Chefs’ Picnic

In picnic baskets and bags everywhere this Labor Day weekend, lunch meats will lie limply on soggy bread. Boring old mayonnaise will ooze from sandwiches. Peanut butter, though popular, will make for the same old-same old.

The picnic-packing doldrums will do in more picnics than any army of ants could.

But whether you tote them to the beach or the backyard, picnic sandwiches don’t need to be dull. We asked a few local chefs for ideas: Tara Thomas of Traxx in Los Angeles, Mako Antonishek of Le Colonial in West Hollywood and Sue Campoy and Kathy deKarr of Julienne in San Marino. What they made--and all pretty quickly--would do any picnic proud.

“Sandwiches don’t have to be pedestrian food,” says Thomas, whose restaurant on the Union Station concourse serves several lunch sandwiches. “I’m a big fan of playing with food, taking classical combinations and tweaking them.”

As an example, she crafted a simple, slightly sweet summer sandwich of thinly sliced prosciutto and sliced fresh figs. She set the meat and figs on a piece of toasted hazelnut bread that had been spread with mascarpone cheese. Served open face, the sandwich was beautiful.

“With sandwiches, as with any dish, you’re looking for contrast, color and texture. And you want the flavors to play off of each other,” she says.

Another sandwich she made from sliced heirloom tomatoes layered with slices of fresh mozzarella was an explosion of color.

At Julienne, a popular San Marino spot for breakfast, lunch and take-out, owner Campoy and catering manager deKarr made an open-faced egg salad sandwich topped with smoked salmon.

“The sweet onion and celery (of the egg salad) with the smokiness of the salmon is such a good combination,” Campoy says. “And some of those old world combinations can’t be beat. This is just a variation.”

One popular lunch sandwich at Julienne is chicken salad with tarragon served on rosemary bread. “I never thought of tarragon with rosemary, but people come from all over for that sandwich,” Campoy says.

A good way to boost an ordinary sandwich is to switch the spread. Use flavored mustards. Do something with chutneys or relishes. Campoy and deKarr made a simple grilled chicken sandwich come to life when served on focaccia with a fresh peach relish spiked with fennel and mint.

“Just plan a slight change,” deKarr says. “You might do a salsa mayo rather than a plain mayo; we do that with a steak sandwich, and it adds a little jalapeno.”

And don’t overlook the bread, one of the most important components of a sandwich. To make her Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwiches, Antonishek sliced and toasted French bread purchased from a nearby bakery. One sandwich was made of pork pa^te, the other with sliced pork meatloaf, both from a Vietnamese market. The sandwiches were brightened with sliced jalapenos and a mixture of pickled carrot and daikon strips.

The sturdy bread helps support the sandwich’s weighty ingredients, and toasting helps keep the sandwich from getting soggy, Antonishek says.

For Thomas, flavored and artisanal breads are the only way to go. “They add a complexity,” she says. “And the artisanal breads will hold up better for a picnic because they’re more dense.”

Some other ideas for sprucing up sandwiches:

* Think salad and you might have a sandwich. “A lot of great salads make great sandwiches,” Thomas says. “People like chicken Caesar salads. Well, Caesar dressing is sort of glorified mayonnaise, the croutons are the bread. Romaine lettuce is lettuce and chicken is chicken. So put it on a sandwich.”

* Fight the soggy problem by blotting tomatoes well with paper towels before adding them to sandwiches, deKarr says. And watch the amount of dressing, especially if you have a porous bread.

* You can also wrap sandwiches in butcher paper or parchment paper, Antonishek suggests, then place them in a plastic bag. The paper helps absorb moisture.

* On the other hand, a dry sandwich is just as bad as a soggy one. Use some kind of spread on the bread, whether it’s a bit of mayonnaise, a relish or some creamy cheese.

* Don’t forget the salt. “No salt, no flavor,” Thomas says.

* Don’t be afraid to try different things or make what you like. Antonishek, a big mayonnaise lover, once ordered a pastrami sandwich with mayonnaise from a big New York deli.

“My Jewish friends were horrified,” she says with a smile. “But the deli made it. . . . I just love meat and mayo.”

Peach-Fennel Relish

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour chilling

This relish by Sue Campoy and Kathy deKarr of Julienne in San Marino is best used the day it is made. It is wonderful paired with grilled chicken in a sandwich.

3 firm peaches

1 fennel bulb, diced small

1 small red bell pepper, diced small

3/4 cup minced red onion

Juice of 1 orange

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/4 cup minced fennel fronds

3 tablespoons minced chives

3 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves

Coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

* Make an “X” with a knife in bottom of each peach. Poach peaches in simmering liquid over low heat until skin starts to peel away from flesh, about 5 minutes. Remove from liquid and place in bowl of ice water. Peel while still warm. Cut peaches in half and remove pits, then finely dice. * Using rubber spatula, gently combine peaches, fennel, bell pepper, onion, juice, syrup, fennel fronds, chives and mint in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 1 hour.

3 3/4 cups. Each 1/4-cup serving: 26 calories; 24 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.21 gram fiber.

Open-Face Smoked Salmon and Egg Salad Sandwiches

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 30 minutes chilling

You can also use individual brioche rolls for these sandwiches from the chefs at Julienne in San Marino. If you do, add baby greens.

8 hard-boiled eggs

1/3 cup minced celery

1/2 cup minced red onion

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 to 3/4 pound smoked salmon

4 slices walnut bread or other dark whole-grain bread

* Finely mince eggs. Gently combine with celery, onion, dill, mustard and mayonnaise in mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

* For each sandwich, neatly spread layer of egg salad on 1 slice bread; arrange smoked salmon in attractive pattern on top. Grind pepper over top of salmon.

4 sandwiches. Each sandwich: 417 calories; 1 mg sodium; 788 mg cholesterol; 446 grams fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 0.62 gram fiber.

Pickled Carrot and Daikon

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 10 minutes plus 2 hours chilling

From Mako Antonishek at Le Colonial, this is a colorful addition to Vietnamese sandwiches of pork pa^te or pork meatloaf.

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup thinly sliced daikon

1 tablespoon coarse salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons water

* Combine carrots, daikon, salt, sugar, vinegar and water in small bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours.

1 1/2 cups. Each 1/4 cup: 13 calories; 597 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.22 gram fiber.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Chefs’ Picnic From Tara Thomas, Traxx

* Sandwich of Arugula, Prosciutto and Fig: Toss a loosely packed cup of arugula (enough for four sandwiches) with a little salt and extra-virgin olive oil so the leaves are just coated. Lightly grill or toast halves or slices of rustic bread. (Thomas likes hazelnut bread.) Spread bread for each sandwich with 1 tablespoon mascarpone cheese, then top with some arugula. Arrange 3 slices prosciutto on top of arugula. Top each sandwich with 1 1/2 thinly sliced fresh figs. Dot with freshly ground pepper. Can be served open-face.

* Heirloom Tomato Sandwich With Basil Mayonnaise: First, make the mayonnaise. Blanch 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves in salted boiling water, then shock in cold water. Pat dry (Thomas said this helps basil stay green). Puree basil in blender with 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil and continue to blend. Season with salt and pepper, then stir into 1 cup mayonnaise. Chill until ready to serve.

To make sandwiches, lightly grill or toast slices or halves of sturdy bread (Thomas used olive panini). Spread with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, then layer with 3 or 4 slices different colored heirloom tomatoes and sprinkle with salt. Top with 4 thin slices fresh mozzarella, 3 or 4 more slices tomato, dash salt, then 3 thinly sliced basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil. If sandwiches are too thick, remove some bread to hollow out rolls.

From Sue Campoy and Kathy deKarr, Julienne

* Grilled Chicken Sandwiches With Peach-Fennel Relish and Mint Mayonnaise: Prepare the relish (see recipe). To make the mint mayonnaise, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise and 3 tablespoons pureed roasted garlic in small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves. Chill until ready to use.

Cut in half 4 (4-inch) squares focaccia or other bread. Spread each half with mint mayonnaise. Cut 4 cooled grilled chicken breasts into thin slices and divide among 4 pieces of bread. Season with salt and pepper. Drain Peach-Fennel Relish and spread even layer to taste on other bread halves, pressing down lightly. Top with shaved fennel and arugula or baby greens to taste. Carefully close sandwich.

From Mako Antonishek, Le Colonial

Vietnamese Sandwiches: Prepare Pickled Carrot and Daikon (see recipe). For these sandwiches, Antonishek used packaged Vietnamese-style liver pa^te (pate gan) and pork meatloaf, both found at Asian markets and delis.

Lightly toast French bread halves or rolls until crisp. To make sandwiches, top bread halves with 2 to 3 slices meatloaf or spread with pa^te. Arrange on top of meat thinly sliced strips of red jalapeno, sliced cucumber wedges and pickled vegetables to taste. Top each with a few sprigs cilantro and other bread half.