Spring Picnic 2008 - May 18th

[goldenticket]

I thought about trying to bring a version of these but I am worried they won't travel well. Thoughts?

Go for it - the recipe says you can freeze them, so they should be fine! Maybe bring them in a foil pan so they can just be tossed on the grill to warm them up on if needed.

They remind me of those little numbers that are a mayonnaise/parmesan cheese on white bread rounds that are thrown under the broiler to brown.

Will be contributing about four pounds of fresh, marinated Chorizo.

Looks like Tweaked might have competition in the succulent sausage category

[goldenticket]

Appetizers, snacks, finger food

Al Dente - cheese and crackers

Goldenticket (+1) - Assorted dips, veggies, etc.

Gubeen - Gravlax

Scott Johnston - deviled eggs, pickles

SeanMike - wings

Sparkycom (+3) - Spring Rolls (chicken, shrimp)

StephenB - deviled eggs, pickles

Sides/Salads

Antonio Burrell (+3) - pork pate

cucas87 - Mojito Salad, Thai Beef Salad

Goldenticket - Cole slaw, some sort of Grain (Quinoa, Wheatberrry) or Pasta salad

Hillvalley - Roasted asparagus w/vinaigrette

legant (+5) - baked beans, Vegetarian side

lperry - Salad

LuvTeddyBears8 (+1) - Chinese noodle dish

Pat (+1) - potato salad, bread

SeanMike - Asparagus

Soup (+3) - jellyfish salad in mustard sauce

thistle (+4) - rice and/or bean salad

Hexerei (+1) - rolls

Main course

1. meat/fish

Antonio Burrell (+3) - Fried Chicken

agm + NotQuickDraw (+1) - Pig

Bbq4me - Taco Bar

Fermenteverything (+1) - 3 lbs. home cured bacon

Ilaine (+3) - piglet

jparrott - ham

Walrus + Tripewriter - Cincinnati turkey chili

2. vegetarian/vegan

brettashley01 - Vegetarian frittata

Scott Johnston - Vegan veggie torte

ol_ironstomach - Ostrich Egg...something

nashman1975 - sweet potato salad

Desserts/sweets

bookluvingbabe + BLBaby - mango strawberry pie

DanielK (+3) - Lemon bars

goodeats (+2) - chocolate chip cookies and apple pie

Legant - 2 desserts (1 gluten free)

MelGold - (The famous) Mango Mold

NCPinDC - fruit, brownies, maybe cupcakes

nashman1975 (+1) - fudgeful peanut butter bars and caramel brownie

Sparkycom- TBD

Walrus - cupcakes

Beverages

Water – Tripewriter, Jparrott, ol_ironstomach, ScottJohnston, Legant

Non-Alcoholic- Thistle, DanielK, Jparrott, Legant, Hexerei

Wine/Beer – Jparrott, fermenteverything, thistle, ScottJohnston, Fermenteverything, JPW/Nutty Buddy

Misc. - Rosemary Fizz - Sparkycom

All who wish to contribute to the Cellar Share - bring something nice/interesting to share!

Misc. thistle - Campchef stove

ol_ironstomach - camp stove and griddle

Attending (maybes are italicized) but haven't decided what to bring

Ferhat Yalcin (+1)

MBK

Nutty Buddy + JPW + Peanut

[bookluvingbabe]

I picked up a mango strawberry pie at the Amish market-- unfortunately there is no ingredient list so it is not allergy friendly. So sorry for that!!!

I am tucking grown up sunscreen and baby sunscreen in my bag.

Are bugs an issue? I think I have kid friendly bug spray I can bring too.

[lperry]

I'm going to try to come and will probably bring some sort of salad since it seems to be the category that is lacking. I have very little excuse since I live 3/4 of a mile from the park and can walk to it. The only possible problems involve my current move into a new house and scheduling with those guys (they really wait until the last minute!). So I'll be italicized as a probable maybe.

Bookluvingbabe - I run at Ft Ward park all the time, and it is very shady, and because of all the rain, is now very damp. I think the bug spray might be more important than the sunscreen.

[Al Dente]

I think I'm going to take the easy way out and pick up some cheese and crackerage. My time has been really limited this past week, so I didn't get around to preppin' the 40 lbs of foie gras I harvested this week from my pet goose.

I refuse, however, to bring water. I plan to subsist on nothing but Yoo-Hoo all day.

Looking forward to it,

Al

aka

Mike

[goldenticket]

unfortunately there is no ingredient list so it is not allergy friendly.

Could one of those folks who has allergy concerns please PM me a list of ingredients that are potential problems? Thanks!

[Ilaine]

Due to predictions of thunderstorms and other logistical nightmares we have wimped out and will cook the piglet at home tomorrow morning and bring it there cooked.

Chris decapitated it tonight to reduce heat sink effect (he's an engineer) and we put the head in the freezer in a zip lock bag, will bring it along tomorrow in an ice chest with ice, if anybody wants to take it home to make themselves a little head cheese.

[Scott Johnston]

The site has a large pavillion, so we will be under the shelter most of the day. Do not worry about the rain, we will all be dry!

[Bomboniera]

I'm sorry to have missed it, I was looking forward to meeting people. But the baby woke up with a little cough and I don't want to have him out in this weather. Hope everyone had a great time!

[DonRocks]

Here's a picture of Dave opening the ostrich egg.

As someone who eats out nearly every meal, these picnics are reality checks for me: not-so-subtle reminders that the most enjoyable food isn't found in restaurants; it's crafted with love by talented home cooks, and that talent was on full display today. Any one of these platters deserved full, undivided attention, but there was just so much laid out that we could only take smidgens and jots, cursing our limited capacity, and wishing we could take it all home and do it again tomorrow.

No dinner for me tonight!

[thistle]

I guess I'll be the first to post, after leaving the picnic. It was awesome! pork products galore-the piggie in the caja china(agm & notquickdraw, who were the first ones onsite), the piglet that Ilaine & Chris brought, Eric's home-cured bacon, Karen's chorizo, & the starter-the Calhoun ham (I believe Jake brought it), that was our mainstay, until we could eat all the other pork....

& all the sides-frittata, cheeses, veggie salads, deviled eggs, tortes, dips, gravlax, wings.... & desserts-mango mold, cookies, brownies, tarts, mango-strawberry pie, lemon bars, cupcakes. & everytime someone would arrive, w/ something new-fried chicken & mac n cheese, the ostrich egg (which was fried sunnyside up, in bacon fat, & was the one thing my daughter kept returning to, over & over again-(I bet I'm the only kid in our school to eat an ostrich egg), we would all gather around, then move in like bandits...The best part of the picnic was meeting people that I had previously only met online...I look forward to our next picnic!....Linda/aka Thistle

[StephenB]

Rain, enough to cool things off but not enough to soak us. A teeming crowd, well over the magic number of 30 -- our existence is justified! The benevolent presence of the Don himself. Two personalized pigs, one smooth, the other tangy, both tasty. An ostrich egg, bigger than 24 of the kind that come out of a petite poule, cooked sunny side up. A smoothly-run set-up by Scott and his minions. Comestibles and potables galore. A humongous array of dishes, a bit too heavy on the healthy variety, but plenty of the other kind, too. Yum.

[sparkycom]

Here's another shot of Dave & crew opening the ostrich egg

Thanks for all of the yummy treats! We had a great time sampling all of the piggy goodness.

[mame11]

Thank you to those who coordinated the effort, brought the delicious food, cooked the amazing pig, sausage, bacon and Ostrich egg! Basically thanks!

Edited: Okay, I have recovered from my food coma. Wow. What a fun day. Seriously, thanks to everyone who participated, and special thanks to those who coordinated the whole event. All the food was delicious, and the company great. It was nice to both place a face with user names, and catch up with old DR friends.

[ol_ironstomach]

Here's a picture of Dave opening the ostrich egg.

(Actually, when it comes to hot saw competition, I'm a longtime fan of Rick and Penny Halvorson )

I had a really wonderful time! Thanks, Scott, herding us cats and making this one happen. Thanks to Linda for the use of you even-more-glorious-than-mine camp stove. Thanks to Daniel for your invaluable assistance with cracking the artifact egg open.

And my biggest thank you to everyone who attended and/or had a hand in preparing something for the picnic. I'm always in awe of the talents of the people on this board, and the chance to hang out and gab with you is a huge treat. Already looking forward to seeing everybody at the next one (and scheming my next science fair project)...

[goodeats]

Thank you all for a wonderful time! Baby Jack really enjoyed the Salami and Lemon & Goat Cheese dip. He also enjoyed his bacon coma. It was truly wonderful sampling and experiencing such great and diverse recipes, ways of cooking, experiments, exhibitions and company.

Looking forward to Scott's pictures.

[Pat]

I am so full I can't even imagine when I'll eat again, and I still didn't get a chance to sample everything I wanted to try . The various porks were magnificent. Ferment everything's home cured bacon had the additional benefit of providing fat for frying the ostrich egg. That was a riot--and, after all the effort--tasted like a fried egg .

There was so much great food, I won't try to start cataloguing it, but I hope there will be a thread for people to post their recipes. (I talked to Daniel K. for a bit about how he made the meyer lemon squares, for instance, but I'd love the actual recipe.)

Thanks to Scott and Jackie and everyone else who made this happen. (Oh, and Don .) I think it was the best dr picnic I've attended, just all around and despite unfriendly weather.

[Al Dente]

It was great meeting the people I've never met in the flesh, and seeing some old friends. The food rocked. Who knew Chef Antonio Burrell makes the world's greatest fried chicken? There should be a new Chicken Project thread on how to make that stuff.

Somehow, every time I looked down at my plate, there was more delicious pork on it. I ate some awesome healthy stuff too-- can I get the recipe for the vegetable torte?

It took a hacksaw, the efforts of two grown men, and the moral support of about 15 dr.com members to crack this baby open:

Eventually, that turned into this:

I never caught the name of this happy looking dr.com dude:

Hope to see ya'll out and about in the near future.

Take care,

Mike

[Walrus]

It was lovely to see everyone and to sample all your fabulous wares. Antonio's chicken was just the BOMB! I was very sad that I got only one bite -- not even a full piece! So I made up for it with pork As for recipes, I believe that Tripewriter's posted his turkey chili recipe here already, and my cupcakes were from the Joy of Cooking yogurt cake recipe, with frozen black cherries thrown in. I normally make the cake with cranberries and then frost it with a lemon buttercream, which is even better! (The store was out of cranberries -- none fresh, none frozen!)

[DanielK]

I'll echo the thanks to all and sundry, especially to ScottyJ and goldenticket for the coordination, and to agm and NotQuickDraw for the piggie. Personal highlights to me also included Antonio's crack-laced fried chicken, Eric's bacon, and some awesome Abita beers that Jake brought. My kids also loved the whole ostrich egg process, from watching Dad help take the "yarmulke" off the top, to digging in with spoons to the finished product.

If we start a picnic recipe thread, this post can be moved there. Otherwise, the recipe for the Meyer Lemon bars follows. I take credit only for juicing and zesting the lemons, and for bugging my wife Rachel to make them.

Meyer Lemon Bars

(makes one 8-inch square pan)

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/8 tsp salt

4 ounces unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Filling:

2 large eggs

1 cup superfine or bakers' sugar

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp finely grated meyer lemon zest*

1/4 cup freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice*

[note from Daniel: 1/4 c of juice is only about 3 lemons. 2 tsp of Meyer lemon zest is probably a dozen lemons. Good luck...]

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

To make crust:

Combine flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture is pebbly. Press evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden, about 18-20 minutes. Set aside crust.

To make filling:

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in lemon zest and juice until well combined. Pour over crust (it's okay if crust is still hot). Bake until filling is just set, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

[Antonio Burrell]

I just wanted to say that we had a great time. Good food, good drink shared with new friends. To me, this signifies what I feel this whole board is about, People with the same interest sharing the joy that is food. To everyone that helped set up/ coordinate this effort, many thanks.

ps: i think we had enough water.....

[Soup]

We had a great time. It was great meeting everyone. Thank you all for the event and look forward to the next picnic. I hate to single out a dish because they were all good but I have to say, that fried chicken rivaled some of the best I've had. The bacon also rocked. nice job.

Soup

[edenman]

Thanks to all the organizers, and everybody who brought such tasty treats. It was a delight.

[Scott Johnston]

Really great time was had by all!

As Claudia and I left the picnic site last night, we kept remarking what great people this community attracts. Everyone chips in, everyone talks, everyone is overly kind, everyone contributes, what a great bunch of people! My thanks to Goldenticket for the great organizing. Jake, who made sure that everyone had lots to drink, to Adam and Colleen for Pig, to all the others who helped setup, cleanup, eat... Thanks to Don who paid for the site and to everyone who helped offset the cost of the pig!

I do have someone's blue chair, a extention fork, a green tablecloth.....PM me if you need them back.

[goldenticket]

but I hope there will be a thread for people to post their recipes. (I talked to Daniel K. for a bit about how he made the meyer lemon squares, for instance, but I'd love the actual recipe.)

Feel free to follow Daniel's example and post recipes in this thread.

Thanks to everyone who ignored the weather forecast and came on out to have a great time! The weather didn't do anything to dampen spirits - I'd say a great time was had by all. As usual, the food was great - lots of variety and more than enough to feed the hungry masses. Can't wait 'til the next one, but I hope to see many of you before then

(There must be the makings of a joke somewhere...'How many Rockwellians does it take to crack an ostrich egg?')

ETA: Karen - please post or PM the name of the chorizo purveyor. It was delicious and I want/need some more of it!

[Scott Johnston]

BTW

Jake's annual Ham was awesome AND we had the annual finger cut trying to slice it. No one was required to go to the hospital.

[Al Dente]

I do have someone's blue chair, a extention fork, a green tablecloth.....PM me if you need them back.

dammit, i knew i forgot something...

[SeanMike]

Like, it seems, everyone else, I had a great time.

Thanks to Mr. & Mrs. goodeats for the ride to and from.

The rosemary fizz was awesome. Interesting selection of beers.

All the pork - wow. I didn't get hungry again until late Sunday night.

The deviled eggs, the frittata, the cheese and salami, oh great, now I'm starving again thinking about it.

And best of all were all the really cool people I got to meet. Jake's always fun to hang out with, and then there was Brett, Colleen, Nancy, not-Tom (thanks for the cigar!), Dave, Jackie, uh, other people, darnit, I can never remember names!

Now that I've survived the past week - ranging from late night movies to cocktail-themed dinners to bowling to birthdays, restaurant visits, block parties, and the DR picnic - it's time to try to remember where my gym is and let my liver relax a bit.

And plan for next year...

[bookluvingbabe]

BLBaby and I had a grand time- I only wish he had been a little less clingy!

He loved the pinto bean/sun dried tomato dip and Scott's vegan torte. If I walked away to get something to eat for myself, he protested.

Next time, I need to ditch the baby or bring the husband....

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[DonRocks]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Early shift release. Busted.

[jparrott]

Lesson learned from this pignic: If you roast a whole pig, you get a pig's head, all of whose parts are cooked, and almost all of whose parts are delicious.

[Scott Johnston]

Having sat across from Jake, I recieved an entire lesson on "head to tail" eating. I sampled more things then an entire eposode of "bizarre foods". From tongue, to brains, to tail, to cheeks, to snot, to things I rather not remember, boy that was a good head!

Lesson learned from this pignic: If you roast a whole pig, you get a pig's head, all of whose parts are cooked, and almost all of whose parts are delicious.

[Antonio Burrell]

Having sat across from Jake, I recieved an entire lesson on "head... boy that was.... good head!

nice !! eta: slight editing licence on my part ;-)

[SeanMike]

nice !! eta: slight editing licence on my part ;-)

Jeebus, I almost spit my beer all over my computer!

:lol:

I regret not getting a chance to try the fried chicken; the last piece was picked up as I walked over. It looked darn heck good!

[brettashley01]

Still full.

Was in food coma mode the rest of the day. Did. Not. Move.

Even ate pork. And yes, it was delicious!

Thanks to everyone for your wonderful dishes- that was me hanging out at the dessert table, polishing off the pb fudge- and a bit of rosemary gin fizz This board brings together such a diverse group and it was great to see everyone out!

[Pat]

If we start a picnic recipe thread, this post can be moved there. Otherwise, the recipe for the Meyer Lemon bars follows. I take credit only for juicing and zesting the lemons, and for bugging my wife Rachel to make them.

Ah, but the lemons are the most important part Thanks to you and Rachel. I know I saw her but I don't think I actually talked to her.

If anyone is interested, this is the recipe for the mayo-less potato salad I brought. I only used about half the number of peas called for, and it seemed like a good amount. Unfortunately, I made it the day before the picnic, and by Sunday afternoon, the bright green color of the peas had faded. The molasses bread was a Mark Bittman recipe from last year.

[KJHughes60]

ETA: Karen - please post or PM the name of the chorizo purveyor. It was delicious and I want/need some more of it!

I googled the name of the market to get the address and laughed out loud when what to my wondering eyes did appear but a mentioned in a past DR forum post by CHEESEPOWDER regarding Selectos Latinos ===> "This isn't in ferment everything's requested range, but for anyone else -- Selectos Latinos supermarket is now open in Rockville where Lotte Korean supermarket used to be (11716 Parklawn Dr. near Boiling Brook Parkway). They have masa flour (the kind in the bags like regular flour) and dried corn husks. I also noticed cactus leaves (nopalito) in their produce section. There seemed to be many cheeses in the refrigerated dairy case, but I'm not familiar enough with the cheeses to judge how good their selection is compared to other stores." I would like to add to CHEESE's observations that they also sell a variety of fresh Chorizo at the butcher's counter along with a variety of other interesting items. Oh, and if you visit, check out the seafood counter, the FRESH tortillas and the wonderful selection of FRESH pupusas.

Note regarding the Chorizo, mine was marinated for 24 hours in a good Rioja wine, a handful of black peppercorns and bay leaves. Add enough wine to cover the sausages completely and the Chorizo must be fresh.

Oh and thanks for making me feel so welcome. I had a wonderful time and felt as if I was reunited with my long lost people. You all rock!

Karen Hughes (and no, not that Karen Hughes)

[thistle]

A few more post-picnic observations-major kudos for Scott Johnson(& Claudia) for getting us all moving & keeping things organized & for making a veggie torte that was so beautiful that noone wanted to be the first to cut it & to Goldenticket, for unobtrusive & masterful logistics, Jake-for the ham (which had my kids hypnotized for the first few hours) & coordinating cellar tasting/cull/swill (whatever you want to call it), the various pork maestros-agm & quickdraw, w/ the caja china ( I couldn't decide whether I liked last year's lamb or this year's pig better-tough call), Ilaine & Scott's piglet, which was quickly dispatched w/ a cleaver, the chorizo (yum), everyone who brought side dishes (not everything should be pork!)...once again, despite the weather, the people & the food won out!

Now, about a fall picnic? I know it's early, but...maybe another chili cookoff or porkfest ?

[Walrus]

Waaaay too early to be thinking about the fall picnic (but how about a Potato-Fest?)

[thistle]

OOh, yes-late summer potato fest-w/potato salads,grilled & fried potatoes, & grilled meats to accompany them...

[agm]

There was already some discussion of the next picnic as this one was winding down. I don't know what will be on the menu (Jake wants several pig heads), but there will be a haggis, presented with all due ceremony. Yes, bagpipes and kilts will be involved.

[Antonio Burrell]

there will be a haggis, presented with all due ceremony. Yes, bagpipes and kilts will be involved.

Dude, I'll rock haggis with you but you're on your own with the kilt, i'll bring the tatties and nips (giggle giggle giggle i said nips)

forever 12

[thistle]

Can we save the haggis for RBurns day-Jan. 25th ( or even Nov. 30th, his birthday)? Despite my Scots ancestry, haggis is kind of yuck-I'n assuming they celebrated that , in lieu of anything else....now, potatoes, that's something you can celebrate...(I have nothing against kilts or bagpipes or even turnips)...

[cheezepowder]

I googled the name of the market to get the address and laughed out loud when what to my wondering eyes did appear but a mentioned in a past DR forum post by CHEESEPOWDER regarding Selectos Latinos ===> "This isn't in ferment everything's requested range, but for anyone else -- Selectos Latinos supermarket is now open in Rockville where Lotte Korean supermarket used to be (11716 Parklawn Dr. near Boiling Brook Parkway).

how funny. but for anyone going out there, I think the address in my former post is wrong, and it should be 11790 Parklawn Dr., still near Boiling Brook Parkway.

[hillvalley]

Waaaay too early to be thinking about the fall picnic (but how about a Potato-Fest?)

The only time it is too early to start thinking about the fall picnic is if the spring picnic hasn't happened yet. Get thinking.

[Soup]

patato fest sounds interesting. Ever do steamed crabs (crawfish boil would be fantastic but the season almost done) or clam bake?

[Ilaine]

patato fest sounds interesting. Ever do steamed crabs (crawfish boil would be fantastic but the season almost done) or clam bake?

Crab feast would be stellar. But monies should be collected in advance. Crabs ain't cheap. It appears to my uneducated eye that crab season peaks around Labor Day.

Oysters later in the year, thus, Oyster Riot in the middle of November.

How about shrimp? Not sure when the "local" (North Carolina?) shrimps are in season?

And how would the orchestrated efficiency required for such a feast harmonize with the impromptu of the traditional Donrocks potluck?

[SeanMike]

Weren't some people talking about a seafood bake at the picnic, too?

I must be anywhere there is a haggis. I've never had it before and it's been very high on my list of "foods I must try" so that, if anything, I can say "Yeah, I had that."

And my idea of making it on my own is a bit constrained by the fact that I live in a condo with roommates.

[hm212]

about a fall picnic? I know it's early, but...maybe another chili cookoff?

I would be in to cook for another chili cookoff (I promise to double the heat from last time).

[legant]

I would be in to cook for another chili cookoff (I promise to double the heat from last time).

What about pickles? a cucumber brine-off?

[zoramargolis]

What about pickles? a cucumber brine-off?

In the spirit of the olive oil, butter, sea salt and bacon tastings--I thought that we might have a honey tasting. Honey has a unique color and flavor, depending on the flowers that the bees have visited, and it can be fascinating to taste different ones side by side.

[Anna Blume]

Pie! Peach, sour cherry & berry pie!

Call it a crust-off: leaf lard, all butter, touch of vinegar or not...

Hold ice-cream competition simultaneously, some place where there are fireflies but no mosquitos.

[Al Dente]

How many more years until we can have a cicada cookoff?

[DonRocks]

How many more years until we can have a cicada cookoff?

What do you say, demandalicious?

[agm]

Make sure they're early-season cicadas. My dog Bennett (now sadly gone) loved snacking on those critters. But midway through the last infestation he stopped. He would occasionally taste one and spit it out, and by the end was just ignoring them.

[thistle]

No comment on cicadas-but late season veggies are a good idea-tomatoes, cukes-honey is good, too-I bet it would be awesome on bacon...

& for ice-cream, they have those camping ice cream balls you can kick around

[hillvalley]

How many more years until we can have a cicada cookoff?

I think we have about another 13 until you have another chance. If I remember correctly you chickened out the last time around.

[Al Dente]

I think we have about another 13 until you have another chance. If I remember correctly you chickened out the last time around.

Obviously that was back in my drinkin' days.