À La Carte: Meet you at the park?
Picnic-friendly tofu sandwiches, couscous salad, my favorite dip + more 🧺
Not to jinx it but, the weather in NYC the past couple of weeks has been divine. “Not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket” vibes.
Spring is such a short and magical season here, and it’s a shame to let it slip by without having at least one Impressionist-style picnic.
My criteria for picnic food is as follows:
It has to travel well - so that’s a no to anything that needs to be served hot, or that will get undesirably soggy by the time it reaches the park.
It has to be easy to eat with primitive utensils - i.e. hands or disposable forks.
It has to be safe to sit out without refrigeration for a while - usually not a problem with plant-based food anyway.
Below, a handful of ideas that fit the bill.
1. Tofu Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo
Super firm tofu is thinly sliced, marinated in soy sauce, balsamic, and spices, and briefly pan-fried. The results are almost on par with the convenience of store-bought cold cuts. Avocado, arugula, and roasted red peppers round out the rest of the sandwich.
2. Summer Pearl Couscous Salad
Think of this as a Mediterranean take on pasta salad. Slippery pearl couscous mingles with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, meaty kalamata olives, and crispy chickpeas.
3. Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
This classic Levantine dip is made entirely with pantry staples - jarred red peppers, walnuts, cumin, and olive oil. Trust me when I tell you, people go crazy for it.
4. Lemony Sautéed Cauliflower
One of my favorite ways to prepare cauliflower, since it only requires one pan (no pre-boiling, steaming, or microwaving required). Finished with plenty of garlic, capers, lemon juice, and parsley.
5. French Cake Salé with Herbs and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Have you ever had a savory cake? Sort of a cross between bread and a savory scone, cake salé (“salty cake”) is often served as an apéritif treat alongside chilled wine. My version is studded with sun-dried tomatoes, black pepper, and fresh herbs.
Planning to make one of these? Tell me how it goes in the comments section or tag me with your creation on Instagram.
Thanks for this wonderful post! I love these recipes! Muhammara has long been a favorite of mine. (The recipe is in my book, Feast from the Mideast.)
Looking forward to making the tofu sandwich (could I substitute tahini for the mayo?) and the other recipes, and am especially excited about your Cake Salé recipe. One question about it - How do you chop dry sun dried tomatoes? The ones I get are too hard to chop with a knife. Do you use a food processor? Also, could this cake be made with all or part whole wheat flour?