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Making an ordinary picnic special A_ fter the long, long winter, [ think e nice weather has finally arrived. One of our favourite ways to enjoy the warm weather is to pack a lunch and head off to the park. We have always been fortunate to live in a city with a lot of great parks. Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo is no exception. The novelty of a picnic always made lunch a little more fun. Your picnics could be as simple as sandwiches or as gourmet as green salad with goat cheese, thin slices of prosciutto wrapped around melon that was picked the day before, great bread and a bottle of wine. Pack food your family enjoys. Choose foods that don‘t need a lot of preparation when you get there. Wraps or pitas are a nice change from your average sandwich and salads are also an easy thing to eat when you don‘t exactly know what your intended dining site will look like. Fresh, seasonal fruit is a great choice as well. A change from veggies and dip would be marinated vegetables. Blanch your vegetables first, then place them in a marinade of sunâ€"dried tomatoes, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic (of course) and any fresh herbs you may have on hand. You can use dry herbs if . that‘s all you have on hand at the time. A way to make your picnics more efficient is to have an already packed picnic kit with things like utensils, napâ€" kins, condiments and ketchup. In a separate large freezer bag, put things like sunscreen, insect repellent and hand disinfectant. A blanket or tableâ€" cloth is also a good idea to have on hand. With your picnic kit ready to go, all you have to do is think about the food I‘m all about using quality ingrediâ€" ents no matter what you are making. That is no exception when you are planning a picnic. Quality can just mean using the salt to taste freshest ingredients you can find. I Olive oil for roasting potatoes realize if your picnic is spur of the moment this may not always be possiâ€" Toss the potatoes and garlic with a ble and it may be a matter of pulling little olive oil in a large bowl. Roast on a together what is on hand. baking sheet at 375 degrees for 45 minâ€" No matter what you pack make sure _ utes, turning once during cooking. No matter what you pack make sure what needs to be cold stays cold. The warm temperatures could turn a fabuâ€" lous picnic lunch sour pretty quick. If you happen to be on the road, take advantage of the local farmers‘ markets and roadside stands. With a little creative thinking you can make a meal from what is being offered. You will be amazed at how great everything tastes because it will be foods prepared and grown locally. No matter what the occasion, a picâ€" nic is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. I have always marvelled at the fact that the memories that stick with us are the ones in which little money was spent. Ilove potato salad but am not a Jodi is a personal chef and owner of huge fan of the original mayonnaise Dinner Solutions Personal Chef service. version. I decided to change it up and She can be reached at 519â€"497â€"1847 or make a potato salad that allows you to email jodyjodi@yahoo.com. You can actually taste the different ingredients. also visit www.answer2meals.com. I hope you get outdoors and enjoy a picnic or two with your family this seaâ€" Check out our website under coming evets â€" calendar for a detailed schedule of services Church of the Holy Saviour (Z€Camvary UnttED Ney? â€"â€"â€" St. Jacobs â€"â€" Welcome! Upbeat Family Worship & Sunday School 10:00 a.m. 48 Hawkesville Road Nursery care provided Wheelchair accessible + Hearing assisted Tel: 519â€"664â€"2311 (Anglican) _ 33 Allen Street East, Waterloo Tel: 743â€"8772 | www.holyâ€"saviour.on.ca The Venerable Peter T. Townshend Sundayâ€"8am, 9:15am (Sunday School) & 11am Wednesday â€" 10am Holy Eucharist Nursery care provided at 9:15am â€"â€" Wheelchair Accessible Sundays 10:50 am & 6:00 pm Wednesdays â€" 7:00 pm _ 306 Erb St. W. Waterloo â€" 886â€"6530 Evervone Welcome! 10 potatoes, scrubbed clean and quartered 6 garlic cloves, separated but left whole with the paper on 6 sunâ€"dried tomatoes, in oil 1 medium onion, sliced 1 ths. olive oil 1 ths. butter 1/2 cup Maple balsamic vinegar 1/8 cup olive oil (you may want to add more depending on how tangy you like your dressing) 1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano, freshly grated Place butter and olive oil in a mediâ€" umâ€"sized skillet, medium heat. Add the onions when the butter has melted. Cook on mediumâ€"low heat until the onions have caramelized, about 30 minutes. Cool and chop roughly. . Using a food processor or blender, add sunâ€"dried tomatoes and pulse until chopped. Add the Maple balsamâ€" ic vinegar and olive oil. Mix until it is well combined. It should be thick. Place cooked potatoes in a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves and add to the bowl. Toss gently with caramelized onions and dressing. Add Parmesan and season with fresh cracked black pepper. Fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt to taste Olive oil for roasting potatoes Roasted Potato Salad (Six servings) Celebrate Eucharist with us Mass times are: Saturday 5:00 p.m. Sunday 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. Vietnamese 4:00 p.m. Weekdays Tuesday â€" Fridays 12:00 noon ALL SAINTS ANCLICAN CHURCH 685 Highpoint Ave., Waterloo 51988446600 Rev. Canon Robin Lyone * Music Director: Mary! Sinkins Sunday Worship _8:00 a.m. Holy Communion 9:00 a.m. Parish Family Eucharist, Church School and Nursery Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. Midâ€"week Eucharist & Healing 3rd Saturday of each month at 6:30 p.m. "Fresh Expressions" caféâ€"style church. St. Louis Roman Catholic Church __ (uptown Waterioo) | 53 Allen St. E., 743â€"4101 www.stlouisparish.ca To advertise, please call Matt at 519â€"623â€"3050 ext. 208 or Questions about the Catholic f{aith? Calt Us mmiller@cambridgetimes.ca #*92 @ Most Thomas Items 40* WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, May 7, 2008 * 13