Large cannellini beans, barley, and arugula mix together to become an easy salad for bringing to the park to enjoy on a warm spring day. April 22nd is Earth Day. Get involved. Have a Picnic for the Planet.
The weather has been kind lately. Too kind, almost.
Where I live the weather can change quickly, from sunny and warm to cold and snowing overnight (as it did Sunday to Monday this week). The changing seasons and shifting temperatures remind us to take advantage of the good weather while it’s here: forcing us outdoors, inviting the neighbors over at the last minute, postponing dinner to get a family bike ride in. If you live in a climate that is regularly 70 degrees and sunny, taking advantage of a nice day to get outside and enjoy it may not be a priority. You get overly comfortable with the idea that tomorrow will be just as nice, every bit as enjoyable and inviting.
Never stop taking advantage of those perfect moments when the breeze is gently blowing, the sun slowly setting in the west. Those nights are the perfect excuse for an outdoor picnic, for standing around with friends and neighbors and talking. Your house doesn’t need to be clean, but you can still enjoy the weather and the company of the people you love.
Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and the Nature Conservancy is encouraging everyone to get outside and enjoy and celebrate the planet we live on. Last year’s Picnic for the Planet boasted over 600 picnics in 61 countries across the globe. This year, The Nature Conservancy is going for the official Guinness Book of World Records title for the most people picnicking in a 24-hour period. Find out how you can join in on Picnic for the Planet and get involved in setting the record!
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups baby arugula leaves
In a large bowl, combine the barley, cannellini beans, and red onion. In a small container, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil. Pour the dressing over the barley and bean mixture and toss to coat evenly. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.
Just before serving, add in the tomatoes and arugula, and toss to combine. Serve chilled.
Makes 6 servings.
A Giveaway:
I’m giving away a Picnic for the Planet basket from The Nature Conservancy full of fun picnic supplies for the summer!
- Coleman Collapsible canvas basket lined with gingham fabric
- Official Picnic for the Planet merchandise (water bottle, tee, blanket, temporary tattoo)
- Reusable bamboo utensil set by To-Go Ware
- Popchips
- Peeled Snacks organic dried fruit
- Green and Black chocolate bar
- Back to Nature crackers and cookies
- Burt’s Bees chapstick
TO ENTER:
- Simply leave a comment on this anyone telling me what you’re doing for Earth Day, what you like to bring to picnics, just say hi.
- Follow Food for My Family and The Nature Conservancy on Twitter and Tweet the following and leave a comment letting me know you did:
Enter to win a @nature_org Picnic for the Planet basket from @FoodforMyFamily http://wp.me/puu57-2Um #giveaway
- If you follow Food for My Family or The Nature Conservancy on Facebook, let me know with a comment.
Make the rounds for more chances to win:
::All Day I Dream About Food
::A Spicy Perspective
::Cookin Canuck
::Created By Diane
::Dine & Dish
::Food for My Family
::Gourmande in the Kitchen
::I am Baker
::Jeanette’s Healthy Living
::The Little Kitchen
::Tidy Mom
THE RULES:
This giveaway will run until Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm CDT and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years of age and older. A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org from all eligible entries. Chosen winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize. Good luck!
Now that’s a picnic basket! I’d fill it to the top with a variety of fresh cheeses, tomato, avocado, fresh fruit, just-baked bread, a bottle of wine and definitely some squares of dark chocolate.
Cheers,
*Heather*
Already following Food for My Family on Twitter, and tweeted the giveaway.
Liked the Nature Conservancy on FB as well.
What an amazing giveaway! My family would love this basket.
Id love to picnic on earth day. That’s a great idea. There’s a spot I like to home by a horse ranch that has the best trees for shade.
That picnic basket is amazing. Although I already have a regular one this one will definitely take center!
I’m following you on Facebook and twitter.
What a fun giveaway!
I hope to picnic on Earth Day. If the weather holds up, I plan to meet some friends at the local park.
We’re planning a picnic, of course, but it is also going to rain, so we need a plan B!
I like to bring pan bagnat to a picnic. And lemonade. And that bean salad looks awfully good.
Already following you both and tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/saladgoddess/status/192684164418506753
We like to take picnics to college baseball & soccer games!
Yumm!! This is a lovely salad for any picnic – – I love the idea of having simple backyard picnics, it’s what this weather is made for 🙂
Looks like I’m having a picnic! What a great salad. I love anything with cannellini beans
I follow you on Facebook
Following on Twitter & Tweeted! @bellalimento
I love picnics with my kids, afterwards we lay and just look at the clouds… 🙂
I love cold salads for a picnic, and I love white beans! I would pack exactly something like this. Along with bread. And chocolate.
I would fill that basket up with pasta salad and grilled chicken sandwich wraps with brownies for dessert! Oh yeah , lots of sweet tea too:)
We like to take a picnic to a park for dinner a few times a month. Usually it is impromptu.
This salad looks great! Added it to my list of recipes to try!
Wow that is a great basket giveaway I love your website so fresh and fun hope I win.
I like Nature Conservancy on FB!!
Fruit: my favorite combination for a picnic or barbecue is strawberries, honeydew, and blueberries. Yum!
What a lovely idea! Thanks for sponsoring this giveaway.
I follow you on Facebook
We are going to plant our garden! We like to take Egg Salad Sandwiches, Carrots, Homemade Potato Chips, and Lemoneade and Super Sweet Iced Tea for picnics!
Our township has an Earth day celebration, so may stop by there. Planting in the garden sounds like a great idea for the day.
A picnic sounds great! And we will likely do some kind of tree craft.
We try to conserve in all ways that we can so we will continue to do this for Earth Day. A picnic sounds great! I like to take sandwiches, yogurt and some kind of fruit.
Would love to win this! Thanks!
i like to bring fried chicken on picnics
I am volunteering all day at my girls’ school.
I Follow Food for My Family and The Nature Conservancy on Twitter and Tweeted (@onitnaram)
This looks great. On earth day I will probably be doing some thrift store shopping.
Weather permitting, we’ll be heading to Cannon Beach.
For Earth day I will start growing micro-greens…
Thanks for the recipe. I was searching for a lentil soup recipe on the net and found this site. Tried it out, very delicious.
potato salad and chicken are favorites here as well as individual mini cheesecakes
Follow you on Facebbok too
For picnics I love, love, love cookies!! Any type will do. Though this summer I will add a cocktail peanut recipe that I have been saving. 🙂
I love bringing dessert to picnics! Usually a brownie or cookie bar is perfect!!
One little change I have decided to make is less plastic water bottles! I was even buying them at home for a while. From now on, I vow to primarily rely on Britain and my metal water container. HappyEarth Day.
Oops! Meant Brita! Not Britain!
I follow you on Twitter
Follow you on FB
I haven’t been on a picnic forever … I can however imagine going on the 22nd!
We are going to plant a tree!
My kids have been asking about picnics lately. Now that my little guy *probably* won’t run off if we set up on a blanket I think we can make this happen. At the beach, if the weather is nice!
I love to bring a jicama and green apple salad with lime cilantro viniagrette…. it’s so refreshing for summer!
This sounds great! I love wraps for picnics.
That salad looks delicious. Our fave picnic is actually breakfast. Bagels or scrambled egg burritos, fruit, hot chocolate and then we play at the park all morning.
For Earth Day we are working in the yard, preparing the garden for planting.
I’m going shopping at our local framers’ market for earth Day!
not really doing much on earth day…i like to bring veggies and dip to picnics
This is such a great combination of flavors and ingredients!
Looks like a lovely salad–and what a wonderful giveaway!
That looks super yummy! And that picnic basket is way cool! We will be out picking up garbage in our community for Earth Day!
Hi there. Thanks for supporting The Nature Conservancy this Earth Day, Shaina! We love the photos you took of your recipe on top of the gingham blanket. So festive for a picnic!
-Madeline, The Nature Conservancy
We’re doing a major landscaping project towards the end of May and installing rain barrels on our downspouts. We’ve wanted to do this for years. Hopefully the next big project will be creating a rain garden at the bottom of our hill where it’s always wet.
Love this giveaway. What a great idea.
I follow both you and NC on Twitter, and tweeted about the giveaway.
I’m there on Facebook, for both, too. 🙂
This looks so fresh and yummy! I was just picking arugula this morning. I love its bitter, peppery taste. Can’t wait to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing!
~Caroline
Hello..
I have been following your blog for a few months now. I think my husband sent me the link. We have made and enjoyed many of your yummy recipes! That picnic basket looks great! We go on picnics/cookouts whenever we can. We love to cook sausages over the fire, or bring sandwiches and fruit or just great finger food (like pepperettes and cheese)
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Tina
Love the combination of ingredients and fresh flavors in this salad, perfect for a picnic for Earth Day.
I will be at the Coachella Music Festival this year on Earth Day
The salad looks beautiful and delicious. I am hoping this weekend I can get a few boxes for my garden made.
I like to bring just myself to a picnic!
Growing, my family would picnic all the time. We didn’t have a cabin so our weekend fun in the summer became biking and picnicking. Some of my favorite memories are of my family having picnics. One memory I have is when we went on a winter picnic – it was cold, but we all loved it!
Hi! I love cheese and crackers with salami for picnics.
What a delicious looking salad! I usually just take sandwiches and fruit on picnics.
Following on twitter and tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/GoddessFoodie/status/193370166820741121
This salad looks amazing!
Make the Scene Monday @ Alderberry Hill
Alderberryhill.blogspot.com
Great looking salad!
For picnics I like to bring cold boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce.
Hi! I love to bring watermelon to a picnic!
I follow Food for My Family or The Nature Conservancy on Facebook
This is the perfect dish fro a picnic… saving this one for the next trip to the Cape.
hi picnic sounds fun thanks:)
like u both on fb Julie A Scott Laws
taking my recycles to the recycle unit, checking out the amazing earth day festival in our community(walking or riding my bike.
I would bring popcorn in my reusable sandwich bags, lightly sauteed local blue shrimp, grilled vegetable medley grown locally w cous cous pesto and wine in mason jars. yum
The only thing we did for Earth Day was to spend some time outside soaking up the warm weather and sunshine
It was such a miserable day out. We stayed indoors with our church youth group and watched a movie.
‘Like’ ood for My Family and The Nature Conservancy on Facebook – Jill Lear
Follow Food for My Family and The Nature Conservancy on Twitter and Tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/chipdip2010/status/194244101024124929
For Earth Day I went to the festival in SB California….where Earth Day began!! Then I went to a bridal shower picnic….and I brought earth friendly plates, cups, etc. 😉
I would love to take my daughter and husband (or maybe just my husband) on a nice picnic.
It really looks great, I’ve seen many other posts, that’s the info I needed, thanks for sharing.