picnic in the park

You know how magazines will create a whole meal, but most times you only like one or two things from the meal they have planned?  So you still have to make a couple of your own sides or mix and match from different menus?
Well, this Real Simple Menu for a Concert in the Park is delicious, every ounce of it.  I have been cooking from this page in my magazine for three years now, so I had to share.

Real Simple Magazine June 2009

Yum.  I made it all this afternoon for a concert in the park tonight.  I even got the wine they suggested since everything else is so good.  And that's saying a lot because I am not typically a big white wine fan.  It's not the same vintage since the magazine is from 2009, but we'll give it a whirl.  Plus the label is cute, which is a requirement.  
So I made all this food, and Chloe passed out on the couch.  So she's snoozing, then Geoff calls from the office to say that he left his keys in his coworker's car when they played racket ball this afternoon. And the concert started 10 minutes ago.  Perhaps it will be a picnic in the backyard tonight!  I will miss the live music, but the food will be good, as will the company.  
While I waited for Chloe to wake and for Geoff to get home, I set up the table and took some photos.  

I made a couple adjustments to the recipes, of course.  I didn't make a whole chicken, I used all the rub on two chicken breasts, it is really flavorful that way.
I had majoram (I think) in the garden, so I threw that in the goat cheese--it's not one of the herbs they suggested, but it worked.  Geoff thought the goat cheese was super yum on the chicken as well.

The wine turned out to be great, I found it at Whole Foods.  The berry cobbler is so, so good. I use frozen raspberries because they are cheaper, and I used jam with seeds because that's how we roll. It tastes great the morning after warmed up with a scoop of greek yogurt on top, too.

Love this meal.











We had a great meal, then the sky turned pink and beautiful, and the fruit bats put on quite a show.  Video of the bats at the bottom of this post.
Twas a lovely evening even though it didn't go as exactly as planned.
I love summer. For its unpredictability and the freedom to bend with it.