Pack Your Picnic Basket With Us!

Summer is a great time to get outside, spend time with family and friends, enjoy the sunshine and enjoy some good food and drinks! Let us help you pack your picnic basket for your next summer getaway trip!

First up, something to drink. How about some refreshing cucumber and lemon water? You’ll need: 1 cucumber, 1 lemon, ¼ cup basil leaves, ¼ cup mint leaves and 8 cups water. Start by thinly slicing the cucumber and lemon. Then finely chop the basil and mint leaves. Add all ingredients to a pitcher or pour into your water bottle. Refrigerate overnight, with or without ice.

Next, let’s add in a yummy baby kale salad! You’ll need: 1 bag of baby Lacinato kale (about 16 ounces), 1 cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated), 1 cup peanuts, 1 watermelon radish, 1 Granny Smith apple and 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. You can bring a store-bought dressing but try to make this delicious lemon vinaigrette dressing yourself! You’ll need: 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1¹/5 teaspoon honey, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, juice from 1 large lemon + lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of natural sweetener and ½ cup grapeseed oil.

Start by roasting the peanuts on a sheet tray, stirring them and rotating the tray every 5 minutes until the peanuts are golden brown. Then shave the watermelon radish into thin rounds with a sharp knife or Japanese mandolin. Peel and dice medium-size pieces of the Granny Smith apple. Finely grate the parmesan cheese. Mix together all ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette. Blend everything except the oil until smooth, then use a blender or hand mixer to blend in the grapeseed oil. Gently massage olive oil into the baby Lacinato kale. Add in radish, apple, parmesan and lemon vinaigrette. Toss the salad. Put into a large bowl or container you can easily pack.

Lastly, let’s add a sweet treat that’s great for that summer heat! Fruity ice pops are perfect for those hot summer days. You’ll need: 2 cups watermelon (chopped), ½ cup blueberries, 2½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice and an optional 1-2 teaspoons honey. Start by mixing the watermelon, lime juice and honey in a food processor or blender to make a smooth paste. Then use an ice tray, small paper cup or ice pop tray to place 1-2 blueberries in each section and pour the watermelon mixture around the berries. Add a toothpick or popsicle stick to each ice pop. Freeze overnight so they are ready to pack in the morning!

Looking to add more items to your picnic basket? Check out all our recipes in our two cookbooks below:

Living Healthy Cookbook with Information about Urologic Cancers Cookbook

Living Healthy: Fight Kidney Stones with Food Cookbook