4th of July Picnic

With the 4th of July landing on a Friday this year we had big plans for the day: picnic, sunshine, and fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge Park.  Here's how it turned out:

 Dishes from our 4th of July

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 (6 ounce) cans marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• • 1 (2 ounce) can black olives, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
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  • Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.
2. In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
3. Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

Pork Tenderloin marinated in ginger teriyaki 

Pork with havarti cheese, ginger, BBQ aioli, spinach and tomatoes on toasted ciabatta 

Fruit salad for dessert

Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate with us (thunderstorms all day) so we made the best of it and brought the picnic to our living room.  At least the food was delicious!

Our Tipsy Pig glasses :)