Pesto potato salad and baguette sandwiches on a beach

Oh man, one of my favorite things about summer is fresh basil. I frequently fight the urge to pick it off the plant and rub it all over my body. I'd smell like a combo of summer and Italian food. It doesn't get any better than that. Today for a beach picnic,

I used up the pesto from this dinner to make a fab potato salad that reeked of basil and awesome.

Potato Salad on the Beach

2 pounds potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces and boiled until done.
1 pound green beans, lightly steamed in bite sized pieces
1 cup small tomatoes,quartered
1/2 cucumber, dices
1/2 cup leftover pesto
1/2 cup vegan mayo

Combine all ingredients except pesto and mayo in a large bowl. Add pesto and mayo in a separate bowl, and then toss to coat your salad. Cool until ready to eat.

I was also inspired by another friend's "best picnic ever", which involved baguettes in France. While I don't have the exotic locale, I do have a baguette and a competitive spirit that makes me want to win every "best ever" contest ever held. So I also made these sandwiches with fried tofu.

Bad Ass Beach Baguettes

1/2 whole wheat baguette
Hummus for spreading
1/2 cucumber, sliced as thin as you can
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
Fried Tofu
Handful of greens
2 tbs of whatever dressing you have in your fridge. I had miso cashew.

Cut baguette in half, spread both sides with hummus, and add your remaining ingredients. Wrap it up all pretty to impress your friends with your skillz.

Most enjoyable when eaten on a sunny day with friends overlooking an embarrassingly polluted great lake.