Welcome Spring With A Fresh Produce Picnic

We're welcoming spring with open arms and are especially excited for the delicious, fresh produce that comes with warmer weather. What better way to enjoy the new season than with a delicious picnic in your favorite park? Here are some of our favorite spring recipes to ensure your picnic is a delectable hit!

Hearty Quinoa Salad

Salads can be "blah," so try adding quinoa to the mix to spice things up! Even your pickiest eater won't be able to resist this bowl of veggies. After purchasing your produce and prior to picnic prep, keep your ingredients fresh with the FoodSaver® FM1510 Fresh Food Preservation System.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 red onion (cubed)
• 1 cucumber (diced)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 large tomato (diced)
• 2 tablespoons mint (minced)
• 1 avocado (peeled and cubed)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preparation

1. Boil the quinoa for roughly 10 minutes uncovered, drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Toss the quinoa in a large bowl with the red onion, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, oil, vinegar, mint and parsley. Add avocado cubes on top.
3. Add salt and pepper or lemon juice for taste.

Fruit Salad

Is there anything more delicious than ripe, juicy fruit? Yet another reason to love spring! Combine mango and strawberries for a sweet addition to your picnic's spread. The best strawberries come between April and August, so stock up while you can!

Before preparing the fruit salad, keep your strawberries in a FoodSaver® Fresh Container and wait to wash them until you're ready to serve. For the picnic dish, chop up the mango and strawberry and serve – simple as that! If you have extra fruit left over (slim chance, right?), here's how to save for later:

 

Mango:

1. Slice into small pieces and place in a single layer on a plate or cookie sheet.
2. Pre-freeze in freezer, so they don't stick together.
3. Once frozen, place the fruit in FoodSaver® Portion Pouch Vacuum-Seal Rolls, which are perfectly sized for storing a single serving of fruit.

Strawberries:

1. Remove stems and cut berries in half.
2. Store in the freezer with the same Portion Pouch Vacuum Seal Rolls as you did for mango!

Deviled Eggs

Last, but certainly not least, you must prepare a picnic staple – deviled eggs! There are plenty of spins on this classic dish, but here's what we suggest:

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen eggs, boiled
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup chopped pickles
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, yellow mustard, pickles, paprika, salt and pepper. Slice each of the boiled eggs in half, then remove the yolks and place them in the bowl. Mix the yolks with the other ingredients, then spoon into the egg halves. Store your deviled eggs so they do not get misshapen by using your vacuum sealer and sturdy plastic containers to prevent eggs from ruining.

We've set you up for success, so now it's time to spring ahead and get the picnic planning started!