Tag: Picnic

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Just Another Day

Flower pods ready to burst open.

Our day trips typically evolve out of a very loose agenda. Generally, there is a destination in mind and a best route plotted. Into a cooler go bits of lunch, snacks, and beverages, between blocks of cooler ice. Camera gear and field guides get loaded into the back, fishing gear on top, and of course, there are extra coats and socks.

This week we headed down to Maupin, only to discover there were more people on the river than usual.

Undaunted, we scouted out a spot away from the crowds, set up the camp chairs, donned broad-brimmed hats, and took in the view.

Red-winged blackbird

I think the saying is, “you can never step into the same river twice,” which is the reason we spend time on them. In the high desert, these ribbons of water offer unique views of flora and fauna.

It is a landscape that changes dramatically with the seasons.

Merganser and family

This time of year the Lower Deschutes Canyon wears lush spring green. Migratory birds forage and feed along the riparian, at least for a few more weeks. There is also a good spot to wet a line.

Flight of a butterfly

It’s really a matter of flexibility on these excursions. Expectations aren’t lowered, we just keep moving until a proper location is discovered.

There are so many good places to wind up around here, that regardless of where the camp chair is finally set, we’ll enjoy the day.

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Good Fortune at the River

Not sure what happened.

Time of day, day of the week, or maybe just heat of summer …  regardless, there was no one at our favorite picnic site on the Crooked River!

 

And then we were visited by an osprey and treated to aerial acrobatics and maneuvers …, good luck indeed.

Monday we got going early to avoid afternoon heat. We were ready for what had become typically packed campgrounds and had riparian picnic gear at hand.

As has become custom, we start with a fetch/swim at the reservoir, which has been drawn down quite a bit.

Wet and happy dog back in the car we head down into the canyon and search out a parking spot on the river.

Over the past few months the river has been unusually crowded, however today Post Pile CG was completely empty. It stayed that way until we left about 3 pm.

The other thing that stayed away was August heat. These last few weeks have seen temperatures hit near ninety by noon. Shade trees aided with a light breeze up the canyon offered pleasant reading sites all day.

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Summer Salad part IV

This final installment of our Summer Salad Series is Salsa (try saying that five times fast).  

Considered a sauce, we’ve chosen to elevate our salsa to it’s proper status … Tomato Salad Extraordinaire. The moment summer tomatoes begin to make their appearance, our fridge always has a deli cup full of fresh salsa. It’s importance can not be underestimated .. so we’re including it.

The ingredients need to be chopped fine and we think a mince of fresh cilantro is important, however not critical, Nan. What you don’t want to omit is the jalapeño and needless to say, the quality of your tomatoes plays a huge role in the final product.

Also not a salad … the one egg omelet has become a staple breakfast at our house and salsa must always be included on the plate. This video is an experiment in food photography style, rather than thinking you need a tutorial on cooking an omelet … but we hope you enjoy.

Print Recipe

Super Simple Salsa

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Compari vine ripened tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed

Instructions

  • Chop tomatoes and fresh herbs of your choice.
  • Dice red onion.
  • Seed jalapeno and dice.
  • Squeeze 1/2 fresh lime.
  • Combine ingredients and stir. Place in container and refrigerate. Use within 2-3 days.
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Summer Salad part III

You didn’t think we’d do a series on summer salads and not cover the classic … Potato Salad … did you?

The trouble with potato salad is there are so many different kinds. From yummy, warm german style to mid-west mayo encased potato salad. It’s very much a personal choice. 

My father, Earl Schommer was a bit fanatical about recipes for pancakes (a future post) and potato salad. So we’ll include what I think was his favorite … at least it’s from the family recipe file titled “Earl’s.”

But our “go to” potato salad is a recipe JQ has fine tuned over the years. She insists this potato salad have yellow mustard (no substitutions please). Yes, French’s Yellow Mustard is in the dressing.

That said, there are plenty of options, depending on the taste profile you prefer.

We use our home canned bread and butter pickles in the recipe, but I think you could sub in a good pickle relish or sweet pickle. If you prefer more of a dill flavor, add a good dill pickle and sprinkle in some fresh dill.

Actually, this is a hard salad to ruin. So give it a try and perhaps you have some twists on the old classic you’d like to share.

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JQ's Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 - 3 potatoes
  • 1/4 cup carrots, diced
  • 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup pickles reserve a few tablespoons of pickle juice
  • 1/8 cup onion, diced
  • 1 - 2 tsp salt and pepper

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup mayonaise or miracle whip
  • 1 - 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 - 2 tsp pickle juice optional

Instructions

  • Boil whole potatoes until cooked.
  • Place cooked potatoes into cool water bath.
  • When potatoes are cool, peel off outer skin. Skin should peel easily.
  • Dice potatoes and place in large mixing bowl.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing

  • Mix together mayonnaise and mustard.
  • Stir dressing into salad ingredients.
  • Potatoes may absorb dressing leaving salad a little dry. To moisten add pickle juice as needed. We like adding juice to the dressing to help add flavor.

Notes

There are many ways to vary the taste of this potato salad. We use our bread and butter pickles (which includes marinated onions) which adds a sweet taste to the salad.
Sometimes we prefer the flavor of dill, so we substitute dill pickles and add a pinch or two of fresh dill.
Experiment and make this salad your own!
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Earl’s Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 6 - 8 large red potatoes
  • 6 large eggs 4 are hard cooked
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¼ cup vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup onion chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsely minced
  • ¼ cup celery chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Boil potatoes until tender - 20 minutes - @ 15minutes you can add 4 eggs to hard cook. Cool, peel and cut into ½ inch cubes.
  • In small bowl beat 2 raw eggs with sugar, mustard, and salt. Whisk until sugar is disolved.
  • In a 2 quart sauce pan over medium temperature, heat water and vinegar until warm. Add egg mixture and whisk in cornstarch. Increase temperature and bring mixture to a boil and stir until thickened. Cool sauce in bowl covered with plastic wrap.
  • In large bowl mix together potatoes, onion, parsley and celery. Add equal portions of mayo and sauce in ¼ cup increments, mixing after each addition until the salad is desired consistancy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish by slicing hard cooked eggs over the top.

Notes

NOTE: Two things we've always done; 1) half the recipe, 3 or 4 red potatoes make the right amount for two people to share over a couple of lunches. 2) use less mayo than egg mixture, for us ¼ cup egg mixture to ⅛ cup mayo until you get a desired consistancy but these portions are changeable to suit your tastes. 
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Summer Salad part II

When you are looking at summer sides, cucumber salad is a great addition. This one is actually like a fridge pickle but with less sugar. It keeps and travels (think camp & picnic) and makes a great fresh addition to any offering.

We like to use English Cukes, as they have fewer seeds and seem to hold up better, but any cuke should work. 

Print Recipe

Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced and cut iinto ribbons
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Dressing

  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 3/4 - 1 tsp granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Place sliced cucumbers into a fine-mesh strainer suspended inside a medium sized bowl. Season with salt. Toss thoroughly to combine.
  • Place in the refrigerator for a least 30 minutes or up to overnight to drain the cucumbers of excess moisture.
  • Remove cucumbers from fridge and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry.
  • Add the cucumbers and red onions to a bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss to coat.
  • Place salad in refrigerator and allow flavors to develop for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Taste and add more of the dressing as desired. Garnish with sesame seeds, peanuts and avocado.

Dressing

  • In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, sesame oil, Mirin, garlic, red pepper flakes and sugar.