry Sauce

Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients:

¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Pinch salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange rind
2 tbsp orange juice
1/3 cup water
2 cups high bush blueberries

1½ tbsp butter
¼ tsp vanilla

Method:

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange rind, orange juice, and water in medium-sized saucepan. Heat to boiling point then add blueberries and reduce heat to medium low. Cook mixture, stirring regularly, until thickened to desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream or pudding. Refrigerate unused sauce.

Yield: Apx. 1¾ cups

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Blueberry Dessert


For other great blueberry desserts from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below.

Blueberry Bread Pudding
Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie
Peach Blueberry Crisp
Mini Blueberry Bundt Cakes
Blueberry Grunt

Blueberry Buckle

An old-fashioned coffeecake-like dessert studded with blueberries and covered with a streusel topping. Best served with vanilla ice cream drizzled with blueberry sauce.
Course Dessert
Keyword blueberries, Blueberry Buckle, blueberry dessert
Servings 9
My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitachen

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter

Cake Batter

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • ¾ tsp vanilla
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • tsp grated orange rind
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 cups high-bush blueberries

Blueberry Sauce

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Pinch salt
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp grated orange rind
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 cups high bush blueberries
  • tbsp butter
  • ¼ tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. Grease or line an 8” square pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Streusel Topping:

  1. Prepare the streusel topping by mixing the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Set aside.

Cake Batter:

  1. In large bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat until mixture is smooth.
  2. Add the egg, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  3. In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and grated orange rind. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture along with the milk in three parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (i.e., three additions of the dry ingredients alternated with two additions of milk).
  4. Spread batter in prepared pan.
  5. Sprinkle mixture evening with the blueberries.
  6. Sprinkle the streusel topping over entire mixture.
  7. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Do not overbake as cake will become dry.
  8. Serve plain or add a dollop of ice cream and, if desired, drizzle with blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce:

  1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange rind, orange juice, and water in medium-sized saucepan. Heat to boiling point then add blueberries and reduce heat to medium low. Cook mixture, stirring regularly, until thickened to desired consistency. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream or pudding. Refrigerate unused sauce.

Recipe Notes

Yield: 9 servings and apx. 1¾ cups blueberry sauce.

 

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Blueberry Buckle

Yield: 9 servings

A moist and flavorful coffeecake-like dessert

Ingredients

  • Streusel Topping
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • Cake Batter
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • ¾ tsp vanilla
  • 1½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp cloves
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1½ tsp grated orange rind
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 cups high-bush blueberries

Instructions

  1. Grease or line an 8” square pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Prepare the streusel topping by mixing the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Set aside.
  3. In large bowl, cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat until mixture is smooth.
  4. Add the egg, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
  5. In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and grated orange rind. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture along with the milk in three parts, starting and ending with the dry ingredients (i.e., three additions of the dry ingredients alternated with two additions of milk).
  6. Spread batter in prepared pan.
  7. Sprinkle mixture evening with the blueberries.
  8. Sprinkle the streusel topping over entire mixture.
  9. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Do not overbake as cake will become dry.
  10. Serve plain or add a dollop of ice cream and, if desired, drizzle with blueberry sauce.
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Blueberry Dessert

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

Raspberry Pie
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s summer berry pie time and that means it’s Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie time!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

As I write this post in August, the raspberries are in full swing on Prince Edward Island so today’s posting is all about raspberries!

I never mind picking raspberries because there is no bending or crouching involved so it’s not hard on the legs or back.

These glorious and perfectly-shaped tasty red berries are versatile and can be used in many ways.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

One of my favorite ways to use raspberries is in a raspberry cream cheese pie.  It’s a cross between a pie and a cheesecake – the best of both worlds.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

This pie is not difficult to make although it does take a bit of time.  It’s also the type of pie that is best eaten the day it is made.  I like to use the real whipping cream for the topping but Cool Whip works just fine, too.  Sometimes, I like to just pipe the whipped cream around the outer edge of the pie because it allows the rich red raspberry filling to show which, of course, doesn’t happen if the entire top of the pie is completely covered in whipped cream.  Alternatively, I sometimes don’t put any whipped cream on the pie top, preferring instead to simply drop a dollop of whipped cream on each pie serving as it is plated.  Any of the three versions works just fine.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
For my pastry recipe, hints, and tips on making pie pastry, click here.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients:

9” baked pie shell

6 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp sugar
1½ tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla

3½ tbsp cornstarch
¾ cup granulated sugar
Dash salt
2½ cups fresh raspberries
3 tbsp pineapple juice
1½ tsp lemon juice
½ tbsp butter

1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp sugar

Method:

In small bowl,  beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over bottom of pie shell. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

In small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together. In medium-sized saucepan, combine the raspberries, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and cornstarch-sugar mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Let mixture cool to room temperature then spread over chilled cream cheese base. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow pie to set.

Beat whipping cream and vanilla until soft peaks form then slowly beat in the sugar. Pipe on to pie in decorative design or, alternatively, completely cover chilled pie with the whipped cream. Refrigerate until use. This pie is best eaten the day it is made. (Note: Cool Whip can be substituted for the whipped cream, if desired.)

Yield: One 9” pie.

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If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.

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You may also enjoy my Traditional Double-crusted Raspberry Pie – click here for the recipe.

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Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

Yield: 1 - 9" pie, apx. 8 servings

A delectable and flavorful raspberry pie with a layer of cream cheese and a topping of whipped cream. Always a showstopper.

Ingredients

  • 9” baked pie shell
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1½ tbsp milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • 3½ tbsp cornstarch
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • Dash salt
  • 2½ cups fresh raspberries
  • 3 tbsp pineapple juice
  • 1½ tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tbsp butter
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

  1. In small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Spread over bottom of pie shell. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
  2. In small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar, and salt together. In medium-sized saucepan, combine the raspberries, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and cornstarch-sugar mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Let mixture cool to room temperature then spread over chilled cream cheese base. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow pie to set.
  3. Beat whipping cream and vanilla until soft peaks form then slowly beat in the sugar. Pipe on to pie in decorative design or, alternatively, completely cover chilled pie with the whipped cream. Refrigerate until use. Pie is best eaten the day it is made. (Note: Cool Whip can be substituted for the whipped cream, if desired.)
  4. [Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
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Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie

 

 

Casual Summer Picnic

 

DSC_0707

 

There are so many options for picnics that can range from very impromptu casual style to more elaborate events.  Today, it was about 30C on Prince Edward Island so the theme for the day was casual….very casual.

I had made a batch of pan rolls yesterday and shaped them into the perfect size and shape for slider sandwiches.  These are so easy to pull together and they are very tasty.  Essentially, for each one, all I used was some black forest ham, a slice of tomato, some JJ Stewart beer mustard sauce, slices of cheddar and havarti cheese, and lettuce from our own garden.

Ham, Cheese, and Tomato Sliders
Ham, Cheese, and Tomato Sliders

 

Of course, a bowl of the quintessential all-time favorite picnic salad – potato salad – provided a great side dish to the sliders and it’s always a hit. Just make sure to keep this salad refrigerated.

Potato Salad
Potato Salad

A tall pitcher of cold, refreshing lemonade proved to be a thirst-quenching drink on this hot afternoon.

Lemonade
Lemonade

Dessert was simply colorful marshmallow squares.  Nice and summery as well as yummy!

Marshmallow Squares
Marshmallow Squares

And, juicy watermelon always goes great on a hot summer day and it adds such a splash of color to the table.

When it is so hot, I like to keep meal prep to the minimum and go with very simplistic foods and ones that can be prepared early in the day and refrigerated until use. This picnic menu is so easy to set up buffet style whether it is for 3-4 people or several more.

While picnics don’t necessarily require table centerpieces, they can take a picnic from mundane to wow with very little effort.  Today, I simply walked to the nearest flowerbed and picked some daisies which, with their yellow centers, fit in with my summery yellow color theme. I think daisies go very well with wicker picnic baskets!

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Potato Salad Recipe

My Island Bistro Kitchen's PEI Potato Salad
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s PEI Potato Salad

One of the most popular salads in PEI in summer is the traditional potato salad.  There are several variations to this salad and, of course, the jury is still out on whether the potatoes should be diced or mashed! While the quantities of ingredients may vary somewhat and certain different seasonings may be added to potato salad, the same basic essential ingredients in most salads will be potato, egg, celery, onion, salad dressing, salt and pepper.  So long as you have these common ingredients, you can make a basic potato salad. Of course, I think PEI potatoes make the best salad (but, then again, I may be just a wee bit biased on that front)!

Potato Salad
Potato Salad

I like to use a combination of homemade and bought salad dressing as I find the flavors play well off each other – I use about 50/50 of each.  However, I have made the salad with just one type of salad dressing and it turned out fine. I also like to add a bit of sour cream, sweet pickle relish, and prepared mustard.  The latter two ingredients give a bit of ‘punch’ to the salad. The key, of course, is not to over-do the addition of any seasonings because the potatoes need to ‘star’ and we don’t want to do anything to detract from their flavor. In summer when I have fresh herbs in the garden, I like to add just a tiny bit of chopped fresh dill and some parsley.

The traditional style of potato salad is to cube/dice the potato and egg as shown in the photo below.

However, my preference is to mash the potato and egg, particularly if I am looking for good plating presentation.  This is because the mashed potato salad fits well into the bowl of an ice cream scoop and, therefore, looks lovely on a plate.  However, if you are looking for a more rustic style potato salad, then the cubed/diced potato style is the way to go. This is purely a personal preference because, let’s face it, if you use the same ingredients, it will all taste the same! All that will be different will be the texture and appearance.

Potato Salad
Potato Salad

As to how much salad dressing to use, this will depend on several factors so the amount I have given in my recipe below is a guide.  For example, the quality of the potatoes (how dry or moist they are), the thickness of the salad dressing, and/or the consistency of the sour cream can all influence how much salad dressing is needed.  As well, you may find that cubing/dicing the potatoes may take a different amount of salad dressing than do mashed potatoes.  Lastly, it is personal preference as to how moist the salad should be.  It should not be ‘soupy’ but there should be enough salad dressing to hold/bind the salad together.  I tend to like my potato salad quite moist. I recommend starting with a good one-half of the salad dressing called for in the recipe and then adding more to reach the consistency you desire.

Plan to make the potato salad several hours ahead of when it is needed. Refrigerate it for at least three hours or more to allow the flavours to blend.

Potato salad is very versatile.  It often is served as a traditional side dish for picnics and barbeques.  It goes great with cold cuts, lobster, grilled pork chops, barbequed chicken, sandwiches of all kinds, and the list goes on. In my household, potato salad always has to accompany a feed of PEI lobster!

Potato Salad Is A Great Picnic Side Dish
Potato Salad Is A Great Picnic Side Dish

The recipe below is my own personal potato salad recipe. I hope you enjoy it.

Potato Salad
Potato Salad
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s PEI Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1½ lbs PEI potatoes
2 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
2½ tbsp onion, finely chopped
⅔ cup salad dressing (apx.)
2 tbsp sour cream
3 tsp. sweet relish
2 tsp. prepared mustard
¼ tsp sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ tsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
1½ tsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Method:

Cook potatoes, skins on, in pot of boiling water just until potatoes are fork tender. Drain. Let potatoes cool enough to handle. Peel. Cube or mash potatoes, as desired, into medium-sized bowl.

Mash or dice eggs. Add to potato.

Add the celery, onion, mustard, sweet relish, sour cream, salad dressing, and sugar.

Note – Add about ½ the salad dressing to start, then continue to add enough salad dressing to reach desired consistency. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Add fresh dill and parsley, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve salad on a bed of lettuce. Refrigerate unused salad immediately.

Yield: 5-6 servings (2 scoops salad per serving)

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Potato Salad

Yield: 5-6 servings (2 scoops per serving)

A moist and tasty potato salad that is the perfect accompaniment to any lobster feed, barbeque, or picnic

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs PEI potatoes
  • 2 hard boiled eggs
  • ¼ cup celery, finely chopped
  • 2½ tbsp onion, finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup salad dressing (apx.)
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 3 tsp. sweet relish
  • 2 tsp. prepared mustard
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ tsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
  • 1½ tsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook potatoes, skins on, in pot of boiling water just until potatoes are fork tender. Drain. Let potatoes cool enough to handle. Peel. Cube or mash potatoes, as desired, into medium-sized bowl.
  2. Mash or dice eggs. Add to potato. Add the celery, onion, mustard, sweet relish, sour cream, salad dressing, and sugar. Note – Add about ½ the salad dressing to start, then continue to add enough salad dressing to reach desired consistency. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add fresh dill and parsley, if desired.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve salad on a bed of lettuce. Refrigerate unused salad immediately.
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Potato Salad

Potato Salad

Food Day Canada 2015: A Tribute to PEI’s Great Foods

The Bistro's Food Day Canada 2015 Menu
The Bistro’s Food Day Canada 2015 Menu

With its beginnings in 2003, Food Day Canada has grown and evolved.  Today, it is a country-wide initiative designed to showcase how a delectable entire meal can be made using Canadian-produced food.  It’s a tangible and visible way to celebrate the wonderful variety of foods produced in Canada and recognize our farmers, fishers, other food producers, chefs and, indeed, those of us who are home cooks bringing locally-produced food to our tables on a regular basis.  I like to use fresh locally-produced food products which have not traveled days to reach us and, at the same time, it gives me the opportunity to put dollars into the hands of local food producers to keep the local food movement alive and sustainable.

Preparing a meal using Canadian food items is no great challenge for me since I use local food products every day of the year.  In summer, our garden is the source of much of the food we eat.  Off season, I patronize my local farmers market in Charlottetown.  We have a number of farmers who grow produce year-round in their greenhouses so it’s great to have that ready source of local, fresh produce.  If you follow my blog regularly, you will have read stories I have written on several PEI food producers.

Living in PEI, I have lots of choices of foods that are representative of the Island.  For my 2015 Food Day Canada menu, I have chosen items from both land and sea and, as a tribute to our Island potato industry, am featuring potato salad, an all-time favorite summertime dish on PEI.  Potato salad is often found at backyard barbeques, picnics, and other summer get-togethers across the Island. You can get my recipe here.

My Island Bistro Kitchen's PEI Potato Salad
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s PEI Potato Salad

So, today, I am happy to share with you the menu I have prepared and photographs of the PEI foods that are on my table for Food Day Canada 2015 along with the sources of the products. This is my version of a typical down home PEI lobster supper.

Food Day Canada Menu 2015
Starter
PEI Mussels steamed in apple juice, garlic, and a medley of fresh herbs
and dipped in melted butter
Fresh Homemade Rolls

Main
PEI Lobster in the Shell
PEI Potato Salad
Green Garden Salad with Cranberry-Pear Vinaigrette

Dessert
Glazed Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream

Wine Pairing
Little Sands White Wine, Rossignol Estate Winery, Little Sands, PEI

Pre-dinner Beverage:
Product and Source: Rhubarb Slush made with rhubarb from our garden

Rhubarb Slush is my latest drink creation and it is my signature drink for summer 2015.  It’s very tasty and refreshing on a hot summer day.  We have a large rhubarb patch and it’s another way to use the rhubarb.

Rhubarb Slush
Rhubarb Slush

Starter
Products & Sources:
Mussels – Prince Edward Aqua Farms Inc., Springbrook, PEI
Butter – Amalgamated Dairies Limited (ADL), Summerside, PEI

Mussels are one of the main products harvested from PEI waters.  While they are used in different ways such as in chowders and even salads, they are most often steamed and eaten right out of the shell, dipped in good PEI hot melted butter.

PEI Mussels
PEI Mussels

Today, I simply steamed the mussels in a small amount of apple juice, some garlic, and a small handful of mixed herbs from my herb garden.  The key to good steamed mussels is to use as little liquid as possible to steam them as too much liquid dilutes their flavor.

PEI Mussels
PEI Mussels

I made a fresh batch of rolls this morning and, with a good slather or ADL butter, they make a lovely accompaniment to the mussels.

Main
Products & Sources:
Lobster – Fished off of Tignish, PEI, and sourced through MR Seafood in Charlottetown, PEI

Butter – Amalgamated Dairies Limited (ADL), Summerside, PEI
Potatoes – Jewell Produce, York, PEI
Lettuce – From my own garden
Tomatoes – Vankampen Greenhouse, Charlottetown, PEI
English Cucumber – Schurman Family Farm, Spring Valley, PEI (these are the absolute best flavored cucumbers I have ever tasted!)

We are truly blessed on PEI to have fine quality lobster.  The lobsters on my table today were fished off the shores of Tignish in the western part of the province.  One of my favorite places to buy fresh seafood is at MR Seafood on Thompson Drive in Charlottetown and that’s where these were purchased. Lobster may be eaten hot or cold. My preference is to eat the lobster meat cold but dipped in melted butter.

PEI Lobster
PEI Lobster

The potatoes that I used to make the potato salad came from Jewell’s Produce in York, PEI, just outside Charlottetown.

My Island Bistro Kitchen's Potato Salad
My Island Bistro Kitchen’s Potato Salad

Our lettuce has been very slow to grow this year but I was able to get enough from the garden to make a green salad for our dinner.


Dessert
Product and Source: Strawberries from the Schofield Farm in Lady Fane, PEI

Strawberries are nearing the end of their season here on PEI but, as a finale to the strawberry season, I am including my glazed strawberry pie for dessert.

Glazed Strawberry Pie
Glazed Strawberry Pie

Wine Pairing
My wine of choice for today is Little Sands White Wine that comes from Rossignol Estate Winery in Little Sands in the Eastern part of PEI. Rossignol is PEI’s oldest winery.  Click here to read the story I previously wrote about my visit to this winery.

So, this is how I am celebrating Food Day Canada 2015.  What Canadian-produced foods are on your table today?

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Thank you for visiting “the Bistro” today.  If you enjoyed this posting , please share it on your social media websites.

Connect with “the Bistro” through the following social media:

Join My Island Bistro Kitchen on Facebook

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