Art Of Picnicking

The art of picnicking is one that requires very little expertise, but a great deal of enthusiasm. A successful picnic may be one that involves numerous bugs, howling winds, sand in your sandwiches or even a thunderstorm. That is all part of the fun, but that is in fact the secret. For all the planning you do, you need to keep an open mind and a sense of humour, remembering that the reason you wanted to have a picnic in the first place was to have quality time with loved ones.

So, let me talk about the planning part: the more flexible you can be, the more chance of success you have. If you put the tomatoes in a separate container instead of already adding them to your sandwiches, then the extra time to drive to the prettier side of the lake will not make them soggy! Having a tarp and some rope or one of those pop-up canopies will mean you can still picnic in the rain (although I have been known to spread the fare out on the dash of the car!) And always having your picnic basket at the ready, with cloth napkins, a cheese board and knife and a few wine glasses means you can go on an impulse to watch the sunset from the beach.

Okay, I know, you’re thinking “When is she going to get to the food?!” Well, here are a few of my favourite ideas for picnic fare:

• “build-able” sandwiches – take your favourite fillings and sides, along with a couple of types of bread and let everyone make their own sandwich (anything goes, from cold cuts to tapenade with cheese)
  
• roast chicken with salads – this can be a fun potluck picnic, and I learned the secret to a great green salad is to put the dressing in a plastic bag and then you can toss the salad in the bag when you arrive and it will not be already wilted!
  
• Quiche can be a fancier picnic item, served from the dish – add asparagus in a spoke-like pattern for a beautiful presentation
  
• Oysters make a decadent picnic if you know how to shuck them, but some steamed mussels can be lovely too and they are tasty cold with a vinaigrette
  
• Desserts can be as fancy as you can carry – when I was a kid, Oreo cookies were special picnic treats, but cupcakes are fun and fruit pies or tarts are a wonderful celebration of the season.

(If you would like any recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the website, as we are happy to share.)

I hope some of those ideas inspire you for a picnic sometime soon – take a load off and enjoy watching the world go by. Remember the corkscrew and the camera so you can toast your initiative at sunset and record the memories!

OLIVE TAPENADE:
500ml of Kalamata Olives, rinsed in warm water to take away the saltiness
One whole bunch of Italian Parsley
2 cloves of Garlic
1/2 cup of Roasted Pine Nuts
1/3 of Lemon Rind with a rasp
1/4 cup of Olive Oil

1- Using a food processor, chop the garlic and parsley very small with some olive oil
2- Add the olives and pine nuts and chop to desired texture
3- Season with black pepper and lemon rind

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.