Vegetarian picnic at the theatre tonight!

[ginnyinWI]

Four of us are going to an outdoor Shakespeare play tonight, and I'm bringing the picnic. I decide to pull out all the stops and have a really nice meal--all homemade. Two of us are vegetarians, so here's what I'm bringing:

Walnut Feta Avocado Wraps: walnuts, feta cheese, avocado, garlic and fresh lemon made into a spread on whole wheat tortillas, with red bell pepper slices, red onion slices and arugula.

Potato Salad: fairly standard recipe made with red potatoess, celery, and hard boiled eggs.

Corn Salad: kernel corn, green peppers, grated cheese, and mayo-- tossed at the last minute with crushed corn chips.

Hearts of Palm Vinagrette: onion, tomato, black olives, and canned hearts of palm in an olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Finger foods: celery and carrot sticks, olives, pickles, mild radishes, and some sliced French bread.

Beverages: iced tea with mint, Perrier, and chilled white wine from Washington state.

Dessert will be a rhubarb-strawberry cobbler that just came out of the oven, and some homemade peanut butter sandwich cookies.

Sounds good, no? I have to remember the glass wine glasses and bottle opener and sugar for the tea. Will have a picnic table so will bring my plastic tablecloth and picnic dishes and silverware. I'm wrapping the wine glasses in cloth napkins for transport, so will have them as an extra fancy touch.

It will be in the 90s today--hopefully cooler, just right by evening when we'll be at the play. :bounce:

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Bring a flashlight

We've done what you're doing. The first time, we didn't have a flashlight. It is amazing how, after dark and after the play is over, little light there is in a meadow in front of stage!!

Your menu sounds very fun!!

[ginnyinWI]

5. will do.

We've been there before and they have footlights along the path to the parking lot, but we have a small pocket LED flashlight that will help.

[Phentex]

2. Sounds delicious! For the wraps...

do you just stir the first ingredients together? How smooth is it?

I want to try those for 4th of July.

[ginnyinWI]

4. food processor

You pulse these together: 1 c. walnuts, 1/2 c. feta cheese, 1 avocado, 1 clove garlic, juice from a lemon (1/4 c.), 1/4 c. water, 1/4 tsp Italian herbs, dash of cayenne or tabasco. It's not totally smooth--you can still tell there are nuts in it.

Put mixture on a whole grain tortilla or wrap, then top with baby spinach/arugula/lettuce of choice, thin slices of red bell pepper and red onion. Roll up and cut in half to serve. (It says 3 T. per wrap, but that would depend on the size of the wrap.)

It's pretty healthy--I got the recipe from a regional heart center at a health fair.

[Phentex]

13. Thanks!

I'm going to make these. It's always so blazing hot for the 4th activities and nobody wants anything too heavy. These sound perfect.

:hi:

[livetohike]

3. Sounds delicious!

:hi: Have a great time!

[ginnyinWI]

6. thanks

If any of you get to SW Wisconsin in summer, The American Players Theatre is a must for lovers of drama. The picnic area is separate, then you walk up the hill for the theatre.

http://www.playinthewoods.org/plays-ticket-information/theatre-in-the-woods.php

[Warpy]

7. Lemon or lime juice will be necessary

to keep your avocado spread from turning an unappetizing brown.

It'll taste just fine. It just looks really icky. Acid can slow that down a bit.

[ginnyinWI]

10. yes--see post #4

The recipe includes the juice of one lemon. ;)

[grasswire]

8. be sure your mayo dishes stay cool

...and why not use a cloth tablecloth? I know plastic is practical, but cloth is so much more sweet for such a night.

Got some flowers? Just something from your yard would be lovely laid on the table. And how about some little votive candles?

[ginnyinWI]

9. mayo stayed cool.

I had bags of ice cubes in the cooler. It was so cold, in fact that the olive oil in the vinagrette started to thicken. But a few min. out in the 90 degree weather fixed that.

It was fun and everyone enjoyed it. It was hot but we were under a shady tree. Next time I can go the flowers and candles route--better make them citronella though--the bugs were active! I wouldn't change anything else--except that the cobbler leaked into the cardboard box because I didn't take it in my pie carrier. Next time I'll put anything sticky in a better container. I was really glad I brought along a roll of paper towels.

[elleng]

11. What was the play???

.

[ginnyinWI]

12. lol

Oh, that! Yes there was indeed a play. It was "The Winter's Tale", one that Shakespeare wrote in his later years.

It's a comedy, but has a more serious tone than, say, "A Comedy of Errors". In fact it starts out deadly serious: a king, Leontes, accuses his wife Hermoine of adultery with his good friend, another king, and that makes her also accused of treason. Puts her in prison, where she bears a baby girl whom he refuses to acknowledge as his own (although it is his and the queen is quite innocent).

The baby girl Perdita is banished, left to die in a wilderness, but is found by a shepherd and his son, who raise her to be a shepherdess. But they know the baby is of higher birth because of some items left with her, and keep the proof with them in case they ever need it. And of course, things happen from there. Good story with a strong moral message. The king pays dearly for being a mean, suspicious tyrant.