Picnic by the Lake... 'Market-Style'

As we celebrate (or unenthusiastically acknowledge, in my opinion) the beginning of a very warm summer this Memorial Day, most of us will head to the lake or beach to enjoy the final pleasant days of spring. I was at the market last weekend and as I gazed at the variety of produce, I challenged myself to come up with a picnic menu Michael and I could take to the lake, sourced mostly from the local farmers' market. I am not so naive to think that I would not need some non-local ingredients, so I gave myself a slight buffer. After some creative thinking (so Michael wouldn't be eating leafy greens and a tomato), here is what I came up with:

Main dish:
-Hamburgers or hot dogs (Using local ground beef or handmade hot dogs). If you are going on a true picnic and won't have a grill, you will need to cook prior to leaving and keep warm.
-Fresh locally baked bread (It will most likely not be in the shape of a bun, but compromise! It is more fun to have food that is not perfectly proportioned anyway.)
-If you are going the burger route, don't forget the local cheese, lettuce and tomato. Ketchup and mustard are the freebies from your fridge.

Side dishes:
-Fresh cucumber and tomato salad (Toss local sliced cucumber and tomatoes with a splash of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.)
-Potato salad (If you can find local red potatoes, or even sweet potatoes - cook potatoes and mix with fresh local onion, mayo or mustard (whichever you prefer) and spices. Make your favorite potato salad recipe, just with as many local ingredients as possible.)
-Slaw (Shred fresh local cabbage and carrot and mix with mayo or even Greek yogurt.)
-Kale chips (Tear fresh local kale leaves into bite size pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly. Line on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Bake at 350oF for 10-15 minutes. Kids will love these!)
-Fresh fruit salad (Use local blueberries, peaches, strawberries - whatever is in season and whatever you can find.)

To drink:
-Fresh fruit-ade (Puree whatever local fresh fruit you can find and mix with water, or sparkling water if you want to be fancy. Freeze whole pieces of fruit and add to 'ade' mixture. Delicious and refreshing.)

Dessert was the hardest for me because I L-O-V-E sweets. Michael would be content foregoing dessert, but not me. Now, I could always purchase a delicious handmade dessert from one of the local bakeries at the market, but I wanted to get a little more creative. So, I came up with Honey Peanut Brittle.You can purchase local honey and nuts from the market (we are so lucky to be able to go out into our backyard to get honey this year - YAY!). Mix 2 cups honey and 1/4 cup water in pan and boil, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups peanuts or pecans (or your favorite nut), 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and pour onto greased cookie sheet. Spread thin and let harden. Break into pieces and enjoy!

I know this is a lot of food, but I wanted to share with you all that I could come up with. Please feel free to change it up as your palate desires. If you have other ideas, please let me know as I am always open to trying new recipes. Enjoy a beautiful day at the lake, a cookout in your backyard, or even a lazy meal on the sofa... 'market-style'!