A picnic–one of my very favorite things to do. A picnic with a good friend drinking good wine–even better!

Today’s picnic menu is so easy; much can be made ahead, little needs refrigeration–and things that do are petite enough to fit in a small hand-carried cooler. Best of all, each course is bursting with flavor! And if you live in or are visiting the Texas Hill Country, the selection of excellent wineries available at which to have your picnic will amaze you!

I have been making all of these recipes for years, tweaked for convenience and to fit the moment.

Picnic Menu

Oven Roasted Shrimp with Horseradish Sauce

Kuhlman Cellars 2018 Estate Roussanne

Chicken and Red Bell Pepper Sandwiches with Basil Mayonnaise

Horseradish Deviled Eggs

French Inspired Potato Salad

Signor Vineyards 2016 Signor Vineyards Cuve’e

Blueberry-Almond Streusel Tart with Cognac Cream

Becker Vineyards Malmsey

Oven Roasted Shrimp with Horseradish Sauce

If you ask the experts, they will tell you that perfect pairings for roasted shrimp and spicy sauce are Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc or a sparkling wine, preferably Prosecco.  However, our friend chose an estate grown Rousanne from Kuhlman Cellars which also goes well with the shellfish and the spicy bold flavors of the horseradish sauce.

On the day of our picnic, we sat high on a second-floor deck overlooking vineyard fields with the glory of the Texas Hills rising in the distance, sipping lovely wine and dipping our shrimp and crudités in the delicious sauce.  I use the full amount of horseradish and Siracha with the Hellman’s mayonnaise. However, I realize some individuals may have a milder palate, so add half the seasonings, taste, then decide what is right for you. 

Serves 4

Horseradish Sauce

• ¾ cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1 – 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 – 2 teaspoons Siracha hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon ketchup

Shrimp

• 16 – 24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 – 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ – ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ – ¾ teaspoon pepper

• Cherry tomatoes
• Sugar snap peas

For horseradish sauce:

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, horseradish, hot sauce, and ketchup. Pack into individual serving containers, cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.

For shrimp:

Heat oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, toss shrimp with 1 – 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until shrimp are just opaque, about 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp. Do not overcook.

Cool shrimp, then pack shrimp in an air tight container and place in an ice chest for transportation. Serve with Horseradish Sauce and assorted crudités.

Cooks Note: EVERYTHING can be made ahead. Pack in picnic containers and refrigerate till it is time to leave.

Chicken and Red Bell Pepper Sandwiches with Basil Mayonnaise

This chicken sandwich is totally delicious and bursting with the flavor of sweet basil and roasted red peppers. Use the bread of your choice—it works well with any type, including a whole wheat sandwich loaf. The Sam’s Club in my area has lovely long loaves of ciabatta available that are perfect for this sandwich.

Years ago, I roasted fresh red peppers to serve with this sandwich, today there is a wide assortment of very good fire roasted jarred red pepper to choose from on your grocery store shelves. They are great, and so I see no reason to add extra steps to picnic preparation by roasting my own.  However, if you wish to do so, roast fresh red peppers using your favorite method.

Serves 4 – 6

Sandwiches

• Basil Mayonnaise (see below)
• 1 12-ounce jar fire roasted red bell peppers, drained, rinsed, dried well, and cut or torn into large pieces
• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, brined and grilled (see below) and thinly sliced after grilling
• Maldon salt
• 6, 5″– 6″ long French bread baguette pieces, or long ciabatta loaf cut into 5″ lengths, halved lengthwise

Basil Mayonnaise

• 1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons Maille Horseradish-Dijon mustard
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Mix first 3 ingredients blender or food processor. Season basil mayonnaise generously with ground pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

To brine chicken breasts:

• ¼ cup kosher salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ quarts cold water

Dissolve salt and sugar in 2 cups boiling water. Remove from heat and add 4 cups cold water.  Chill. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels.

To grill chicken breasts:

• 2 teaspoons nonfat dry milk powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 – 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat stovetop grill until hot, about 10 minutes.

While grill is heating, combine milk powder, pepper and kosher salt in a small bowl.

Brush chicken breasts with vegetable oil, sprinkle with half of the milk powder mixture. When grill is hot, place chicken, seasoned side down, on grill and brush other side of chicken breasts with oil, seasoning with remaining milk powder mixture.  Cook approximately 5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook on other side for approximately 5 more minutes or till chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

To make sandwiches:

Spread each cut side of baguette/ciabatta generously with basil mayonnaise. Place approximately 2 layers of sliced chicken on the bottom half of the bread (depending on thickness of chicken slices). Sprinkle Maldon salt over the chicken slices, then cover the chicken slices with bell pepper. Add the top half of the bread, and wrap or place in a covered container to carry to the picnic.

Cook’s Note: Sandwiches may be assembled and wrapped or packaged up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate.

To ensure that the sandwiches do not slip around in the container, pack paper towels around them.

In the “old” days, I boiled my eggs, cursing myself every time the shell seemed impossible to remove because the eggs were too fresh. I have since learned a much easier way to ensure perfect, easy to peel hard boiled eggs—steam them!  If you haven’t tried it—you will definitely like it!

French Style Potato Salad

This potato salad is the easiest, tastiest, best potato salad to take on a picnic, to a pitch-in feast or to serve at home. If you are in a hurry and want something that can be done in a flash and needs NO refrigeration, this potato salad is a gift!

And a surprise to all of us was how well the dish paired with the Signor Cuvee we drank with the entree portion of our picnic. We knew the cabernet sauvignon would go well with the sandwiches because all of the ingredients work with that wine, but the potatoes–the potatoes were a delightful surprise!

Serves 4

• 1 packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix, made according to package directions
• 2 pounds small round Dutch Baby Potatoes, washed
• Kosher salt
• 2-3 scallions

Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold water to cover by several inches. Add approximately 2 tablespoons kosher salt to the water and turn the heat on high. Leave on top of the stove for 20 minutes–water will eventually boil.

Drain the potatoes and wrap them in a tea towel, leaving them on the counter for approximately 15 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.

Place the prepared Italian dressing mix in a large bowl. Unwrap the potatoes and slice them in half. Add the warm potatoes to the bowl of dressing. Toss or stir to combine.

Thinly slice the scallions, including the green part and add the onion slices to the bowl of potatoes. Toss to combine. Taste for seasoning. I generally add from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt at this point, stir and taste again.

Pack in an airtight container and leave on the counter till you are ready to go on your picnic.

Cooks Note: Can be made as much as a day ahead. Pack in picnic containers and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Horseradish Deviled Eggs

Serves 4-6

• 6 large eggs, steamed (see below), peeled, and halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1½ tablespoons (or more) prepared horseradish, drained
• 1 tablespoon pickle juice from jar of sweet-hot pickles such as Wickles
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon salt
• 12 fresh parsley leaves
• 12 slivers of sweet hot pickles such as Wickles

Remove yolks for whites and place in a bowl.  Mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, horseradish, pickle juice, pepper, and salt to yolks; beat with a whisk till smooth. Adjust seasonings, adding more horseradish if desired.

Divide filling among egg whites. Top with a slice of sweet hot pickles and a leaf of flat-leaf parsley. Pack into a plastic container, cover with a lid and refrigerate till time to leave for the picnic.

To Steam Eggs:

Add 1 inch of water to a large pot. Place steamer insert inside, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add eggs to steamer basket, cover, and continue cooking for 12 minutes for large sized fully cooked eggs.

Remove eggs and add them to ice water bath and cool for 15 minutes.

Transfer eggs and some of the ice water to a shallow container with cover, and shake to crack eggs.  Peel.

Cook’s Note:  Eggs can be steamed, peeled and refrigerated a day ahead. The entire recipe can also be made a day ahead.

To keep eggs from slipping and sliding during transportation, line the bottom and side of the container with a double layer of paper towels, and pack deviled eggs snugly inside.

Blueberry-Almond Streusel Tart with Cognac Cream

I love this tart! It screams summer and fun and music and picnics and friends. It is very transportable (especially if you keep it in the tart pan for carrying)  and seems to get better the longer it sits. Making it a day ahead is no problem at all. Do not keep it in an airtight container, and there is no need to refrigerate it if made ahead. You want that crust to stay crisp! Pack the Cognac Cream in an airtight container and keep it cold in a small ice chest.

10 Servings

Crust

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, chilled in the freezer, cut into pieces
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 5 – 6 tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 1½ cups blanched slivered almonds
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, warm room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3 cups fresh blueberries

Topping

• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

• Cognac Cream for serving

For crust:

Blend flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.  Add shortening and butter and cut in using on/off turns until butter is the size of peas. Either blend in enough water by tablespoons till dough gathers together, or dribble 5 tablespoons water through the feed tube of the food processor till dough comes together.  If neded add an additional tablespoon of water. DO NOT OVERMIX!  Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1- hour. (Can be prepared 1-day ahead.) Dough is much softer than a pure butter and flour dough.

Place a cookie sheet in oven large enough to hold tart pan, preheating oven to 375^o F.  or 350°F. in a convection oven.

Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round.  Transfer to 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.  Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan; trim edges.  Refrigerate crust while preparing filling and topping.

For filling:

Finely grind almonds with sugar in processor.  Add butter, egg, and vanilla processing till combined.  Add flour and process till incorporated.

For topping:

Mix first 3 ingredients in small bowl.  Add butter and blend with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

Ladle filling into crust.  Top with blueberries; sprinkle topping over.  Place tart on cookie sheet (helps crisp crust).  Bake until crust is golden and filling is set at edges, about 1-hour.  Transfer to rack and cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook’s Note:  Crispest crust is in convection oven at 350° for 50 minutes.

Cognac Cream

• ½ sour cream
• ¼ cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons cognac

Beat sour cream and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl for several minutes or until sugar dissolves.  Add cream and cognac and continuing beating at high speed until soft peaks form.