Pack the Perfect Fourth of July Picnic

Want to pack a picture perfect picnic to enjoy during the fireworks? Here's our recipe for the perfect outdoor meal.

Start out with for a healthy take on the picnic staple, then serve up a sandwich spread of and . Have a sweet and salty finish with my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt. Recipes can be found below.

Hungry for more? Check out our Fourth of July recipe rundown .

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in spinach, feta, red onion and pine nuts.
3. Whisk together basil, white pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir into pasta.
4. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 5 hardboiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/4 chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup low fat mayo (I like the olive oil version)
• 2 T chopped parsley
• 2 T chopped chives or scallions
• 1 t of paprika
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 C fresh arugula
• 8 slices of whole wheat sandwich bread, lightly toasted and cooled
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine red onion, parsley, chives, mayo, lemon juice and paprika. Allow to flavors to meld for 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Gently fold in eggs. 
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread on toasted bread, top with arugula and cut into triangles.

www.epicurious.com

Ingredients

Onion relish:

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Aïoli:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 ounce white-wine vinegar
• 4 ounces grape seed oil
• 1 ounce olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon pepperoncini or cayenne pepper

Sandwiches:

• 1 pound roasted turkey breast, sliced (use your thanksgiving leftovers!)
• 4 ciabatta rolls
• 12 slices bacon
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

Instructions 

To make onion relish:

1. In heavy medium pot, combine onions and enough water to cover and bring to boil, then strain.
2. Return onions to pot and add sugar, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar. Place over moderate heat and bring to simmer.
3. Reduce heat to low, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are completely tender and have no bite left, about one and a half hours. (The liquid should be syrupy and coat the onions.) Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

To make aïoli:

1. In food processor or blender, purée yolk, garlic, mustard, and vinegar until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Combine oils, then, with motor running, slowly drizzle into processor until completely emulsified, about 2 minutes. (If aïoli gets too thick, add a small amount of warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
3.  Sprinkle in salt, pepper, and pepperoncini, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook bacon:

Here's my fool proof method for crispy bacon with minimal mess:

1. Place the bacon on a cooling rack. Put the cooling rack on a sheet pan, and place in a cold oven.
2. Turn oven on to 400 degrees and cook for 15-20 minutes until crisp. The cooling rack allows the grease to drip into the pan without making the bacon soggy.
3. Pat with paper towels to remove excess grease.

Assemble sandwiches:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice each ciabatta in half and place on large baking sheet. Place 4 ounces turkey on each of four ciabatta bottoms, then spread onion relish over meat. Lay 3 slices bacon on each of 4 ciabatta tops.

3. Transfer baking sheet to oven and toast until bacon is crispy and edges of ciabatta turn light golden brown, about 5 minutes (the turkey does not have to get hot.)

4. Remove from oven and transfer bacon to other side of ciabatta, laying on top of onion relish. Divide avocado slices between sandwiches, placing on top of bacon. Spread aïoli evenly across each ciabatta top, close sandwiches, slice each in half, and serve.

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 slices of whole grain bread, lightly toasted

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup spinach or mixed greens

6 slices of bacon, turkey or otherwise

6 tablespoons of mayo (I really like Kraft Reduced Fat Olive Oil)

2 teaspoons paprika

Juice of one small lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

Sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. First, mix up your aioli. Combine the mayo, paprika, lemon juice, garlic and sea salt, and refrigerate.
2. Cook the bacon. Here's my fool proof method for crispy bacon with minimal mess: Place the bacon on a cooling rack. Put the cooling rack on a sheet pan, and place in a cold oven. Turn oven on to 400 degrees and cook for 15-20 minutes until crisp. The cooling rack allows the grease to drip into the pan without making the bacon soggy. Pat with paper towels to remove excess grease.
3. Assemble your sandwiches. Spread with paprika aioli, topped with bacon, avocado and spinach. Cut in half, and enjoy!

This last one is more secret ingredient than recipe. Sea salt is undoubtedly the latest foodie rage. Chips have gone from being "salt and pepper chips" to "Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper chips."And if you haven't had Bi-Rite Creamery's Salted Caramel Ice Cream, you're missing out on one of the Bay Area's best treats. Even chains like Wendy's are in on the craze, advertising "fresh cut fries with sea salt."

While some guests may be wary at first, they'll soon be won over by the sweet/salty goodness of chocolate chip cookies dusted with flakes of sea salt.

Use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, or if you're really pressed for time, grab some pre-made dough at the store. My favorite recipe is from the popular food blog Smitten Kitchen, and can be found here.

Before putting cookies in oven, sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt (flaky salt is best, especially Maldon.) Press the salt lightly into the dough with your fingertips, to ensure it doesn't fall off on the trip from the cookie sheet to the plate.

And of course, have cold milk handy. No one can truly enjoy a chocolate chip cookie without a glass of ice cold milk.