No Mayo Slaw with Poppyseed Dressing is a crisp, tasty must-have for picnics and other outdoor eating fare.

No-Mayo Slaw with Poppyseed Dressing

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

Earth Day is being celebrated this week (on the 22nd of April) and the bloggers associated with the Sunday Supper Movement (of which I am one) have put together a dazzling collection of picnic recipes for you to peruse. Why?

Because it is (finally!) getting nice out with warm temps, green grass and leaves and it is the perfect chance to get out and enjoy it all after the horrid winter we have had.

I really had wanted to get out to the parks this weekend if not for a picnic, at least for a stroll. There are a number of delicious parks nearby, among them Winton Woods, Glenwood Gardens, Sharon Woods, and further afield, one of my favorite parks in the area, Miami Whitewater Forest. All of these parks seem to run across the northern tier of the Cincinnati metro in an east to west fashion. And I wonder if they are part of some older, heavy band of forest that has existed here for a very very long time.

Lots of the parks have picnic areas, and on the nicest days the pavilions in those will often be booked, so if you want to plan a family event in any park like this, it is best to plan ahead. Along these picnic areas are often many beautiful hiking trails. If you decide to partake in those, check out the maps often offered by parks so you don’t get in over your head with the amount of time you might spend on them, because while many park trails are short, some of them are quite extensive. I always advise to wear good sensible walking or hiking shoes, and wear long sleeves and narrow leg pants if you are able. Lots of critters in the woods that carry a bevy of annoyances, from simple bites to Lyme disease. Afterwards, always have a good looking over for things that may have occurred unbeknownst to you while on the trail, including the appearance of ticks and red bugs (chiggers) or irritated spots that can take on the appearance of a bulls-eye (spider bites). Some of those might require some medical attention. If you notice anything like that after visiting a park, ask your doctor to be sure so you can rest at ease. Also, if you wear extra clothing, it cuts down on the possibility of getting brushed with poison ivy or poison oak, It is really quite awful to end the day itching, and taking sensible steps can help you avoid that, while enjoying the beauty of the natural world.

I like to pack along a camera as well, and if you can, bring along a lens bigger than the ones that come on most cameras . A 75-300mm lens will help you get more crystal clear shots of the little forest things you will want to save for your photo album, while other lenses are good for taking pics of people at your picnic.

At the picnic, make sure you take care to keep foods that need to be kept cold…cold. Food poisoning really stinks, and no one wants to be up all night with that or worse. And while coleslaw can be a real picnic favorite, I like to make those without mayonnaise to cut back on the risk of that. So the recipe I am sharing today has a honey-poppyseed vinaigrette, which many of you may be familiar with. This one also includes pineapple juice, which is one of my personal touches. I like the flavor it adds as well as a sweet zip. I have had many compliments on this recipe and it is certainly tried and true.

So I hope you enjoy it for your Earth Day celebrations and tell anyone who asks where you got it. I always enjoy hearing back from those who have eaten my food.

Today promises to rain, so I probably won’t be out in the sunshine (what sunshine? LOL) but I certainly will be out soon. I can’t stay away from parks and nature for long. It soothes my soul!

~Sue

You might also like:

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

Italian Marinated Mushrooms

Fresh Raspberry Pie

Earth Day Picnic!

Celebrating recipes we love to have while taking a good old-fashioned picnic.

As part of the Sunday Supper Movement, I and a host of other food bloggers are pleased to present to you some of our favorite picnic recipes to enjoy and prepare for you and your families and friends while enjoying nature, the great outdoors, and celebrating our beautiful planet earth.

Special thanks to T.R. of Gluten Free Crumbley for graciously hosting this event and working so hard to make sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed. It’s a big group and a ton of work to keep all together! Thanks so much.

And now on to the recipes! Check out as many recipes as you would like and be sure to pin those to have for later.

Appetizers:

• Caprese Skewers by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Crisp Cucumber Salsa with Southwest Style Chips by Momma’s Meals
• French Onion Dip, with Greek Yogurt by Casa de Crews
• Mediterranean Spiced Hummus by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Watermelon Salad by annaDishes

Beverages:

• Blackberry Lemonade by The Redhead Baker
• Blueberry Mojito Mocktails by NeighborFood
• Grandma’s Stuff by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Minty Cardinal Punch by Food Lust People Love
• Pineapple Ginger Lemonade Spiked with Turmeric by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Sangria Punch by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade by Noshing With The Nolands

Main Dishes:

• Avocado Sriracha Egg Salad by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Boneless Chicken Wings by Nosh My Way
• Chicken Salad Sliders by Life Tastes Good
• Spanish tortilla by Caroline’s Cooking

Sides:

• Broccoli & Tomato Pasta Salad by Flour On My Face
• Buffalo Macaroni Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Couscous Veggie Salad with Pesto by Cooking Chat
• Fully Loaded Baked Potato Salad by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
• Granola Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Greek Style Asparagus Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
• No Mayo Slaw with Poppyseed Dressing by Palatable Pastime
• Spiralized Beet and Goat Cheese Salad by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Sweet and Tangy Brussels Coleslaw with Fennel, Chopped Apples and Golden Raisins by Simply Healthy Family

Soups and Salads:

• Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Dried Cranberries by Food Done Light
• Layered Mason Jar Pasta Salad for Two by The Weekend Gourmet
• Smoked Turkey Salad by Our Good Life
• Spinach Salad with Apples & Pecans in an Apple Balsamic Vinaigrette by Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

Desserts:

• Bacon-Bulleit Brownies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Fudgey Coca Cola Cake by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Earth Day Cupcakes by Savory Experiments
• Gluten Free Cookie Bars by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Lemon Yuzu Cookies by NinjaBaker.com
• Mini Lemon Chess Pies by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• No-Bake Cookie Butter Chex Mix Bars by Wallflour Girl
• Peanut Butter Bars by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Peanut Butter Carob Bars by Pies and Plots
• Sourdough Chunk Cookies by What Smells So Good?