The Cup Match holiday means fun in the sun, be at Somerset watching the big game, relaxing at the beach, or out on the water. It is also a time for large parties and barbecues at home with friends and/or family. However you choose to spend the holiday, enjoying food in the open air is the way to go. With this in mind, the following recipes are chosen because they are deliciously different, easy to prepare, and many are ideal to take along on picnics. Enjoy!

OVEN-FRIED PICNIC CHICKEN

½ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 ½ to 3 lbs. skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks

½ cup whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon baking powder

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Olive oil cooking spray

WHISK buttermilk, mustard, garlic and hot sauce in a shallow bowl until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for between 30 minutes and eight hours.

Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top and coat with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sesame seeds, paprika, thyme, baking powder, salt and pepper in a separate small bowl.

Place flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag. Shaking off excess marinade, place chicken in bag, one to two pieces at a time, and shake to coat.

Shake off excess flour and place chicken on the prepared rack. Discard any remaining flour mixture and marinade. Spray chicken pieces with cooking spray, and bake until crust is golden brown and inside is no longer pink (approx. 40-50 minutes). Yield: 4 servings.

PEANUTTY PASTA

½ cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

? cup orange juice

1 clove garlic, pressed

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated

¼ cup hot water

1 lb. angel hair pasta, cooked, drained and rinsed

2 scallions, very thinly sliced

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and shredded

WHISK together in a large bowl the first nine ingredients. Add pasta, scallions, cucumber, and cilantro and, using your fingers, toss and coat the noodles. Add salt or more vinegar to taste for more vibrancy. Let stand at room temperature if you're going to eat fairly soon — otherwise refrigerate. Yield: 4 generous servings.

HONEY CHICKEN SKEWERS

¼ cup vegetable oil

? cup honey

? cup soy sauce

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cloves garlic

5 small onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, cut into 2-inch strips

skewers

IN a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Set aside small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Marinade chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in a bowl for as long as possible, but not less than two hours.

Pre-heat barbecue to high heat. Drain marinade from chicken and vegetables, discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto skewers. Lightly oil the grill grate, and place skewers on the grill. Cook 12-15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently. Yield: 12 servings.

GRILLED VEGETABLES IN FOIL

2 ½ lbs. new potatoes, thinly sliced

1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced

2 Bermuda onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

½ lb. fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

Sprig fresh rosemary

Sprig fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup olive oil

Pre-heat grill to high heat. In a large bowl, combine the new potatoes, sweet potato, Bermuda onions, green beans, rosemary, and thyme. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper to coat.

Using 2 to 3 layers of foil, create desired number of foil packets. Brush inside surfaces of packets liberally with remaining olive oil. Distribute vegetable mixture evenly among the packets. Seal tightly. Cook 30 minutes, or until potatoes ar tender, on pre-heated grill, turning once. Yield: 10 servings. Note: Can use other veggie combos of your choice.

BRILLIANT BAKED BEANS

6 slices bacon

1 cup finely chopped Bermuda onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 16-oz. can pinto beans

1 16-oz. can Great Northern beans, drained

1 16-oz. can baked beans

1 16-oz. can red kidney beans, drained

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained

¾ cup ketchup

½ cup molasses

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

½ teaspoon pepper

PRE-HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Place bacon in a large, deep frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings, drain on paper towel, crumble and set aside in a large bowl. Cook onion and garlic in reserved drippings until onion is tender; drain excess grease, blot with paper towel, and transfer to the bowl with the bacon. To the bacon and onions add pinto beans, northern beans, baked beans, kidney beans and garbanzo beans. Stir in ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and black pepper. Mix well and transfer to a 9 x12-inch casserole dish. Cover and bake in pre-heated oven for 1 hour. Yield: 10 servings.

COLE SLAW WITH A TWIST

½ medium head red cabbage, finely shredded

¼ cup finely minced Bermuda onion

2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and finely diced

1 cup mayonnaise

½ teaspoon salt

? teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons milk

IN a large serving bowl, combine cabbage, onion, and apples, toss. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, and milk. Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Chill until serving time. Yield: 12 servings.

SPICY FUSILI SALAD

1 16-oz. pkge fusili (spiral pasta)

3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ lb. provolone cheese, cubed

½ lb. salami, cubed

¼ lb. sliced pepperoni, cut in half

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 10-oz. can black olives, drained

1 4-oz. jar pimientos, drained

1 8-oz. bottle Italian salad dressing

BRING a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine pasta with tomatoes, cheese, salami, pepperoni, green pepper, olives, and pimientos. Pour in salad dressing, and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

SIMPLE LEMONADE PIE

1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 8-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 9-inch prepared graham cracker crust

IN a large bowl, combine lemonade concentrate and sweetened condensed milk. Fold in whipped topping. Pour filling into crust, and chill until serving time. Yield: 1 pie.

EASY-PEASEY ICE CREAM

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup half and half

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Kosher or rock salt (table salt works but not as well)

Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)

1 pint-size Ziploc bag

2 1-gallon Ziploc bags

COMBINE sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal tightly. Put one gallon-size bag inside the other. Place the salt and ice in the inner gallon-size bag, then place sealed smaller bag inside that one. Seal the larger bags and shake until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done. Yield: 1 serving. For multiple servings, adjust recipe for number of bags to fill. This is a fun way to "serve" dessert for adults and children alike, and there's no clean-up afterwards.

LUSCIOUS LIME SQUARES

1 ¼ cups unsifted flour

1 stick unsalted butter, sliced

1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest

Pinch of salt

½ cup fresh lime juice

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon baking powder

Confectioners' sugar

PRE-HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan. Blend 1 cup flour, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon lime zest, and salt with a pastry blender until mixture forms a loose paste. Put into baking pan and pat evenly onto the bottom, plus ½-inch edge around the pan sides. Bake until the crust is pale golden (15-20 minutes). Remove from oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Cool crust 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining flour, sugar, and lime zest, along with lime juice, eggs, and baking powder. Pour filling onto the partially cooked crust, then bake 25 minutes until filling is set. Cool completely, then chill at least 2 hours before cutting into 16 squares. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. To freeze: wrap individual squares in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container.