need recipes that can stand the heat

[beakiebean]

We're going to a family reunion this weekend and I need to bring food. It's going to be high 80's/low 90's and we're going to be outside so I need to make something that's going to be edible and not disintegrate after sitting on the picnic table in the shade for 2-3 hours. I've got a couple ideas for desert but I could use some suggestions for appetizer/salad/or side dish recipes. Pretty much anything goes-I can bring whatever.

Becca

[jamiescudder]

Baked beans, watermelon and pasta salad with Italian dressing are all that come to mind right now. I don't know if you need recipes, so I'll include them just in case.

Baked Beans
2 or 3 of the larger cans of pork n' beans (more or less depending on size of crowd)
brown sugar
ketchup
mustard
medium size onion
garlic powder
maple syrup or molasses
bacon

Drain the beans and put them in an appropriately sized baking dish. Dice the onion and throw it in. Add a small squirt of mustard and a slightly larger squirt of ketchup. Sprinkle some garlic powder on. Add about 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup maple syrup or molasses. Stir everything together and taste. Add more sugar to suit your tastes. Lay bacon strips across the top and bake until the bacon is cooked.

Pasta Salad
Pasta (multicolored and/or interesting shapes is best), prepared according to package
cheese (we prefer a sharp cheddar), cut into bite-size cubes
medium onion, diced
sliced olives
pepperoncini peppers, sliced or whole
1 bottle of Italian salad dressing

Toss first 5 ingredients together in a bowl. Add enough dressing to coat well, toss again.

[edenparadox]

You could try a potato salad but use olive oil instead of mayo.

[Summrs]

Rice salad (You can halve this if it's too much)

10 cups white long or short grain rice, cooked
1 cup chives, chopped
1/8 cup Orange Zest, blanched
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, minced
1/2 cup papaya or mango, diced fine
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil (The good stuff)
3 tablespoons fruit vinegar, such as raspberry, or a citris gastrique
kosher salt to taste
white pepper to taste, ground
 
Toss all ingredients in bowl. Let stand for 1 hour, adjust seasoning. Serve hot or cold.
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Cumin Coleslaw

1 head of cabbage
1 1/2 ts salt
1 large sweet red pepper, sliced into 2” strips
2 ts lime zest, from one or two limes
4 tb fresh lime juice
2 tb rice wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1/2 ts cayenne pepper
2 ts ground cumin
2 tb honey
2 tb extra virgin olive oil

Core and thinly slice cabbage.  Salt with 1 1/2 ts of salt and set aside in a colander over a bowl for an hour to drain.  Rinse salt off and pat cabbage dry.  Put the shredded cabbage into a bowl.  Add sweet pepper. Stir together lime zest and juice, vinegar, cayenne, cumin, honey and oil in medium bowl.  Toss cabbage and peppers in dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve chilled.