This is an easy to prepare and easy to transport picnic menu.  The only thing that needs refrigeration is the aioli, and you can use a very small insulated container for this. The Potato Salad, Deconstructed Deviled Eggs, and Brown Sugar Meringue Bars are all riffs on decades-old favorites.  My quick bread of choice is a recipe I found on the King Arthur website and can be prepared, start to finish in less than an hour and a half.  My version of the recipe is below as well as a link to the original. And of course, there is purchased BBQ from Black’s, a Texas legend in Lockhart.

Menu

Smokey Brisket from Black’s BBQ

Yukon Gold Potato Salad

Deconstructed Deviled Eggs

Ultra-Quick Home Baked Yeast Bread

Wickle Pickles

Brown Sugar Meringue Bars

Red Grapes

Yukon Gold Potato Salad

Serves 2 – 3

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 large, finely cut green onion, including green tops
• 3 medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes 
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Combine the first five ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

Boil the potatoes until you can pierce them with a sharp knife—approximately 30 minutes. Peel if desired, and while hot, cut in half lengthwise and slice each half in ⅛ to ¼ inch thick pieces. Place warm potatoes in olive oil mixture and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Deconstructed Deviled Eggs  

Serves 2-3

• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 3 large eggs
• Charlotte’s Quick Aioli

Bring 1-inch of water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Place eggs in a steamer basket and gently lower into the boing water. Water should not touch the eggs. Cover the saucepan with a lid and steam for 13 minutes. Remove eggs from the steamer basket and lower into a bath of ice-cold water. Cool for 15 minutes. Place eggs and about 1/3 cup of the ice water in a plastic container with lid, and shake vigorously, cracking the eggshells. Slip shell off eggs, and dry eggs with a paper towel. Cut each egg in half lengthwise.

While eggs steam and cool make spice mixture and ailoi.

Spice Mixture

In a small skillet dry-roast cumin seed and coriander seeds over moderate heat, shaking the skillet, until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. In a mortar with a pestle or an electric spice grinder, grind seeds fine. Place ground spices in a small bowl or container and add salt and cayenne. Mix with a small whisk.

Charlotte’s Quick Aioli

• ⅓ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 2-3 teaspoons good olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a small jar. Refrigerate.

To Serve

Arrange egg halves on a plate, sprinkle with some of the spice mixture and a dollop of aioli or allow each individual to fix their own—my recommendation.

Ultra-Quick Home Baked Yeast Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•  Shortening and cornmeal, to grease and sprinkle in pan

Lightly grease an 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in the bowl of your Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

Combine the milk, water, and oil in a 2-cup measure, and heat to 125°F, no hotter than 130°F. Be sure to stir the liquid well before measuring its temperature with an instant read thermometer. (It takes my microwave 1 minute and 20 seconds to reach the desired temperature.)  

Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix on low till moistened, then turn the speed all the way to high and mix for 60 seconds. The dough will feel elastic and very soft.

Scoop the soft dough into the pan, rub the inside of your hands with vegetable oil and push the dough to the edges of the pan, leveling it as much as possible. Place it on the top of your stove and cover it with a paper towel.

Let the dough rise till it’s just barely rises over the rim of the pan—this will take anywhere from 30 – 45 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the paper towel and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, till it’s golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F. (Note: I use a convection set at 400°F and bake for approximately 17 – 18 minutes.)

Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing. (I normally can never wait, and slice a chunk off the end, butter it, cut it in half lengthwise and share it with my husband—a decadent treat.)

Store in an airtight container.  This bread makes great toast and great grilled cheese sandwiches.

Recipe from King Arthur Website

Brown Sugar Meringue Bars

9” x 13” pan of bars

• ½ cup butter
• 1¾ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 4 large egg whites
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups packaged flaked coconut
• 1 cups chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts, toasted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 9”x 13” pan with parchment paper so that the entire bottom of the pan is covered and the parchment paper hangs over both of the long sides of the pan. Grease the ends of the pan with butter or shortening or spray with Pam.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Cream butter in mixing bowl.  Gradually add ½ cup brown sugar; continue creaming until light and fluffy.  At low speed, stir in 1½ cups flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press mixture firmly (Tip: Do not pack down too hard—this will make a tough crust.)  into the prepared pan.  Bake at 350˚F. for 15 minutes.

While the crust is baking prepare the meringue topping.

Combine ¼ cup flour and baking powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a very clean Kitchen Aid mixing bowl, with the wire whisk attachment, beat egg whites with salt in until stiff peaks just form.  Gradually add 1¼ cups of brown sugar. Continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.  Fold in flour mixture till thoroughly combined. Add coconut, nuts, and vanilla extract.  Mix by hand till thoroughly incorporated into egg white mixture. Spread over partially baked crust.  Bake 25 – 30 minutes longer.  When the pan the bars were baked in is cool to the touch, loosen the short edges of the baked mixture with a sharp knife, then holding on to both sides of the parchment paper lift them from the pan in one piece.  

Tip: This may take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature of the kitchen. Peel the parchment paper from the long edge of the bars and cut into the size of squares or bars you prefer. I have cut them into 1-inch squares as well as  larger sizes.