entertaining

september 2002

As the evenings lengthen and fall shows itself, even if slowly, we can once again use our patios, decks, or balconies. For myself, I love picnics, because, by definition, all the food can be made ahead of time so I just pack up, go and enjoy. Each of us has favorites that we have enjoyed and served. I can still remember our picnics on the beach as a child with sand and sandwiches, fruit, and ice cream Popsicles from the vendors who hawked the beach. Later, the sweet, salty memories of southern fried chicken, potato salad, corn on the cob and fresh tomato salad come to mind. We have shared many recipes for oven fried chicken, potato salads etc, so we decided to make new memories for this picnic. We wanted the recipes to be easy to make ahead and to taste as if you had worked for hours. As important, we wanted the result to be easy to eat and serve. How did we decide what to make? I sat and thought about what I've watched friends order in restaurants and wished I could eat. The answer was easy. I have many friends who order the same thing when they want to splurge and so for our picnic, we are making a shrimp Caesar salad sandwich with green bean and tomato salad. For dessert we serve fresh fruit of the season and biscotti.

To prepare for your picnic, just purchase paper plates, make some iced tea and bring all of the ice cold flavored water that you can carry. For those who don't have diabetes, bring along vegetable chips, store bought cookies or cup cakes, and bring dips for the fruit. Look on the site for low fat dips for you and your friends. Because it's September, why not give favors of new pens and pencils as well as diaries for the new school year, or disposable cameras for making memories. A centerpiece of fall flowers for your guests to take home is always nice. A word about food safety has to be said. Never leave any food out in summer's heat for long. Bring your food in coolers and return uneaten food to the coolers before you and your guests go on a walk, play softball, or read a good book. That way you know everyone will take home memories, and not a stomach or intestinal bacteria. The shrimp sandwiches are so good that you may be temped to serve the shrimp as an appetizer for a dinner party. You won't be disappointed. Do remember, that the dressing is very flavorful, so a little goes a long way. We have tried the same sauce on thinly sliced chicken breasts for another Caesar sandwich. You can easily double or tripled the recipe for a crowd. A pleasing fresh green bean salad complements the sandwiches. For dessert, select the freshest of fruits. September is the beginning of apple harvest. Select different varieties and serve with a dip made with low-fat sour cream combined with sugar substitute, lemon zest, and ground cinnamon to taste. Recipes for Biscotti can be found on our web site www.diabetic-recipes.com A Picnic on the Patio   Caesar Shrimp Sandwiches Green Bean Salad Fresh Fruit, Cookies and Biscotti (for the recipes, click on the individual recipe above) BSP