Qipan Shan Picnic

My Shenyang foodie partner-in-crime, Barbara, and I thought it would be a great idea to picnic in a natural scenic spot (a novelty in Shenyang). It would rejuvenate us!

On the path up Qipan Shan

We planned a day trip to Qipan Shan (Qipan Mountain) and the Botanical Gardens in the Dongling District of Shenyang. It took one hour to get there by bus and a rip-off taxi ride to get to the foot of the humid mountain. We were not in a good mood. The only thing that kept us going was the homemade picnic fare we cooked the night before.

Barbara baked mushroom and gruyere quiches from scratch, while I made curry chicken kebabs, mango-peach-ground cherry fruit salad, and bow-tie pasta salad with cherry tomoatoes, gruyere, and tuna in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. We washed it all down with chilled sweetened green tea.

The Chef and Her Mushroom Gruyere Quiche

Pasta Salad; The Chef and Her Curry Chicken Kebab

Mango-Peach-Ground Cherry Fruit Salad

View from Qipan Shan

Life was good again until it was time to pack up and head back down the mountain, argue with cab drivers to get back to the bus stop, and ride the hour-long bus back to downtown Shenyang.