July 23, 2015
picnic sunday
We're officially in the throes of summer. Hot and sticky weather makes us all long for a house on the beach. But for us mere mortals stuck in the city, we're forced to engage in the blood sport known as finding a spot in the park. that spot with a little shade and a little sun, the one that doesn't have too many bugs, the perfect patch that isn't in the line of fire of a huge st. bernard playing catch or next to whatever this is...this could take awhile...
you better pack provisions for the troops.
and while a fat charcuterie board sounds great in theory, carrying all the different elements is going to make this experience feel a lot more like camping than a nice afternoon activity. and then there's the alcohol dilemma. when packing for the park, you've got to assess your situation on the weight v. reward matrix. in case you were wondering, a million bottles of rosé does not fair well on this scale. now we're not suggesting you brown bag it with a fifth of vodka (no judgement if you do), but maybe we should take a cue from all the frat boys out there and make some jungle juice for old people--otherwise known as pimms cup.
While we're on the subject of old people, let's talk about a non-strenuous activity that pairs perfectly with day-drunk belligerence: backgammon. yes, that game with dice and some chips. grandpas play it. but guess what? like good hipsters we're taking it back and pretending it's totally cool and not nerdy. just go with us. it's more than half luck, so go ahead and give it a try. click here for a quick guide to the rules.
eat.
ingredients
- 1 sourdough baguette
- 5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 oz arugula
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- a few grinds of a pepper mill
- 7 oz wedge aged manchego
- 1/4 lb of sliced prosciutto
MANCHEGO AND PROSCIUTTO SANDWICH
serves 4
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Slice your baguette lengthwise and drizzle it with 3 TBSP olive oil.
3. Place bread crust side down on cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.
4. While the bread is toasting, toss your arugula with 2 TBSP olive oil, lemon juice, sliced garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside
5. Slice your block of manchego into 1/4 inch thick triangles.
6. Once bread is out of the oven and cooled slightly assemble the ingredients of your sandwich layering the manchego on top of the prosciutto and topping it all with a generous portion of arugula.
7. Keep it long or slice it up into portions for folks to share.
drink.
ingredients
- 1 English Cucumber, sliced in rounds
- 10 mint leaves, julienned
- 1 1/2 cups Pimms Cup No. 1
- 1 1/2 cups gin
- 3/4 cup simple syrup
- juice of two lemons
- 1 cup club soda
PIMMS CUP
servies 4
1. Place cucumber, mint, Pimms, gin, simple syrup and lemon juice in a pitcher.
2. Stir vigorously.
3. Pour in cups over ice and top each with 2 oz of club soda.
4. Enjoy!
