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dr.com Father's Day Picnic - June 21, 2015, Noon to 5pm


Ilaine

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I'm late to this discussion, but I figured I might as well chime in on why I don't go to these very often and why I don't even bother reading these threads on a timely basis anymore (I generally catch up after the fact).  The location is impossible for me.  I have two states - walking and travelling.  If I am going to drive that far out of the city, I am going to be staying the night, and there are no campgrounds there.  If I'm travelling, I plan stops in the suburbs en route to other things, but to attend a picnic in far flung Alexandria, I would have to write off the entire day and make JLock drive for much of his - that is some major family political capital that I can't usually afford.

Although I would love to see one of these in the city, those who generally plan and attend have never really suggested it or seemed that amenable to it, and I don't have the time to take another event planning task on myself, so I just sit out this one.  I'm always there in spirit though and love running into y'all when you venture into the city.

If people in DC want to come, I'd be glad to arrange transport, to and from the picnic, from a Metro stop.

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Very appreciated, Don.  But for us, it is really about the transportation buy in time.  We aren't going to spend two or more hours travelling to get there.  I know that may be selfish, but it is how we have structured our lives.  Arrowine's move to the city gave us our final freedom from frequent suburban trips, and now that is just how we roll.  I'm not asking anyone to change the location for us at all.  I'm just explaining because I wouldn't want anyone to think that we aren't going because we don't enjoy them or don't like the people.  It is just easier for us to run into people around here, and lucky for us, most of you turn up in these parts occasionally.

(And, for newbies, he really does mean it.  Nobody should sit out because they can't find a ride.  This is a great community, and someone is sure to be heading in the same direction and would love to meet a new member).

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lackadasai: I think your idea of a location for a get together in DC is a great idea.  I know we have talked about 10 years of DonRockwell, maybe someone with a house/yard or community room would chime in and we could arrange another potluck get together at another time in the summer for that, maybe a later summer bbq or something.  I would be more than open to something like that!  I think all the comments are nice just to know what people's thoughts are and see what we can do for the future.    

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Ok, time to start the list . . . . who's coming and what are you bringing?  This is what we have so far . . . . please update status.

Daniel K +3

Thistle - random leftover picnic stuff

Eric Reid +1 - beer and something good

astrid +1 - cherry whiskey

Ktmoomau +1

golden ticket

PollyG - propane camp stove

Ilaine +3 or more - will see if we can fit Weber in SUV, if so, will grill vegetables and burgers

We will need water and ice.

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I'm in (first timer).  Need to visit the store today so see what I am bringing.  I will bring beer and possibly a large cooler with ice (how many pounds are needed?)  I'll know about the cooler tomorrow as I need to borrow it from my company.

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I purchased two slabs of Alaskan Sockeye salmon so home cured gravlax is on the menu.  I also will be able obtain a large cooler so I will bring ice.  Should I get 50 pounds or more?  Let me know.  Also I could stop by and pick up a grill from a participant if it's not too far from my trip from Gaithersburg.

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The soothsayers predict that Sunday will be hot, and possibly rainy, although weather is always subject to change.  If so, grilling will be problematic.  accordingly, I am revising what we are bringing to devilled eggs, caprese (assuming we can find good tomatoes) and something veg, depending on what's in the CSA bag.

Daniel K +3 = cooler of ice water, some beer, and a veggie dish

Thistle - random leftover picnic stuff

Eric Reid +1 - beer and something good

astrid +1 - cherry whiskey

Ktmoomau +1 pepperoni rolls and side dish

golden ticket

PollyG - propane camp stove

Ilaine +3 "“ beer, wine, devilled eggs, caprese, and something veg

22209 +1 "“ Thai sticky rice and mango

StarStraf +1

squidsdc "“ maybe

pjnewman "“ gravlax and ice

If it's hot, lots of ice is a Good Thing.  We usually have too much ice but too much ice is better than not enough ice.

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A possible change in plans.  I was running errands this morning when my Hummer H2 failed to start.  It has since been towed to a auto shop but the cooler I intended to bring (42" interior length) was meant for the Hummer and not my other car (Porsche 911).  I do have the cooler available so If someone near Gaithersburg could pick it up, that would be an option.  Otherwise I can see how much ice I can get in smaller coolers (I suspect not more than 20 pounds at most) and would be happy to bring that.  I probably won't know until Friday figuring that parts for the Hummer need to be ordered and nothing ever turns out as easy as one would hope for.  Sorry for the inconvenience. I am still in.

 - Paul

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I will definitely bring a rhubarb based dessert, in addition to cherry whisky. Still pondering about savories - noodles with mentaiko and ramp pesto?

Also, I can't help but wonder if the reason people don't come to events like these is that they just don't know they exist, since events get posted in the Events and Gatherings subforum, with no visibility to those who just view the main DC restaurant subforum. I'd venture a guess that putting a temporary sticky at the top of the DC forum that links to this thread (or to a thread for something like the Amoo's dinner) would increase attendance at these events, at least somewhat.

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Noon to 5p is our usual picnic time.

Didn't get enough quantity of any items in my CSA bag this week, so changing the "veggie dish" to a shrimp salad of some kind, and some Chai Spice cookies. Still bringing the cooler of water and beer.

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I will have a plus two, a friend who just moved back to DC and her boyfriend, so potential new members! Don't know what they are bringing.  And I am editing again.  I have to make a dessert for Saturday night, so I will just make two of whatever I make.  So Pepperoni rolls, dessert and side dish of some sort- maybe a white bean and fennel dip with crackers.

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Star, hope your Grandma has an uneventful stay at the hospital & feels better soon- I'm sorry I have not checked in earlier, but things are crazy around here. However, the smoker is fired up & I will be bringing bbq, slaw, ribs, & pound cake, & arriving early w/ all the flotsam & jetsam (tablecloths, plates, flatware) from previous picnics. I'm just bummed that my DH came into town for a conference (he's doing a Germany tour), but flies out tonight, before the picnic & Father's Day- he did get bbq I made last weekend & ribs. I plan on drafting Lizzy & a friend to arrive 11:30ish & start setting up. I'm looking forward to seeing familiar friends & new faces, & having a lovely picnic in the park.

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Coming with +2, and possibly our pair of poodles plus the foster.  Bringing homemade ginger ale and cooking Korean-style pork belly on site.  I will also bring a small quantity of dog treats; we dehydrate our own.  There will be an extra burner on the propane camp stove available if you can deal with the pork belly splatter from the adjoining burner.

Turned out I didn't have the shrimp I thought I had in the freezer, and this way I can actually eat some of what I make!

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I'll also be bringing a camp stove, & a cooler w/ seltzer, beer, & kombucha- if anyone has ever made kombucha, you'll know it's like zucchini for a gardener-once you start it, pretty soon you are overwhelmed by an abundance...

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& just to encourage anyone who's on the fence, pick up a 6-pack or a bag of cookies & go to Ft. Hunt Park-it's going to be hot & muggy & Father's Day-but what else do you have to do? Some of us will be there, w/ food & drink- these are among my best memories of this group, the picnics, even (& especially) the last minute ones, that I didn't plan on attending...if you come early, you can help me unload...

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Well the electricity flickered a bit but stayed on long enough for me to finish my broccoli pesto pasta salad. Most likely the +1 will not come, which means wonders did cease. LOL. Which also means I'll be driving by myself. Seems like such a waste--is there anyone who needs a ride that I might pick up en route? (I'm coming from Silver Spring)

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A case of (good) beer is chilling in the cooler.

A case of water is in the fridge ready to go in the cooler.

Also in the fridge is the Greek Shrimp & Feta Salad, a farm-fresh garden salad, and the dough for the Iced Chai Spice cookies which will get baked in the morning.

Also being baked in the morning is Slutty Brownies. Don't ask.

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pjnewman, if you are not feeling well, stay home!  I will add a big icechest with ice to my list.

  • Deviled eggs
  • Caprese
  • Shrimp remoulade
  • Beer
  • Decided that it's too hot for wine
  • Speaking of which, whoever puts together the next spring picnic, May, not June. Too darned hot.
  • But at least the rain seems to have moved on
  • See y'all there!

Still sleepy, I just poured milk into my husband's tea instead of my coffee.

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It was another great picnic :)  All of the food and company were awesome.  Even the heat wasn't too bad, though I agree we should try for May or April next spring.  I'd particularly love to have the recipes for the remoulade, noodles w/ mentaiko & ramp pesto, Greek shrimp & feta salad, oh and the raspberry/lime?/mint? drink :)

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The black raspberry limeade with mint was an impromptu recipe.  I had an excess of limes (thanks Great Wall's 10 limes for a buck deal) and some fresh black raspberries (from Larriland Farm) in the fridge that I wanted to use up.  For the 1/2 gallon pitcher, I used the juice of 10 limes, about 1 pint of black raspberries, a generous handful of mint, and about 1.5 cups of turbinado sugar.  I started by food processing the mint with sugar, then added the raspberries to the food processor.

My pitcher came with a steeping filter attachment, so I put the raspberry/mint/sugar mixture in the filter and then filled up the pitcher with water. Then I added the lime juice and added a bit honey to adjust the sweetness, and let it steep for a couple hours in the fridge.  Then I removed the filter with mint and raspberry fragments.  But you can definitely just let the full mixture steep and then run it through a coffee filter or a couple layers of cheese cloth.

The noodles with mentaiko and ramp pesto is really easy, just gather the ingredients and toss.  The only tricky thing is gathering the ingredients.

Ramp pesto is just ramp leaves with grapeseed oil or olive oil, blended until smooth and frozen for later use. You can use green garlic or garlic scape to make the pesto.  Or even use commercial basil pesto, but the flavor will be different.  If you want to make it from scratch right now, garlic scape is still available in farmer's markets and would be your best bet.  Or maybe making a version with arugula and some garlic cloves.

This is the noodle that I used - Costco has them in stock irregularly at about half the price on Amazon.  I just boil it in salty water and let it cool.

Mentaiko is available at most larger Asian supermarkets in the area in their frozen food aisle, in the Japanese section.  You thaw it a little bit, then peel the membrane outside of the roes, then mix with about 2/3 as much pesto, some fine citrus zest, and juice of a lime or lemon to make the sauce for the noodle.  Then just toss with noodles and eat.

I also added some roasted king oyster mushrooms to noodles.  That's just a couple king oyster mushrooms from an Asian supermarket, roasted whole at 375 F for 45 minutes, cooled and then roughly chopped, then added to the noodle sauce mix.  Roasted king oyster mushroom is also great when tossed with some rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and a bit of chives or green onion.

My favorite use of Mentaiko is actually a warm butter-based noodle.  Just thaw and peel some mentaiko, add a generous knob of softened butter and juice of a lime/lemon, then toss with warm noodles and finish with some shredded toasted nori to soak up the excess sauce.

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The rhubarb crumble I made is chopped fresh rhubarb with some sugar and cook in the oven at 325 for an hour, drain the excess liquids and then cook for another 30 minutes.  Then top with a mix of sugar/butter/flour topping and cook at 375 for another 20 minutes or so until the top is light brown.

The cherry whisky is made with sour cherries, Seagram 7 whiskey, and a few spoonful of plain sugar.  Let it sit at room temperature in a cupboard for at least 1 month before drinking.  The cherries are also tasty.

The pickled cherries are made with sweet cherries, a few spoonful of sugar, a few sprigs of rosemary (two 5-inch sprigs is probably enough for a quart), a teaspoon of black peppercorn, and cover with white vinegar.  Put in a dark cupboard for at least 6 weeks before eating.

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For those curious about the ginger ale:  http://byo.com/grains/item/1255-pop-art-brewing-excellent-soda.   The recipe I wrote up there is for 5 gallons; I used my smaller 3 gallon keg and went with 2 cups of sugar, 16 oz of honey, and omitted the dried ginger because I wasn't sure if we would have small kids.  With younger kids, you need to reduce the "bite" of the soda.

I regret not tasting the cherry whiskey; I meant to but it was so darned hot my brain was not working quite right.

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Greek Shrimp and Feta Salad (recipe calls for serving warm, but I thought it went great cold!)

Slutty Brownies (we replaced the chocolate chip cookie dough layer with cake mix chocolate chip cookies)

Frosted Chai Spice Snickerdoodles

Thanks for the recipes (they were all awesome, definitely going to make the shrimp and feta salad very soon) and for resolving a minor mystery between +1 and me - I thought the cookies were snickdoodles and +1 thought they were a Chai cookie - I guess we're both right!

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I thought Fort Hunt was a really nice location with nice amenities, though I can see how it's just too remote for many people.

I like Katelin's idea of trying out a potluck in a condo/apartment party room. I think my condo building (a block from Virginia Square on the Orange Line) rents out its community room as well, though it's not as nicely appointed as those in newer buildings and we don't have grills.  If anyone lives in a building with grills, that would be even nicer.

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I thought Fort Hunt was a really nice location with nice amenities, though I can see how it's just too remote for many people.

I like Katelin's idea of trying out a potluck in a condo/apartment party room. I think my condo building (a block from Virginia Square on the Orange Line) rents out its community room as well, though it's not as nicely appointed as those in newer buildings and we don't have grills.  If anyone lives in a building with grills, that would be even nicer.

Maybe we could try this for a fall picnic, no my place doesn't have a grill :(  We do have a range/oven and fridge in the room.  If someone had a place with a grill that would be amazing.

My recipes were: https://food52.com/recipes/34816-the-smitten-kitchen-s-caramel-cake For the Cake

And for the pepperoni rolls, I use a loose version of the fourth recipe down on this site:http://www.bobheffner.com/pepperoniroll/recipes.htm 

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Remoulade from Chef John Folse, via the Gumbo Pages, a wonderful source for all things Louisiana:

Chef John Folse's Shrimp Remoulade

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy-duty mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Creole mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (Chef Folse likes Louisiana Gold, but Tabasco will do)
  • 1/2 cup finely diced green onions
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • 3 dozen 21-25 count boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a mixing bowl, combine all of the above ingredients, whisking well to incorporate the seasonings. Once blended, cover and place in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. A minimum of four hours will be required for flavor to be developed. When ready, remove from refrigerator and adjust seasonings to taste. Place six shrimp on a leaf of romaine or other colored lettuce and spoon a generous serving of remoulade sauce on top of the shrimp. Do not sauce shrimp prior to service, as they will lose their firm texture. Serves 6.

What I actually did: 1 1/2 cups Hellmans, three tablespoons Pommery Moutarde de Meaux Royale, three bunches green onions, white and light green only, one stalk celery, half a bunch flat parsley, leaves only, six cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp Tabasco, too much lemon juice, teaspoon horseradish, dash Worcestershire, salt to taste. Grind in food processor using pulsing.  In retrospect I would have added less lemon juice, maybe more Worcestershire, maybe ketchup.  Many remoulade sauces have ketchup.

Wish we finished this off (and the deviled eggs) before the power went out.  Dominion not promising restoration before midnight, which will be more than 24 hours without power.  I don't trust mayo that long without a really cold fridge.

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Sorry to hear you lost power, Ilaine.

It was great to see all who came out! Thanks to Ilaine for stepping up to take the lead, and to DanielK for ride sharing!

Can't wait to try out the Thai Chai Snickerdoodles, and am anxiously awaiting the recipe for the North Carolina pulled pork...

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