Summertime is picnic time! Get three simple and delicious recipes to enjoy on a warm day with friends.

Written & Photographed By: Laura Miner

All of the dishes are jam-packed with flavor while still being a bit better for you than traditional picnic foods. So go ahead, indulge in these recipes at your next backyard cookout or picnic. Your taste buds will thank you!

BLT Salad (Photo Above)
Serves: 4
Imagine everything you love about the classic BLT sandwich, but with a refreshing, healthier twist! Every single element that makes a BLT so beloved is represented in this recipe, but this BLT is served in a veggie-packed salad form. Crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy croutons are paired together, then tossed in a creamy, rich, and herby dressing, made with a base of Greek yogurt! Every bite just gets better and better.

Dressing Ingredients:
1/2  cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs. Use any combination of parsley, dill, tarragon, and chives.
1/4 tsp salt & pepper

Salad Ingredients:
6 cups chopped lettuce
8 pieces bacon, cooked and cooled
1.5 cups croutons
1 cup diced tomatoes

Directions:
1. Prepare the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. Store covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve the salad.
2. Assemble the salad. Cut the bacon and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Toss with the salad dressing and serve right away.

Notes:
• If you’re making this in advance, keep the dressing, bacon, and croutons separate until just before serving to keep it crunchy!
• For a lower fat option, use turkey bacon.
• Make it a complete meal by adding your favorite protein to the salad, like grilled chicken or hard boiled eggs.

Southwest Turkey Burgers
Serves: 4 
Inspired by bold southwest flavors, this turkey burger puts a healthier twist on a cookout classic. The burger is flavored with chipotle peppers and tons of herbs and spices for just the right amount of spicy kick. It’s all mellowed out with a cooling cilantro-lime avocado spread, your favorite toppings, and served on a toasty bun.

Burger Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/2 tsp each cumin, salt
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chipotle powder
3 tbsp canned chipotles, minced
Optional toppings: lettuce, sliced tomato, monterey jack cheese
4 burger buns

Smashed Avocado Spread:
2 avocados
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp minced cilantro
1/4 tsp salt

Chipotle Ketchup:
1/2  cup prepared ketchup, any kind
1/2  tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2  – 1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder

Directions:
1. To prepare the burger mixture, use your hands to mix together the ground turkey, cilantro, chipotles, and seasonings. Form into four patties. Place the burgers in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes to help them firm up and stay together when transferring to the grill. 
2. Make the avocado mash. Cut open and remove the pits from the avocados.
Scoop out the flesh and place it in a bowl. Add lime juice, cilantro, and salt.
Use a fork to roughly smash the avocado and mix it together. Mix the chipotle ketchup ingredients together.
3. Mix the ketchup with apple cider vinegar and chipotle powder, starting with less and tasting until it’s the level of spicy that you enjoy.
4. Preheat a clean, well-oiled grill to 400°F. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 13-16 minutes total, carefully flipping halfway through. When the middle of the burger reaches 165°F, remove the burgers and set them aside.
5. Assemble and serve. Toast the buns. Spoon a few tablespoons of the avocado spread onto the bun, then layer the burger along with any other toppings you enjoy. Serve right away. 

Mediterranean-Inspired Chicken Skewers with Orzo & Feta Salad
Serves: 4-6 (About 8 Skewers)
This recipe is a celebration of all things Mediterranean, and it’s absolutely perfect on a hot summer day! Tender pieces of marinated chicken and thinly sliced summer squash, zucchini, and onions are grilled to perfection and served up on skewers. Plate it alongside a crowd-pleasing orzo salad tossed with crunchy vegetables and delicious feta cheese.

Best of all, the marinade pulls double duty—half will be used to marinate the chicken and half will be used as a vibrant dressing for the orzo salad!

Chicken Skewers Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breasts
2 medium zucchini
2 medium summer squash, medium size
1/2 red onion

Marinade/Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp each of dried thyme, dill, and onion powder
1/4 tsp salt & pepper

Orzo Salad Ingredients:
3 cups cooked & cooled orzo
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1/2  cup diced tomato
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Make the marinade by whisking all the ingredients together.
2. Next, marinate the chicken. Cut the chicken in 1 inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl and pour half of the marinade on top, setting the other half of the marinade aside to use as a dressing later. Turn the chicken until all the pieces are coated.
Cover the bowl and set it aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the orzo salad. Toss the orzo with the diced bell peppers, tomato, cucumber, feta cheese, and the reserved marinade/dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the salad covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.
4. Prepare the skewers. Cut the onion into ½ inch pieces. Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini and summer squash lengthwise to make long ribbons. Thread a piece of chicken, folded zucchini, squash, and onion onto the skewer. Repeat this process until the skewers are filled. 
5. Preheat a well-oiled grill to 400°F. Cook the skewers for 5-7 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, per USDA.
6. Serve the skewers right away with the orzo salad.

Notes:
• Smaller zucchini and squash tend to work better in this recipe. Avoid large zucchini and squash since they are seedy.
• If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes before using them to keep them from burning.
• Don’t pack the skewers too tightly. Leave a little bit of space between each element to ensure even cooking.  

The Importance of Kids Spending Time Outside

By: Shannon Kelly  |  Photos Courtesy: Jill Waugh

Nature is healing,” said Catherine Eubank, founder of ONE Forest School near Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County. 

Her sentiment echoes myriad studies on the healthful impacts of spending time outdoors—and studies that examine what can happen when there is a lack of connection to the natural world.

“Nature deficit disorder” is a term coined by Richard Louv in 2005, in his book, Last Child in
the Woods. In an interview with Jill Suttie for Greater Good Magazine, Louv said the term
“is not a medical diagnosis, but a useful term—a metaphor—to describe what many of us believe are the human costs of alienation from nature: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, a rising rate of myopia, child and adult obesity, Vitamin D deficiency, and other maladies.”

Louv further said urban planning and loss of green spaces contribute to diminished engagement with nature.

Some places in and around the Lynchburg area aim to remedy that.

ONE Forest School

Located near Smith Mountain Lake in Bedford County, ONE Forest School is an accredited forest school and is also accredited by the American Camp Association for the summer camp program it offers. Launched in 2017, the school operates on a 10-acre campus on Deerhead Nature Preserve.

Open to children from preschool through eighth grade, ONE Forest School’s curriculum and setting aims to address what Eubank said is a root cause of school and workplace violence, substance use issues, and suicide rates, particularly among young people: a lack of knowledge on how to healthfully manage strong emotions, and how to communicate them appropriately. 

Part of addressing this issue starts with acknowledging its connection to nature deprivation.

“If you’re in the middle of the forest, and you are not surrounded by anything but sticks and twigs, and beautiful images, and the birds tweeting, it’s a natural sedative. It’s been scientifically proven, the endorphin levels rise in your brain, and all the things that you need to quiet your mind are already right there,” she said.

Eubank has seen the transformative difference nature immersion makes on children as they learn to acclimate to more time outside—building sure-footedness and tuning in to nature rather than manufactured noise and artificial stimuli.

Playing with sticks, making mud cakes, working the garden, putting on skits, making crafts, sharing in talk circles, and spending time in the sand box are all part of the holistic experience. Students learn to identify the flora and fauna by touch, sight, and smell. 

“The kids that have been in public school, and were made to sit down, and made to be quiet have a really hard time also adjusting to our way of things, where we don’t sit down, and we’re moving around, and we’re investigating, and looking, and touching, and feeling, and speaking, and communicating. We have to use that time as an unschooling process,” Eubank said.

More details about ONE Forest School can be found at oneforestschool.org.

Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center

In the City of Lynchburg, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah is a 47-acre nature oasis that, according to its mission statement, “serves emerging social needs through the process of engaging children, families and community in meaningful outdoor experiences.” In 2021,
the camp expanded on that mission by placing 42 of its acres under a conservation easement and rebranding to a new name: Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center.

Featuring a large field, creeks, and some pools, the property is predominantly wooded. Pollinator and sensory gardens are tended there, along with native plants. Students and campers who participate in certain programs have the opportunity to help in the vegetable garden, harvest their own food, and cook with it, learning about nutrition and how to make healthy meals that benefit physical and mental wellbeing. 

Being outside tends to make one want to learn, said Amy Bonnette, Camp Kum-Ba-Yah’s executive director. 

“Not 100 percent, but the majority of the behavior issues or challenges you might see in a traditional classroom setting just disappear, and a lot of children who might struggle in a traditional academic atmosphere can really thrive and succeed, and are willing to ask questions, and willing to share, and are able to use their hands to explore and to learn,” said Gage McAngus, program director at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center. “It’s been really phenomenal, because in discussions we’ve had with teachers, they’ve seen a completely different side of their children.”

Further initiatives underway at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah Nature Center include building renovations, handicap accessibility improvements, addition of a kitchen and event space, and the organization is working toward the goal of breaking ground for a new amphitheater. The nonprofit camp also has scholarships available for a limited number of eligible kids.

“I want people to find their place in the woods,” Bonnette said. The experiences at the nature center help develop confidence and self-esteem in the children who participate, building community, exploring new interests and activities, cultivating listening and communication skills, and developing compassion for other living things as they interact with the natural world and with each other. Leadership and mentoring opportunities are also available for teens through the camp’s programming.

“There seems to be a real kind of gentleness when it comes to nature that you might not get from the anxiety that can come from being in front of a screen, playing a video game, or watching a show that’s going to end after 20 minutes with an ad in the middle.

They really are able to take time to breathe, and to calm down, and to appreciate just the beauty of what’s around them every day,” McAngus said. 

There are a few public access points around the property to walking trails, athletic fields, and pollinator gardens the community can enjoy. The KinderWoods area is also open to the public every day from 9 a.m. ’til dusk when summer camp is not in session.

More information and a calendar of events is available online at campkumbayah.org.