Wednesday, July 3, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Journey
through
Thyme
Jodi Schneider, Columnist
The picnic has an
old and venerable
heritage
The picnic is as American
as apple pie, a tradition we
love and share with many
cultures worldwide. The
word <picnic= started show-
ing up mid-18th century,
drawing its origins from the
French pique-nique, a social
gathering where people
would bring their own food
and wine.
But elegant meals out-
doors were probably first
eaten during the Middle
Ages, when hunting became
a favored pursuit of the lei-
sure class. These medieval
hunting feasts were depicted
in artworks of the time, like
the ballads of Robin Hood
and the famous Bayeux
tapestry.
Medieval hunting feasts,
Renaissance-era country ban-
quets, and Victorian garden
parties lay the foundation for
today9s more laid-back out-
ings. Picnics, as Americans
know them today, date to the
middle of the 19th century.
Picnics were once grand
affairs. In 1861, the defini-
tive list of the Victorian pic-
nic fare for England9s upper
class appeared in <Mrs.
Beeton9s Book of Household
Management.= You didn9t
eat outdoors without tables,
linens, crystal, chairs, ser-
vants 4 and gourmet fare, of
course. It9s a far cry from our
blankets and coolers, but the
idea was ultimately the same.
Mrs. Beeton9s Book of
Household Management
gave detailed instructions on
how to hold a picnic. For 40
people, Mrs. Beeton insisted
on, among many other
things, cold roast beef, four
meat pies, four roast chick-
ens, two roast ducks, four
dozen cheesecakes and one
large cold plum pudding. To
quench the picnickers9 thirst,
three dozen quart bottles of
beer were on the menu, as
well as claret, sherry and
brandy.
Everyone brought food
to share. Tables, lined end
to end, were piled high with
homemade breads and bis-
cuits, cheeses, cakes, corn
relish, pickle relish and
watermelon rind pickles.
The ever-present picnic
potato salad appears in many
personalized versions in old
cookbooks. The <Ladies
Guild CookBook,= published
in 1899 by the South Chicago
Methodist Episcopal Church,
suggested adding chopped
celery and <10-cents worth=
of English walnuts.
Watermelon and other
foods served several pur-
poses. Dessert might develop
into a race to see who could
eat the most pie the fastest,
and watermelon supplied the
ammunition for seed-spitting
contests.
Cakes were favorite pic-
nic desserts, and few early
cookbooks would be com-
plete without at least one rec-
ipe for devil9s food cake and
one for angel food.
Cheeses were included,
too, especially hard cheeses
that stand up well in summer,
and left whole to keep better.
No picnic would be com-
plete without something to
wash down all that delectable
food. Beer has been a picnic
staple practically since day
one. Enjoying a cold one in
the sun may seem second-
nature, but its origins can
be traced back to early 19th
century Bavaria, Germany,
where brewers would place
benches and tables on the
grass outside their beer stor-
age cellars.
Of course, picnics have
been somewhat simpli-
fied since then. Cold fried
chicken, potato salad, chilled
watermelon and beer on ice
are all hallmarks of modern-
day picnics.
Old — The Fashion
ed Potato Salad
original Hellmann’s Potato Salad recipe —
2 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into one-inch chunks
1 cup Hellman’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2-cup chopped onion
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Cover potatoes with water in 4-quart pot; bring to a boil over medium
high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender,
about 10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper in large bowl.
Add potatoes, celery, onion and eggs and toss gently.
Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
If desired sprinkle with paprika.
33
The Nugget Newspaper Crossword
By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service
— Last Week’s Puzzle Solved —
This Week’s Crossword Sponsors
Total Body Treatment
Stonecrop Body Scrub, Wrap & Contouring Cream
Plus, enjoy a
• Improves Circulation
• Stimulates Lymphatic Flow 20-minute facial
as wrap processes.
• Releases Serotonin
$
• Promotes Cell Regeneration
125
Essentials
Skincare
Karen Keady Esthetician/Owner 541-480-1412 | 492 E. Main Ave. Mon-Sat Flexible Hours | SistersEssentials.com
WELL PUMP SERVICE
Pump & Electrical
Contractor
PRESSURE TANKS • CONSTANT-PRESSURE SYSTEMS
FREQUENCY DRIVES • MOTOR CONTROLS • PUMPS
A Division of
24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
Zach 541-420-8170
Sisters Owned
CCB#178543
t