Picnic Time: Summer Favorites for the Perfect Herbal Picnic

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Place this breading mix in a gallon-size freezer bag and shake.

Using a handheld or conventional blender, beat the egg whites, mustard and beer until frothy. Pour the egg-white mixture into a shallow baking pan.

In a frying pan, heat an inch of canola or other vegetable oil until hot.

Working piece by piece, dip the chicken in the frothy egg-white mixture, then place it in the plastic bag and shake until thoroughly coated with breading. For an extra-thick crust, repeat the procedure.

Fry each piece until golden brown on all sides and until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. This should take about 15 to 17 minutes for whole pieces of chicken or 10 minutes for chicken tenders.

Drain on several thicknesses of paper towels. If you wish to make fried chicken the day before a picnic, drain it thoroughly on paper towels, then store it in the refrigerator on a clean layer of paper towels, covered only by a second layer of paper towels on top. This keeps it crispy, whereas covering the chicken with plastic wrap or foil makes it soggy.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT FUDGE

Peppermint is the only mint with enough oomph to stand up to chocolate. Use fresh-chopped peppermint leaves or, in a pinch, substitute store-bought peppermint extract. Making this in a small-capacity slow cooker is a foolproof way to melt the chocolate.

Serves 4 to 6

3 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (1/2 stick)
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh peppermint leaves, chopped

In the crock of a small slow cooker, melt chocolate, butter and condensed milk on the low setting. Check and stir from time to time until all chocolate is melted and smooth.

Gently stir in walnuts and peppermint leaves. (The peppermint must be completely dry when you drop it into the chocolate.)

Pour the mix into a 9-by-9-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the pan in the refrigerator until hard, then remove and pull fudge out by tugging gently on aluminum foil. Invert fudge on a wooden cutting board or counter and gently peel off aluminum foil.

Using a 10-inch chef’s knife with a blade heated under hot running water, cut the fudge into squares. (You may wish to rinse the knife under hot running water several times.)

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