Picnic at the farm, picnic from the farm

This was the week of outdoor eating, which is just about my favorite kind of eating.  I had one opportunity to bring a picnic to a nearby farm, and a chance to bring straight-from-the-farm food to another outdoor food extravaganza.

Picnic at the Farm

On Thursdays in the summer at nearby Kruger Farm, Portland music/food/wine/blanket-sitting lovers can find free live music and for-purchase or BYO outdoor feasting.  This week featured one of Wife’s favorite local musicians, Ashleigh Flynn, along with sunny weather and friends with adorable kids–a winning combination.

My job as de facto housewife was to throw together a picnic, pick up Wife from work, and drive out to the farm in time to snag a good blanket spot before the crowd arrived.  I think I nailed it.  Here’s what we ate:

Easy Quinoa Salad, left over from earlier in the week

Simple Mezza

1 tub of Trader Joe’s Creamy Mediterranean Hummus

12 whole wheat mini-pitas

1/2 cup roasted red pepper strips

Miscellaneous olive bar treats – olive/feta combo (for Wife), kalamata olives, artichoke hearts

Baby carrots for dipping

Big box of wine

1.  Eat salad.

2. Try random combinations of mezza ingredients stuffed inside pita.  Eat.

3. Eat a carrot to feel good about self. (Such a healthful picnic!)

4. Spread hummus inside pita; stuff quinoa salad inside pita.  Eat.

5. Drink wine.  Eat more.

Picnic from the Farm

Sunday brought a last-minute meeting of Wife’s Portland to Coast team (for which I am a volunteer, so I swear I was invited) and another opportunity to eat food outside.  Sunday mornings also bring our closest local farmer’s market–the one that is literally a stone’s throw from our front door.  Yes, literally.

As the peaches in the world are finally ripe (finally!), Wife and I were inspired to bring along a fruit salad to share with the team.*  The result was the most beautiful and vibrant, and possibly tastiest, fruit salad I’ve ever made. We cheated with a few non-local bananas and clementines, but they were going to spoil soon anyway, so I forgive us (don’t you?).

*Wife also made an awesome tomato salad, which I’ll share with you guys soon!

Farmer’s Market Fruit Salad

3 small peaches

1 cup blackberries

1 cup blueberries

1 large banana

3 clementines

1. Chop, combine, refrigerate, eat.

I hadn't added the banana yet

How about you?  Any outdoor eating opportunities remaining this summer?