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Growing up the fourth was all about the Oregon coast: sandcastles, cracked crab, my brother’s illegal fireworks and smores. Being the tradition purist that I am, it’s curious that I don’t head to the beach for a sandy picnic. But there’s a difference between the Oregon and California coasts…a little thing called traffic. So last night we started a new tradition, staying in the canyon, for a ‘picnic’ on the porch. Amy gave in (thanks Amy) and used flags on the table as well as enough candles to mirror a fireworks display. She cleverly placed matches at each place setting so that we could keep our ‘bonfire’ lit in the breeze. I made a southern themed picnic featuring buttermilk fried chicken from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc cookbook. Ummm…kind of insane. And smores took the form of a pie. While tasty, my purist heart continues to prefer the classic. Why mess with perfection?

The Menu
moscow mules
cheddar penny crackers – spicy pickled green beans
oven baked potato chips
the buffet
ad hoc’s buttermilk fried chicken
tomato and roasted corn salad with cornbread croutons
macaroni salad with pickles, peas and dill
vinegar coleslaw
peach cobbler
smores pie