Picnic Fun, Food and Safety
*Cook meat and poultry completely at the picnic site. Partial cooking of food ahead of time allows bacteria to multiply to the point that subsequent cooking cannot destroy them.
*Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 °F. Never leave food in this "danger zone" more than two hours, one hour in temperatures above 90 °F.
*A full cooler retains cold longer than a partially empty one, so fill empty spaces with extra ice or cold packs.
For additional food safety information about meat, poultry, or egg products, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline's toll-free number 1-800-535-4555; Washington D.C. area (202) 720-3333. The toll-free number for the hearing impaired (TTY) is 1 (800) 256-7072.
Be sure to check out the following links for additional food safety tips:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/pubs/cfg/cfg...
http://www.foodsci.purdue.edu/publicatio...
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/ex...
http://northampton.extension.psu.edu/Nut...
You might want to consider putting together a Picnic Kit to carry in your car during picnic season. Some things you might include in it are a waterproof tablecloth (which could also be used as something to sit on when the ground is wet), plastic utensils, paper cups and plates, sharp knife, bottle opener, paper towels, trash bag, granola bars, dried fruit, peanut butter and juice boxes (nonperishable food items), sunscreen, insect repellent, Band Aids, wet wipes, single use camera, bottles of bubbles, magnifying glass, jar for catching bugs in, colored pencils, sketch pads, and a couple of books. This way, when you are in the mood, all you need to do is toss some sandwiches in a cooler and you can be on your way! (These would also make wonderful gifts)
And now for the recipes!! Following are some great ideas for quick and easy picnic meals.
Balsamic Marinated Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked pasta (bowties or other small shapes)
2 tablespoons chopped sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped olives
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Toss together with pasta, sundried tomatoes and olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4-6 servings.
Baked Beans w/Green Chiles
Ingredients:
1-1/2 - cups dried navy beans
1/2 - cup pinto beans
6 - bacon slices, diced
1 - medium onion, sliced
1/4 - cup brown sugar (packed)
3 - tablespoons molasses
1 - teaspoon salt
1-1/2 - teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 - teaspoon pepper
3 - green chiles, roasted and diced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Use your favorite method to tenderize beans or according to package instruction. Drain beans and keep the liquid.
In a large skillet, brown bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and remove all but a tablespoon
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