Labor Day Picnic and a Tribute to Workers

Labor Day signals the end of summer vacations, yet time remains for more outdoor adventures.  I was happy to see the campground full and the beach open for swimming at our nearby county park.  For a few of the past summers, the beach was often closed due to the lack of lifeguards.  Thanks to the contributions of a young working lifeguard, many families were swimming and splashing in the warm September sun.  We found a perfect spot to picnic on a table by the lake where salamanders and sunfish schooled.  

Though I prepare the foods the day before, the entree and salad were surprisingly easy to prepare.  I prepared the taco beef in the crock pot, where the sirloin tip steak cooked on low in the seasoned tomato sauce for 4 hours. I cut the cooked meat in thin strips to refrigerate.  We ate the saucy meat on a pita with sliced green olives, radishes, sweet peppers, tomatoes and grated aged cheddar.

Pita Filled Tacos

(Serves 3)

Place steak in a small crock pot.  Cover with sauce, vegetables and seasonings.  Cook on low 4 hours.
8 ounces thin sliced sirloin tip steak (cut for carne assada)  
8 ounce marinara sauce
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup sliced sweet pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Slice in thin strips and refrigerate with sauce overnight.

At table side, fill pita or bread of choice with the meat.  Add toppings of green sliced onion, sliced radishes, tomatoes, sweet pepper strips and grated cheese.

I made the pitas with my go to bread dough recipe.   The recipe made 8 pitas.  The dough rounds rolled thin puff nicely when baked on a preheated stone in a hot (450F) oven for 10 minutes.

The corn salad is a very simple mix of fresh cooked corn, cut off the cob, with cucumbers, vinegar, oil and a few herbs. 

Our picnic today was at Chestnut Ridge Park, a Monongalia County Park.