August is usually the reward for living in the Pacific Northwest so we are spending every minute that we can soaking up the sunshine and weather that doesn’t necessitate fleece and rain boots. I facilitate this by making lots of picnic lunches and dinners so that we can eat outside, by the water if possible. We also use our patio table for every meal when we are home – luckily we have some privacy in the trees (it’s on a second-level deck) so we even eat breakfast in our pjs outside. We grill 2-3 times / week, but mostly I cook in the morning when it is cooler and we eat most foods cold or with a quick heat-up. I keep the pantry, refrigerator and counters stocked with picnic and assembly meal basics (sliced meats, fresh fruits, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, fish, easy-to-roast vegetables, hummus).
We had friends visiting Seattle from Columbus so we met them for a picnic dinner on Monday; here’s what I made:
- Grilled herbed pork loin (served cold, sliced)
- Roasted asparagus and roasted small potatoes with garlic (served cold)
- Cherry tomato salad
- Assortment of cheeses with crackers and pretzel chips
- Cut up fresh pineapple
They brought more food (it was a feast!) including:
- Watermelon and feta salad with balsamic vinegar (one of my favorites)
- Hummus with crackers
- Salami and cheese
- A huge beverage assortment of wines, beers, waters, cartons of milk for the kids, and little yogurt smoothies – which the children loved.
It was wonderful. Just the way summer should be – friends and food al fresco!
We are spending the last month of summer traveling quite a bit. It wasn’t what I planned, but we are lucky to get around to visit our respective families before school begins. Since we are staying in places where I can cook, I am able to keep up with our pretty regular rotation of meals. The weeks I am at home, though, I am focusing more on double-batch cooking so I can begin to stock up my freezer for the beginning of the school year. I know it will take a few weeks to sort out schedules and get back into more of a routine, so I am trying to think ahead to make that transition a little easier. So as I do my meal planning, I am choosing meals that are freezer-friendly, while also making meals that make use of the great summer produce still around!
