3 Fall Picnic Recipes

San Diego has great weather year round, making it a perfect place to have a picnic any month and season of the year. At Picnic People, we’re always on the lookout for ways to improve and tweak our menu to bring you the best food for your next picnic. Here are a few recipes we’re loving this fall season.

1. Herbed Chicken and Hot-Pepper Sandwich

Keep it simple with a chicken and hot pepper sandwich. For this recipe, you’ll need one pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts, three tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/3 cup of olive oil, one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, three ounces of thinly sliced salami, three teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary, one cup of thinly sliced pickled hot peppers, ½ cup of mayonnaise, six ounces of Fontina cheese (sliced into ¼-inch slices), and four 10-inch baguettes.

Begin by placing the chicken into a shallow dish with lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and rosemary. Refrigerate for one and a half hours.

Heat the oven to 400℉ and roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Then, cut the chicken breasts into thin slices.

Slice the baguettes horizontally, combine the mayonnaise and rosemary, and spread onto the baguette. Layer salami, peppers, chicken, and cheese on the bottom half of the baguette and top with the other half. Cut each baguette in half and serve. 

2. Celery Root Apple Slaw

Enjoy a light salad made with ½ cup of mayonnaise, two teaspoons of chopped tarragon, ½ teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of freshly grated horseradish, one teaspoon of lemon zest, two bulbs of peeled and matchstick-style cut celery root, two apples that have been cored and cut into matchstick-size pieces, and one large hard boiled and finely-chopped egg.

Begin by combining the tarragon, lemon zest, salt, horseradish, and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Then, toss the celery root, apples, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise and add in the egg.

3. Pear Cakes

With a few basic ingredients, this pear cake dessert is different but delicious. The recipe calls for 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, one cup of grated sweet pear, ¾ teaspoon of baking powder, 1½ teaspoons of baking soda, one teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of salt, six tablespoons of softened unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, one large egg, 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract,  ¾ cups of sugar, ¼ cup of sour cream, and nine slices of ¼-inch-thick pear.

Beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, add the spices, eggs, and vanilla, and stir until well-mixed. Combine the baking powder, flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, sour cream, and pears into the butter and sugar mixture. Pour ⅓ cup of batter into each tart mild and top with a slice of pear. Bake for 20 minutes and cool before serving.