Outdoor dining – Inspiration https://blog.stokesstores.com Fri, 11 Aug 2017 15:38:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://blog.stokesstores.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cropped-new-blog-logo-11-150x150.jpg Outdoor dining – Inspiration https://blog.stokesstores.com 32 32 Two More Reasons For You To Go On A Picnic This Summer! https://blog.stokesstores.com/two-more-reasons-for-you-to-go-on-a-picnic-this-summer/ https://blog.stokesstores.com/two-more-reasons-for-you-to-go-on-a-picnic-this-summer/#respond Fri, 11 Aug 2017 11:00:06 +0000 http://blog.stokesstores.com/?p=4410/

Though it may be August, summer is far from over. The sun is still beaming and opportunities for outdoor dining are still at their peak! The cooler evenings might mean you need an extra sweater or blanket to throw over your shoulders, but it just gives us all the more reason to snuggle up closer with our loved-ones and friends! The chance for a picnic is still well within your grasp, and luckily, we’re here to help you plan and make sure you have everything you need for a romantic evening dinning outside or a perfect daytime adventure with the kids.

If you missed it, our blog post What to Take on a Picnic: Tips and Easy Recipes had tons of great picnic pointers for packing, transporting and making your menu, but we thought we could give you even more ideas because we think picnics are one of the best things about summer! Why not venture out for more than one? In fact, there are so many outdoor sporting events, concerts, fairs and festivals all summer long that there are probably more opportunities for picnics than you could possibly take advantage of!  So, this week we have more recipes for you to take on your picnic and (can you believe it?!) another cute way for you to transport your essential outdoor dining tools. We partnered up with Gabrielle Pellerin, the blogger and recipe developer behind A Simple Thyme, to plan a second picnic meal packed to perfection in our Trident Picnic Basket. It doesn’t get more convenient than this 22 piece basket which is complete with all of your picnic essentials: a setting for 4 that includes plates, wine glasses, forks, knives, spoons and even a wine bottle opener! With the Trident Picnic Basket, outdoor dining is a breeze!

So let’s get down to business. It’s not a great picnic without an absolutely scrumptious menu to bite into while you’re enjoying the lovely outdoors. With Gabrielle’s help, we’ve got two more mouth-watering recipes for you to prepare for your adventurous dining experience. The first is a fully-loaded smoked salmon sandwich with a parsley-caper pesto. Made with two types of cheese (goat cheese and cream cheese), cucumbers, sprouts, onions and lettuce packed between two slices of country bread, this sandwich is guaranteed to please. As for our second recipe, it will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth in a cute country-style kind of way. Even better than regular pie (because it fits in the palm of your hand) our blueberry hand pie recipe is just what you need to finish off your picnic! Just add in some crudités and crunchy chips to snack on in-between these two delights and you’ll be absolutely set for a delicious al fresco meal.

Make the most of the glorious summer days ahead and get planning your next picnic!

 

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SMOKED SALMON SANDWICH

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1 Sandwich
Author A Simple Thyme

Ingredients

  • 1 country bread , sliced
  • 1 pack smoked salmon
  • 1 bunch of dill
  • ⅓ cup cream cheese
  • ½ cup goat cheese
  • 1 red onion , thinly sliced
  • 1 cucumber , thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch of pea sprouts
  • 2-4 leaves of Boston lettuce
  • Parsley/Caper pesto
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • ⅓ cup almonds
  • 1-2 tbsp cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼-⅓ cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Put the parsley, basil, capers, almonds, garlic and cider vinegar in a blender with ¼ to ⅓ cup of olive oil and blend until you obtain a pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the cream cheese with the goat cheese.
  • Assemble the sandwich by spreading the pesto and the goat cheese on both bread slices, then layer the other ingredients.

 

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BLUEBERRY HAND PIES

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

Buttery Pie Crust

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes
  • ¼ cup ice cold water

Hand Pies

  • 1 pie crust
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • ⅓ cup sugar + more for sprinkling
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp strawberry sugar (optional)
  • 1 large egg , whisked

Instructions

Buttery Pie Crust

  • Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat. Crumble the butter in the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs and all of the butter is incorporated into the flour.
  • Add ¼ cup of the ice cold water, a spoonful at a time, and mix with your hands until the mixture forms a ball.
  • Divide the dough in two and flatten the balls a bit. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  • When ready to roll out, let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
  • Add a bit of flour on a work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to be about ¼ inch thick.

Hand Pies

  • Prepare the pie crust according to the recipe above.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Roll out each disk of dough to about ¼ inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter or the rim of a large glass to cut the pastry into multiple circles.
  • Mix the blueberries with the sugar, strawberry sugar and salt in a bowl. Put a spoonful of the mixture in the center of half of the total rounds. Wet the edge of each round with a bit of cold water. Place the other half of the rounds on top and and press the edges firmly together. Use a fork to crimp and seal.
  • Brush each hand pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with some sugar.
  • Slice small vents on the top of each pie.
  • Place on a baking sheet with baking paper and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  • Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for a little bit before serving.
  • Enjoy!

 

 

Helping you make the most of outdoor dining,

 

While studying restaurant management at the well known ITHQ, Gabrielle found her true passion for cooking. When she posted a few innocent photos of her creations on Instagram, the community quickly welcomed her and she now has over 11 thousand followers. This recognition drove her to explore and create more than she had before. In addition to finding photos of her delicious recipes on her Instagram, she now shares her recipes on her culinary blog, A Simple Thyme.

Gabrielle does it all, from simple recipes to creating the ultimate comfort food meal, and it is always guaranteed to make your mouth water. If you want to see more, make sure to visit her blog and follow her Facebook and Instagram pages to never miss a recipe again!

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