Perfect Picnic Fare?

[SisterT]

Now that Spring is here (and Summer is right around the corner), it's PICNIC season. Outdoor concerts, trips to the beach, bike rides, etc...

But what to eat? Does anyone have any good suggestions, recipes, and/or tips for what to bring to a picnic (assuming it's just the two of you but can serve up to four)?

Rules:
#1 Food must be edible cold, or suggest a way to bring the food that will keep it warm.

#2 Keep utensils to a minimum (knife, spoon, fork). The less that has to be carried the better.

#3 Can travel well. Sandwiches with dressings get soggy unless you make them when you arrive.

#4 ALL IMPORTANTLY, IT MUST TASTE GREAT!

I know about fried chicken and pasta salads but what else do people pack for a GOOD al fresco dining experience?

[Plano Rose]

We used to fish from a canoe. Food had to be VERY easy to eat. We wrapped hot dogs in foil and packed them in a styrofoam cooler to stay hot. Not gourmet but hit the spot.

[christina z]

My sweetheart and I frequently boil and chill some colossol shrimps, pack them in a cooler with homemade cocktail sauce and the freshest vegetables (lettuce, cukes, celery, etc) we can find. We also pack some good cheese, crusty bread and a couple of bottles of champagne. Then we head for a deserted stretch of the shore and enjoy.

[Sharuf]

Hummus holds very well. Pack some cherry tomatoes, jicama slices and carrot sticks to go with and you have your salad. Pita bread, cold lamb shanks or turkey wings and a melon would make a complete meal.

[chococatgal]

a spanish tortilla (like a frittata but with potatoes) is delicious at room temperature and travels well

[Terrie H.]

Muffuletta, torta rustica, or quiche are also good picnic main courses. Place on a small cutting board, then wrap the whole thing in foil to make it easy to serve. Pack a serrated knife.

[Bill Pisarra, Jr]

Pan bagnat is our fave. Just be sure to bring several hundred napkins.

[Schielke]

A great simple sandwich to make for a picnic:

1. Take a round loaf of crusty bread and cut it in half

2. Put down two layers of your favorite hard salami or other cured meat.

3. Lay a few sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes on top.

4. Lay down a few slices of fresh mozzarella.

5. Spray with your best olive oil.

6. Sprinkle a little pepper and kosher salt.

7. Close it up.

8. Wrap it in wax paper and you are ready to go.

Too good for words.

[Marilayne]

I just went on a surprise picnic for Mothers day.
I had the most delicious smoked turkey breast on a crusty type bread with pesto mayo. My husband smokes
turkey or a bunch of chickens and freezes them for later uses.

[kc girl]

I had a taste of this salad (actually a meal in itself) at a Taste of Newport, but could not for the life of me remember the restaurant a year later. So, I tried to make it up myself. Everyone has always been pleased. It's rather Italian, and very healthy.

1 pre-broiled chicken from a supermarket
1 pkg. Trader Joe's frozen whole french green beans
1/4 C. olive oil
2 big sections of clove of fresh garlic (pressed)
1 T. Italian Seasoning
1 T. Konriko's Greek Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

In a wok (or large pan like a dutch oven), put in the olive oil, crushed fresh garlic, and spices. Heat very slightly to meld the flavors into the oil. (DO NOT COOK THE GARLIC!) As soon as it gets warm, take it off the stovetop and let it sit. Do this about three times while your preparing the rest.

Put a few holes in the package of green beans and microwave to blanch them (about 3-4 minutes if frozen). You can defrost in the fridge first, too and not blanch them, but they get a bit greener when blanched.

Tear the chicken into strips (bite size). (Tearing rather than cutting is simply for presentation)

Put the chicken in the wok and stir.

Add the green beans (the little bit of water that may be there is a good thing) and stir (rather lift with a spatula) together well.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

(Exact measure is not absolutely rule, so if you like more garlic or oil, do it. Just don't cook the oil.)

It actually only takes about 10 minutes total once you've purchased the ingredients. It will last in the fridge for a week. It travels well. It does not wilt or go rancid in the sun. You can eat it warm or cold.

As far as picnicware, I don't mind carting my fine china and srystal to the grassy area at Corona del Mar to enjoy the sunset.

I have used the wooden Easter grass for packing a traditional woven picnic basket and things travel well with that stuff in between everything.

[icecold]

I think there should be at least one warm dish. So I suggest that a soup is packed in a cooler/flask. That should keep it warm till consumption.

Get slices of bread and toast them till crisp and store in ziplock bag to prevent moisture from getting in.

Olive oil and Blasamic vingear should be packed. In tupperware, put slice tomatoes and mozzeralla cheese with thinly sliced prosciutto ham. When consumption is in order just drizzle olive oil and vingear over and ready to eat with your toasts.

Must bring, caviar, soft cheese and crackers. Red wine cos it does not need chilling to be consumed.

Utensils needed? Only forks. One spreading knife for the crackers. Soup can be drank by using mugs.

What do you think?

[SisterT]

I like it!

[lucia]

Greek salad
Tzatziki
Hummus
Pita
Dolmades
Kalamata olives
Retsina or Chianti

or

vichysoisse
smoked salmon
cornichons and lemon slices
french bread
pate de campagne
Camembert
grapes and apples
Sancerre or a Bordeaux

[Jennie Sheeks]

I love picnics, especially evening picnics. I have been known to spontaneously call friends and tell them to meet me in the park in 20 minutes with whatever they can find in their refrigerator.

Some of the things I have had fun with:

Breads, pates, cheeses and dips/spreads

Carrot sticks marinated in rice vinegar, chile flakes and cumin transported in a ziploc

Barely steamed asparagus or green beans marinated in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped garlic and fresh dill transported in tupperware or a ziploc

Pureed soup of fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers served at room temperature and garnished with croutons or chopped kalamata olives and sipped from cups and transported in a thermos, tupperware or large ziploc

Boiled strips of zucchini, drained and marinated in olive oil, garlic and oregano transported in a tupperware or ziploc.

Savory tarts - roll out a sheet of frozen puff pastry, top with any combination of toppings and bake till crust is golden. A few combos that I like are asparagus, goat cheese and pine nuts, or roasted veggies and feta or pesto. Simply slice and wrap in foil or place in a tupperware and put wax paper between the slices.

Salad greens in a large ziploc bag with dressing packed separately and the whole thing tossed on location. I like mixed greens with a balsamic dressing. I pack sliced red onion, dried cranberried and blue cheese separately and add at the last minute.

Tabouleh transported in a ziploc

During the summer I love a chilled bottle of rose, a viognier, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or a zinfandel with moderate alcohol. Don't forget the bottle of water.

I keep a picnic basket stocked with paper plates, napkins, utensils, cups, a wine opener, a small knife and cutting board, a small bag for garbage and Handi-wipes. I keep blue refreezable ice blocks in the freezer at the ready for the next event.

[SisterT]

If you're ever in Maryland, you let me know and we'll have a picnic! I love your list!

[Jennie Sheeks]

Likewise if you're ever in the San Francisco Bay Area!