This Week's Picnic by the River

Well, this week we were again blessed with good weather on Wednesday, so were able to picnic by the river again on our way to prayer meeting last evening.

Since we are only traveling a few miles from home, we’re not too limited in what we can take along for our meal. This week I made a Kielbasa Biscuit Pizza and a simple Cucumber-Tomato Salad. I lined the pan with foil (which I then greased with a bit of olive oil) for the main dish, as I didn’t want to have to clean a baked-on pan when I arrived home after church. When it was baked, I covered it tightly with foil and placed it in a 13x9-inch casserole basket. It stayed nice and hot until we got to our destination. I brought the salad in a covered plastic bowl.

Here are my recipes:

KIELBASA BISCUIT PIZZA

2 tubes refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (12 ounces each)
2 cups spaghetti sauce (I like the Great Value garden-style sauce from Walmart)
6 to 8 ounces kielbasa, cubed (pepperoni or ham would also work)
1 8-ounce can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1 cup chopped green pepper (or use 1/2 cup green and 1/2 cup red peppers)
Shredded mozzarella cheese to taste (I used about 1/2 cup)
Shredded cheddar cheese to taste (I used about 1/2 cup)

Open the cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Arrange the pieces in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish, but do not flatten them. Bake at 375º for about 13-15 minutes or until biscuits begin to brown. Then spread the spaghetti sauce over the biscuit curst. Sprinkle with kielbasa, mushrooms, peppers, and cheeses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

You could vary this by using almost any pizza toppings you like. I found the idea in QUICK COOKING magazine.

TOMATO-CUCUMBER SALAD

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s Light)
2 Tblsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic or onion powder
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar and seasonings to make a smooth dressing. Stir in the diced vegetables. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: 4 servings.

You could probably use the same amount of dressing and use quite a few more tomatoes and cucumbers. It really liquefies once the vegetables are added. This recipe comes from an old Pillsbury cookbook called MONEY-SAVING MEALS. I’ve been making this salad for years.

So that is this week’s picnic menu. We were delighted to see that our favorite picnic table, right on the riverbank, was available again. We hope to continue this into fall, or as long as they leave the picnic tables out. Some evenings are bound to be cool, but I see that as being a good time to bring along a hearty stew or casserole for the main course! Maybe a stew baked in a pumpkin! Hmm...