Picnic Ideas To Light Up July 4th

If you're planning to spend the Fourth of July outdoors, The Early Show and friends at Williams-Sonoma have great picnic recipe suggestions.

Author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie demonstrates the following easy-to-make picnic recipes at the flagship store in the Time Warner Center in New York City.

Stuffed Summer Sandwich

If you prefer a vegetarian version of this portable sandwich, replace the ham with sliced mozzarella, Monterey jack cheese or grilled eggplant. The loaf can be covered in plastic wrap, refrigerated overnight and sliced just before serving.

Ingredients:
2 large red bell peppers
1 round loaf of sourdough or coarse country bread
1 can pitted black olives, drained
1 Garlic clove
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. thinly sliced baked ham or prosciutto
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves or 4 to 6 leaves of red-leaf lettuce

Method:

1. Preheat a broiler.
2. Cut the bell peppers into quarters and remove the stems, seeds and ribs. Place the quarters, cut sides down, on a baking sheet and broil about 4 inches below the heat until the skins blacken and blister. Transfer to a paper bag and seal; let steam until cool enough to handle. Peel off and discard the skins. Set the peppers aside.
3. Place the bread on a cutting board and, using the tip of a serrated knife, cut a large circle in the top about 1/2-inch deep and 1 inch from the edge. Pull out the circle of crust; remove all of the bread attached to it to make a lid. Pull out all of the bread from the interior of the loaf, leaving a shell 1/2 inch thick. Set the bread shell and lid aside. (Reserve the pulled-out bread for another use.)
4. In a blender or food processor, combine the olives, garlic and olive oil and process until fairly smooth. Using a rubber spatula, spread the olive paste around the inside of the bread shell and on the underside of the bread lid. (Alternatively, mince the olives and garlic, place in a small bowl and stir in the olive oil to make a coarse paste. Spread the olive paste on the bottom of the bread shell.)
5. Line the bread shell with half of the ham. Top with half of the roasted pepper quarters, then half of the tomato slices and a few basil leaves. Use just enough to cover the filling without overlapping too much. Repeat the layers, ending with basil. Replace the bread lid and press down lightly to compact the layers. Cut into wedges and serve.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Complete Outdoor Living Cookbook, edited by Chuck Williams (Weldon-Owen, 2002).
Three-Bean and Corn Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

Tart and hearty, this filling bean salad makes a colorful companion to simple grilled chicken, whether served at home or at a summertime picnic. Cook each variety of beans separately to ensure optimum texture and to maintain the color.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried red beans, such as kidney
1/2 cup dried cannellini or Great Northern beans
1/2 cup dried black beans
1 cup corn kernels (cut from about 2 ears)
3 green onions, chopped
1 whole red bell pepper, or 1/2 each red bell pepper and green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup canola or safflower oil
1/4 cup tomato salsa
2 to 3 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

1. Pick over each variety of bean and discard any misshapen beans and stones. Rinse each variety separately and drain. Place in separate bowls, add plenty of water to cover and let stand for 3 hours.
2. Drain and place each variety in a saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 45 minutes for red beans, about 50 minutes for cannellini or Great Northern, and about 60 minutes for black beans. The cooking times will depend on the type and age of the beans. Drain, rinse and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan two-thirds full of water to a boil. Add the corn kernels and blanch for about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold running water to halt the cooking and drain again.
4. In a bowl, combine all the beans with the corn, green onions and bell pepper. Mix well.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, salsa, vinegar, to taste, garlic and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture and stir to mix. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
6. Just before serving, garnish with the cilantro.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Chicken for Dinner, by Heidi Haughy Cusick (Time-Life Books, 1998).
White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Blondies

This rich, gooey and delicious treat travels well on such excursions as picnics and bicycling trips. Drizzle the blondies with caramel glaze if you're feeling indulgent.

Ingredients:
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, espresso powder and vanilla. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then continue beating until very fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and mix in. Continuing to mix on low speed, fold in the nuts and white chocolate just until blended. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool. Cut into 24 bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Cookies & Biscotti, by Kristine Kidd (Time-Life Books, 1993).

Fresh Honey Lemonade

Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups steaming hot water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Ice cubes for serving

Method:

1. In a heatproof 1-quart pitcher or bowl, combine the honey and hot water and stir until the honey is dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice.
2. Let cool for at least 10 minutes or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour over ice.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Outdoors Series, Cabin Cooking, by Tori Ritchie (Time-Life Books, 1998).