today our picnic takes us deep into the land of earthly delights, land of mushrooms, ferns, truffles and deep dark cool black forests. join us while we wander beneath these stately giants...
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deep into the forest floor we begin our magical meal with the ancients...
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shafts of light illuminates the way...
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we arrive hungry...
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and prepared~
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the many shades of gathered greens and brown soothe our weary soul...
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we are enlivened with the rich hot mexican chocolate...
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we sink our teeth into the soft, thick, grilled portabella, with goat cheese, oozing warmth to the tip of our toes...
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our taste buds dance with the tarragon white truffle potato salad...
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followed by the luxurious tastes of black forest fridge cake, rich and silky with every mere bite of bliss...
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satiated and happy, we glide back and admire the giants surrounding around us in our great state...
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todays menu, the grilled portabella sandwiches, tarragon truffled potato salad, blackforest fridge cake and mexican hot chocolate were a joint cookbook venture. from the adorable cookbook a perfect day for a picnic we enjoyed truffled, green bean, tarragon potato salad. every earthy bite was a forest delight~
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from picnics and tailgates, by williams Sonoma, we enjoyed still warm and savory...
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from the picnic cookbook, i selected black forest fridge cake...
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***a little behind the scenes moment. we almost had the forest to ourselves, after i set our table deep in the woods and i was just getting ready to serve our lunch, over marches this trio. i should mention being in redwoods is almost like being in a cathedral, its quiet, stately, still... the woman in the front shouts over LOOK AT THAT TABLE, and bee lines over to us!
i can't even begin to explain her sudden appearance, she was drilling me right and left, is this a special occasion, do you do tablescapes, do you have dishes, where to you store them, did you buy the green napkins just for this table, surely you didn't own them, where did you get the chargers, what are you eating, do you read magazines, where do you get your recipes, on and on and ON!
her friends were far more sheepish, my husband heard them whisper oh no, here she goes again. she even picked up our plates, napkin rings, cups, she wanted to TOUCH everything, before we had a chance to eat. finally, i said if you are going to drill me this much i am taking your pic and sticking you one my blog, i never take pics of people, but she was beginning to feel more like a new prop! our surprise company...
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it was a wonderful afternoon for a picnic, i especially enjoyed how easy it all was to trundle our wheelbarrow with the greatest of ease to and fro.
be sure and visit the other novel bakers and guests to see what magical picnics they too have to share today!
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be sure and visit the other novel bakers and guests to see what magical picnics they too have to share today!
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Oh to picnic in the Grove of the Old Trees...*sigh*...what a gorgeous setting. Your menu sounds wonderful from the Portabella Sandwiches & Truffled Potato Salad to the Black Forest Cake! What a perfect ending to your Redwood feast if your serenity in that majestic space isn't shaken and invaded by nosy hikers :) No wonder your hubby still wants picnic! Your tree lantern, fern plates & wood slice chargers are perfect accompaniments! Thanks so much for taking me along your CA picnic series!
ReplyDeleteWhat a surreal setting, and to have it all invaded by a nosy, chatty, giant pest! The perils of the outdoor picnic! Your menu choices are just perfect for the woodland meal and all the photos are so vivid, I swear I could almost taste them~
ReplyDeleteJenna
Jain, I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time but I am laughing so hard at the invasion! Your tables are so appealing that no one can resist--I want to jump through the screen and join you right now! Your food is so scrumptious looking. I made the same cake but I clearly did something wrong. Wait until you see it. You will wonder if I used the same recipe. I am amazed at the trees and look forward to seeing them someday. I've only been to California a few times and am adding these places to my list. Jain, I am enjoying this Picnic Week so much! Thank you for organizing it! Linda
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I can't believe that woman! I have to say that out of the zillion photos of yours that I have looked at over the years, these are my favorite. That setting is absolutely gorgeous. You can almost hear the stillness (or at least until the woman showed up).
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful picnic! Wish I could have stumbled upon you when you were here! What a marvelous feast!! I just love everything and my mouth is watering. I may have to add to my cookbook collection.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I agree with Linda...no one can resist your tables! If I was that woman, I too would've been in awe. This is a wonderful post. I always adore a natural, outdoor theme and what a wonderful place to picnic in.
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