Summertime is all about enjoying the outdoors and eating great food - a very accessible combination. Taking long walks in the park followed by a picnic with a few of my favorite foods is my "go-to" summer activity. I like to keep my picnic items simple, durable, and light, so the items are not too heavy to carry, preparation is seamless, and the snacks can withstand a long walk. I also like to make items that are crowd pleasers and not too specific to a certain type of palate - sometimes less is more. Bean salads, guacamole, salsa, plenty of fresh veggies, and crunchy chips are my post-hike picnic staples.
Bean salads are great picnic items since they can be prepped in advance, can withstand a long and bouncy hike, and the more they marinate, the better they taste. To go with my bean salad and dips, I cut up a bunch of crunchy veggies and grabbed a few bags of Lundberg Organic Grounded Snacks Red Rice and Quinoa Chips - the perfect reward after a long and hot hike. These chips are gluten-free and are loaded with whole grains, a healthier take on your typical chip.
To help get your summertime picnic and hike on, I've partnered with Lundberg Family Farms on a fabulous giveaway. One very lucky winner will receive:
- One of each variety of Lundberg Grounded Snacks Red Rice & Quinoa Chips: Aged White Cheddar, Ancho Chili, Cinnamon Sugar, French Onion, Pink Himalayan Salt
- One Herschel backpack
- One BKR water bottle
- One Tatami picnic mat
To enter, tell me how you will stay active this summer and how you like to refuel in the comments section below. The winner will be selected Friday, June 30th. Thanks for entering and good luck!
Chickpea Salad
Makes 4 cups
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) BPA-free cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 small Persian cucumber, peeled if you wish, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
The House Guacamole
- 3 Haas avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1/2 jalapeñp pepper, seeded, and minced
- 8 - 10 cherry tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Sliced radish, diced cherry tomatoes, and cilantro for garnish
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Mash avocado with the back of a fork until smooth. Top with sliced radish, tomato, and cilantro.
Cheers to a tasty and active summer!
This post was created in partnership with Lundberg Family Farms. Thank you for supporting the brands that support crunchy radish!
