Pack a Basket Full of Treats and Head Out for the Day
Picnic season is almost upon us, and we’re ready for some fun in the sun! What better way to enjoy Smith Mountain Lake’s scenery than with a picnic? Whether you go to the park with friends or to your own backyard with the kiddos, let’s pack and play with these four easy and classic recipes. I went a little nostalgic with these recipes because I hope your picnic is memory inducing, unpretentious and reminds you of the good times you had picnicking growing up.
Roll-Ups with Ham and Havarti
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup of flour
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons of butter, melted
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. whole milk
- 12 slices Havarti
- 12 slices ham, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a casserole dish with oil. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg and melted butter. Slowly whisk in milk to form a batter. Set aside for 30 mins. Add oil to a frying pan, and heat over medium heat. Spoon in 3 Tablespoons of batter, tilting the pan back and forth to coat the bottom. Cook until lightly golden, and then flip over and cook for another minute. Repeat the process until you’ve used all of the batter, adding a bit of oil to the pan so the pancakes don’t stick. Stack each between parchment sheets until complete. Top each pancake with cheese, and place a slice of ham on top. Roll up tightly and place side by side in the dish. Bake for about 15 mins. They can be served cold or wrapped to keep warm for the picnic!
Spring Vegetable Salad with Creamy Herb Dressing
- 1 head butter lettuce, chopped
- 1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons (I use a peeler or mandoline slicer)
- 6 ounces asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
- 6 radishes, sliced thin (½ cup)
- 1 package of frozen peas, cooked and cooled
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 ounces feta, crumbled
- 2 ounces parmesan, shaved
HERB DRESSING
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove (grated)
- 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2teaspoon fresh dill
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
To a large bowl, add the butter lettuce, cucumber, asparagus, radishes, peas and parsley. Top with crumbled feta and parmesan shavings. Drizzle with herb dressing.
HERB DRESSING: Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Dress the salad at picnic time!
Cherry Cobbler
- 4 cups sweet cherries (pitted)
- 1/2cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice butter into pieces and place in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Put in the oven while preheating. Once melted, remove from the oven. In a separate bowl, add cherries, sugar and lemon zest. Stir to combine. In a different bowl, whisk together the batter ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the milk. Pour the cherry mixture over the melted butter in the pan. Drizzle batter over the top, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden on top.
No-Bake Cheesecake
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Oreo pie crust
- 1 cup berries (your choice)
- Whipped cream
Pour heavy cream into a bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Fold whipped heavy cream into cream cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm to overnight. Serve with berries or your other favorite fruit and whipped cream at picnic time! ✦