The Dog Days of Summer are here with high humidity and temperatures under the Southern sun. However, that doesn’t stop birthday parties, baby showers, and other friend and family events from bringing us together in the heat of the summer. It may be a family beach day, lakeside picnic at the state park, your coworkers baby shower, or an afternoon catchup date. Whatever brings us together outdoors will inevitably call for snacks. I’m talking about refreshing, hydrating, and oh-so-tasty small bite appetizers.
I was recently asked to come up with some food and beverage ideas for my in-law’s lakeside family birthday party. The food was set up on tables in a screened tent under the shade of an old oak tree. Beverages for little folks were served ice cold from coolers on the ground. This lets the little ones help themselves to a bit of hydration with independence. Traditional Charleston Plantation tea, sweet tea, and fruited water were available from translucent glass urns with wedges of sweet Myers lemons and ice from a separate cooler.
TIP: You always want to provide an ice scoop kept near the ice bin for users. This could be as simple as a clean Solo plastic cup; you don’t want people’s hands in the ice.
The Cool Eats Menu for Hot Days
This picnic party menu has appetizers, hot, and cold foods for most ages. Enjoy!
Cold items are served in double pans. The bottom pan has a layer of ice and the food pan or serving tray goes on top. I use a collection of net covers to keep out flying insects when serving outdoors.
- Cold Boiled Peanuts, the real Carolina Caviar y’all!
- Chilled Shrimp Cocktail.Serve on ice with lemon wedges, spicy cocktail sauce, and remoulade sauces
- Southern Potato Salad. Your favorite old recipe of potatoes, eggs, celery, pickle relish, Dukes mayo and yellow mustard.
- 5 Beans Salad. Green beans, dark kidney beans, Cannellini beans, Chickpeas, and wax beans with parsley, diced onions, and your favorite vinaigrette. Marinate in frig at least 1 hour before serving.
- Marinated Mushroom Salad or Marinated Vegetable salad, depending on preference.
- Charcuterie Tray. You know the sliced meat and cheese tray with a variety of 3 or more meats and cheeses cut to snack-sized treats.
- Crudite’. This is a fancy catering word for a tray of raw cut vegetables and dip (Usually Ranch dressing in the South). Spice up the dip with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper powder stirred in for a kick.
- Pinwheel Rolls. These are popular and a good changeup from typical small sandwiches. You can make them on Melba Toast if your crowd prefers a more classic sandwich. Use soft flour tortillas, white or wheat wraps for the best rolling results and do not overstuff. Add 1 piece of deli sliced ham, turkey, roast beef, pastrami, pepperoni, or even nonmeat deli slices and sliced cheese, shredded cabbage, lettuce, or spinach to the wrap before rolling it closed. Use a sharp, non-serrated knife to make 1″ slices. Serve cold on a single layer so they do not stick together on the tray.
- Make Veggie Pinwheels with thinly sliced cucumbers by layering them over a smear of low-fat sour cream sprinkled with dried or fresh dill herbs. Want it non-dairy? Substitute chickpea hummus for sour cream. That’s as good and easy as it gets; 3 ingredients rolled up in a tortilla wrap, cut in to perfectly pop-able bites!
- BLT Salad. Cool iceberg lettuce is chopped small and layered in a container with shredded cheese. diced tomatoes and topped with bacon bits or cooked and chopped bacon. Keep dressing on the side for guests.
- Caprese Salad. Classic Beefsteak tomatoes are sliced and layered on a tray with slices of fresh Buffalo Mozzarella cheese and fresh Basil. Use herbs as garnish as well as for flavor. Keep Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and/or vinaigrette dressing on the side for guests to add.
The Carolina Cuisine Network 