For my very first blog post I’ve decided to write about a day out we had last weekend at Sullivan’s Island because it perfectly combines the beautiful Charleston scenery with something our family loves to do – picnicking! We are a picnic loving crew and I am on a lifelong mission to perfect the art of the picnic. My husband Jamie is from England, and while America’s past time might be baseball, I’d swear that for the English it’s picnicking. Jamie’s family even used to take a portable picnic table with them on vacations. I’ve seen pictures; otherwise, I wouldn’t believe it. Although even the English would say that no one does picnics better than the French. Or maybe that’s just the ones who haven’t been to the South.

Sullivan’s Island is one of the main beaches in the Charleston area and we prefer it when we’re wanting to skip the touristy crowds and enjoy a quieter, family day out. To me, the beaches on Sullivan’s feel less like your typical public beach and more like an extension of the locals’ backyards. The drive to the beach takes you through the quaint downtown with its local pubs, ice cream shoppe, and outdoor restaurants, and leads you seamlessly into the quiet neighborhood streets. By the time you’ve parked along a side street and wandered down a coastal grass lined path while taking in your first glimpse of the sandy beach ahead, you almost forget that you don’t live here too. It’s as inviting as a true Southerner’s front porch and, if you take the time to find them, there are secluded portions of the beach that feel just as homey.

We set up our picnic on one of these little parcels of the beach on the island, hidden from the larger public area by a cluster of craggy rocks and palm trees. It’s not a secret spot, but it feels that way to us. The rocks act as a natural sound barrier and the palm trees a visual one, so you really do get that child-like feeling that maybe you’ve found a special place that no one else knows about.

It’s a bit too cool for a swim at this point in the year, but it’s perfect for a good walk and a fresh meal on an old blanket. Our packing for an afternoon at the beach looks a bit different this time of year too. We’ve traded in our swimsuits and digging tools for extra layers and lawn games. But we don’t mind! Every season has its own beauty to share and there’s certainly something special about the beach during the Fall when the Summer crowds are gone and the air has a haziness to it that softens the reflection of the sun off the sand. So we simply adjust. While Jamie and I unpacked the feast, the kids got out the Bocce Ball set and chased unsuspecting seagulls to stay warm.

I packed a very Fall themed picnic, using ingredients that are all at their best this time of year. Here’s what was on the menu:

• Apple & Pomegranate Spritzer
• Spinach & Arugula Salad w/ Pears, Candied Pecans, Cranberries, and Crumbled Blue Cheese
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Prosciutto with Brie and Fig Preserve Sandwiches for the adults/Three-cheese Toasties with Apple for the kiddos.
• Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

I made the soup and pies ahead of time, but everything else was put together about an hour before we left the house. I focused on foods that were easy to transport. The soup and drink were each in their own thermos, keeping them hot/ice cold respectively. I put the salad leaves and cranberries in a large container but kept the pecans, blue cheese, and pears separate in order to keep the ingredients fresh. I always wait to slice fruit into a salad until just before serving in order to preserve its freshness and color.

Apple & Pomegranate Spritzer

Makes approx.. two quarts

 Ingredients:

2 33.8oz bottles of sparkling water

6 apples

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup pomegranate syrup

rosemary for garnish

Core and quarter 5 of the apples. Puree the apples and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer and discard the remaining solids. Combine the apple/lemon juice with the remaining liquid ingredients. Core and roughly chop the remaining apple and add to the pitcher. Serve over ice and garnish with rosemary.

Spinach & Arugula Salad w/ Pears, Candied Pecans, Cranberries, and Crumbled Blue Cheese

5 oz spinach, washed

5 oz arugula, washed

1 pear, sliced

3 oz candied pecans

4 oz dried cranberries

2 oz crumbled blue cheese

Wash and slice the pear just before serving. Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl. I would typically make my own candied pecans, but used store bought candied pecans in this case to make putting together the picnic a faster process.

Butternut Squash Soup

Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

½ onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

½ cup of red lentils

8 chicken stock

2 t. curry powder

1 t. garam masala

1 t. coriander

Salt

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375℉. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds and stringy bits. Place the two halves face up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce the squash. Allow to cool.

In the meantime, heat some olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the carrots, onion, and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the lentils and cook for another minute. Scoop out all of the flesh from the cooked butternut squash and add it to the mixture along with the spices. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) to puree until completely smooth. To serve, I usually garnish this soup with crumbled bacon and a drizzle of heavy cream. Since we were eating this on the beach; however, I left off the garnish and served the soup in small mugs as a sipping soup.

Prosciutto Sandwich w/ Brie & Fig Preserves

Makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 good quality baguette, sliced horizontally and then split into 3 equal parts

Several slices of prosciutto

3 oz fig preserves

4 oz Brie cheese, cut into 1/4 inch thick wedges

1 C. arugula

balsamic vinegar

 I used a good quality, French baguette for these sandwiches from a little French bakery called Christophe’s in downtown Charleston. The owner is actually from France so these baguettes are about as good as you can get…outside of France. Layer the prosciutto and Brie on the bottom half of each baguette portion and then top with the arugula. Spread the fig preserves on the top halves and finish with a drizzle of a nice, thick balsamic. Reassemble the two halves and then wrap each sandwich with a layer of parchment paper. Secure the parchment paper with some twine.

Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients For Filling:

4 C. Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cut into small cubes

1/2 C. sugar

1 T. flour

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

16 soft caramel candies, chopped into pieces

Combine all ingredients (except the caramel candy pieces) in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Ingredients For Pastry:

3 C. flour

1 1/4 C. shortening

2 t. salt

5 T. water

1 T. distilled white vinegar

1 beaten egg

Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture until a crumbly texture results. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients and then stir into the dry mixture. Once the egg mixture has been incorporated, lightly flour your hands and the kitchen counter surface you’re working on, and then knead until all the ingredients have come together to form a smooth dough ball.

Add more flour to your work surface, to the outside of the dough ball, and to a rolling pin. Use the rolling pin to roll out the dough until about 1/8-inch thick. Next, use a 3-inch circular cookie cutter to cut out discs for the tops and bottoms of the hand pies, rerolling the unused dough as many times as needed in order to use it up. Place half of the discs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and top with a spoonful of the apple mixture. Add one caramel candies worth of chopped pieces onto the apple mixture and then sprinkle with a touch of salt.

Whisk together 1 egg and 1 T. water to form an egg wash. brush the outer edge of each round on the baking sheet and then top with a second disc. Use a fork to press the two discs together along the edges. Brush each pie top with the rest of the egg wash and then cut small slits in the shape of an X in the center of each pie. Bake for 20 minutes or until nicely golden brown.