This past weekend I celebrated finishing my cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking For An Eco-Conscious Life (no, this is not a shameless plug for the book, it’s really part of the story). Writing a book can be an all-encompassing endeavor that takes up most of your focus and energy, and never seems to end. Consequently, I did not see nearly enough of many people I care about over the past year. So, with the book sent off to the printer, it was the perfect time to celebrate and invite missed friends to one low-maintenance event, in the small window of time before the even more crazy process of promoting the book begins in the fall.

In traditional Louisa picnic style, I endeavored to create as little trash as possible: everyone brought their own glass, plate, and cutlery, and we used a real tablecloth and cloth napkins (see a previous post about throwing an eco-friendly potluck picnic ). Yes, some plastic did make its way into our event - from the bags that the ice for the cooler came in, plastic wrap around food, and the cups we purchased for those who forgot theirs. But we tried hard, and at the end, we only had a small bag of trash that was destined for a landfill, a relatively tiny amount of waste for the amount of people.

But don’t let me forget about the food! We had a gorgeous array of homemade picnic treats. Below are several of the foods we enjoyed, all inspiring ideas for summer entertaining:

• Smoky black bean dip with tortilla chips
• Caponata (an Italian cooked vegetable salad made with eggplant and tomatoes) with artisanal Italian bread
• Fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato sandwiches (bring the fixin’s and let people make their own)
• Meatloaf sandwiches (make them special with a tangy barbecue sauce or gourmet ketchup and good pickles)
• Cold Asian noodle salad with chicken and cilantro
• Potato salad with smoked trout and Kirby cucumbers
• Spinach pie
• Tomato and cucumber salad with goat cheese
• Homemade chocolate chip cookies

I was touched that people were inspired to bring all of these beautiful foods, made with love (although desserts were a bit scarce; note to my guests, could someone please bring a homemade pie next time, preferably blueberry?). I was thrilled that I got to spend a whole afternoon eating, chatting, and just relaxing with everyone I hadn’t seen in so long, and who I may not see again until the book release party!  I encourage you to throw your own picnic in your backyard, at a park, or your favorite outdoor spot. There’s something uniquely satisfying about enjoying the outdoors in a way that supports preserving the natural beauty around us, and with all of that homemade food, you can’t help but have a great time.

Fingerling Potato and Smoked Trout Salad:

This salad is really pretty, with bits of red and green color, and the slender shapes of the fingerlings (it’s the salad that is front and center in the photo of the picnic plate). Serve it with crusty bread on the side, or on top of arugula or other salad greens.

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Makes approximately 3 quarts of salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized red onion
• 5 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 5 tablespoons capers
• ¼ cup fresh dill or tarragon, minced
• 3 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
• 6 Kirby cucumbers
• 1 pound smoked trout
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

To make the salad dressing, first mince the onion and place it in a large bowl. Add the mustard, olive oil, vinegar, capers, and dill or tarragon. Whisk everything together and set aside.

Cut the fingerlings in half lengthwise. Put them in a pot with water to cover and a few dashes of salt, and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until they are just tender, about 6 minutes. Strain and rinse under cold water, and let cool to room temperature. Add the potatoes to the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Set aside.

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Slice the cucumbers into half moons, ¼ inch thick. Toss the cucumbers with the potatoes.

Carefully pull the trout away from the spine and pull out any small bones. Break the trout into pieces roughly 1 inch square. Gently fold the trout into the potatoes, along with a dash of salt and several grinds of black pepper. Put the salad in the refrigerator and let it chill for a couple of hours before serving.

Just before serving, taste the salad and season with salt and pepper as needed.

In November of 2009, Ten Speed Press/Random House will publish Louisa’s first cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life, a collection of healthy, eco-conscious recipes, tips, and entertaining ideas. Place your pre-order today!

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