Picnic: Armstrong Redwoods

Pamela Sheldon Johns of Food Artisans is perhaps best known for her cooking workshops in Tuscany (named a top cooking school by Food & Wine magazine). But she’s also the author of numerous cookbooks, including “Gelato!” (I know it’s not right for a picnic, but summer is here…) and “Festive Picnics“. For this Armstrong Woods picnic, she’s provided recipes with a decidedly Asian flair.

The menu:

• Asian Cole Slaw
• Enoki Cucumber Rolls
• Grilled Game Hens with Chili-Orange Glaze
• Meyer Lemon Bars

The picnic site:

If you haven’t yet been to Armstrong Woods, pack that basket and get on out there. It’s a beautiful stand of old growth redwoods just a couple miles from Santa Rosa. Armstrong Woods is an 805 acre park with plenty of shade, easy hiking trails, and some of the tallest and oldest trees remaining in this part of California. The Parson Jones Tree is about 310 feet high; the Colonel Armstrong Tree is more than 1,400 years old.

To get to the park, turn west on River Road from highway 101, approximately 2 miles north of Santa Rosa. Drive to Guerneville. At the second traffic signal in Guerneville, turn north (right) on Armstrong Road, which dead-ends in the park.

If you park in the lot to the right of the gate, you can walk in for free. The picnic area is about ¾ mile from the gate. We often start the day with a hike and a picnic in Armstrong Woods and end it with an afternoon swim in the nearby Russian River.

The Recipes:

Asian Cole Slaw

Roasted peanut oil, found in Asian grocery stores, adds an interesting flavor dimension to this salad.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon green curry paste (or substitute curry powder)
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 pound Napa cabbage, cut julienne
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
5 scallions, sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons minced mint leaves
1/4 cup peanuts, toasted  and coarsely chopped

In a medium mixing bowl, combine garlic, serrano chili, rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and green curry paste. Slowly add oil, whisking constantly.

Toss with Napa cabbage, cucumber, scallions, and coriander. Sprinkle each serving with mint leaves and peanuts and serve immediately.

Serves 8

Enoki Cucumber Rolls

Enoki mushrooms are slender white mushrooms found in gourmet produce stores. If unavailable, substitute 3 ounces mung bean sprouts.

2 cups short grain rice, rinsed

2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black or toasted white sesame seeds
3 hothouse cucumbers
1 package enoki mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut julienne (long, thin strips)
1 bunch daikon radish sprouts
Soy sauce
1 tablespoon Wasabi mixed with water to make a paste

Place the rice in medium saucepan with 2 1/4 cups water and cover tightly. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes; do not open lid during cooking. Remove from the heat and quickly spread a towel over the rice and replace the cover; let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.

In another saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup rice vinegar, sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Place the rice in a large bowl, fluffing to loosen the grains. Add the vinegar mixture and fold into rice while fanning constantly to cool the mixture. Continue fanning and folding, taking care not to smash the rice kernels, until all liquid has been absorbed and mixture is cooled, about 10 minutes.

Moisten your fingers and form the rice into 24 one-inch balls. Squeeze gently to elongate and place on a tray; do not stack. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Slice cucumber lengthwise very thin. Place the strips on paper towels and blot dry. Place a rice ball, a few enoki mushrooms, a couple of red pepper strips, and a few daikon sprouts on each slice and roll up. Secure with a toothpick and place on a serving platter.

Place a small amount of soy sauce in individual small bowls for each person. Serve with a small amount of Wasabi for guests to add to their own taste.

Serves 8

Grilled Game Hens with Chili-Orange Glaze

If your outdoor grill has a rotisserie, this is the perfect recipe.

4 cornish game hens, rinsed and patted dry
8 metal skewers
2 mild red dried chilis, soaked in 1/2 cup warmed chicken stock
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Split the underside of the hens lengthwise to butterfly. Lace two skewers crosswise in each hen to hold the shape. Place them in a shallow wide pan and set aside.

Puree soaked chilis and chicken stock in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

In a wide-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until softened, but not browned. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and chili puree. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Remove from the heat; add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the chili mixture for brushing when grilling. Pour the remaining chili mixture over the hens and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill. Place the hens on the grill and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until browned, then turn to the second side, grilling 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Continue turning every minute or so for another 4 to 6 minutes, brushing with the reserved marinade.

Meyer Lemon Squares

Available from November to Marhc, sweet Meyer lemons are a cross between an orange and a lemon. The peel is delicate and fragrant, very good for zesting.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup toasted almond slivers
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks), cut into1-inch pieces
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest from two large lemons
1/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice, strained
3 tablespoons whole milk
Pinch of salt

Lightly butter a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish.

In a food processor, combine the flour, 1/2 cup almond slivers, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pulse until the almonds are fine. Add the butter and pulse to blend evenly. Mixture will be the consistency of coarse meal.

Press the dough into the prepared baking dish and chill until the butter has firmed, about 30 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar. Add the lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt and blend well. When the crust is golden brown, pour the lemon mixture on top and return to the oven. Top with the remaining almonds and bake until filling has firmed, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.

Serves 6

In wine country, we tend to buy our wine at the picnic spot, counting on seredipity. But when you’re not eating at a winery or a town square, that can be a little tougher.  The Buffalo News ( yeah, yeah, I know) has an article about good, affordable picnic wines if you want to make a selection before heading out to Armstrong Woods.

Check out these other Sonoma County picnics, and don’t forget to add a comment below by June 1—your favorite picnic spot, favorite picnic food, worst picnic story, whatever—for a chance to win a copy of the Vineyard Cookbook.