Back in the day, I’d come home from a long stretch of traveling and my wife would have a picnic ready to go. Morning, noon or night she would pull a meal together for us to reconnect. Many times we never left the house; other times she would drive us to a park, beach or some spot with a view. The ritual was something that made my work away easier and it made coming home fun and pampering. Now that Im retired, it’s my turn.
How would you fill the picnic basket?
Thanks,
Rooster
I’m going with an assortment of small plates:
Fresh mango, pineapple and papaya slices
Sliced beets marinated in fig balsamic
Seafood salad over mixed greens
Coconut rice
Peach sangria
mini keylime pie (I bought those)
That sounds so charming and precious!
Last summer i made up a picnic for lunch with a good friend who was moving away and i went with salad nicoise which worked well in my flat and shallow tupperware. Packed the dressing separately. And she giggled because i used the whole little jar of fancy tuna for hers- which is apparently a lot! Haha, what do i know… mine had marinated chickpeas. I picked up a baguette on my way and packed grapes, nuts and dr cow cheese for dessert, those mini bottles of champagne and sparkling water to drink.
I’ve always wanted to make those fiddly salad kebabs-which are definitely a pain for more than teo people!- but haven’t had the occasion just yet. Basically just chunks of veggies and some sturdy lettuce plus cheese or olives or meats and then dribble dressing over it when serving.
Summer rolls make good picnic food, you could do a papaya salad and quick pickled cucumbers with those
Summer rolls almost made the cut but my lettuce was on the wilt side and its got to have crunch. But that pb powder would have been perfect for dip. Next time. I wound up sidetracked buying the fish for the salad and my wife asked for a chickpea break😊 since I have gone to town on those.
Dr Cow cheese? Do tell?!
Summer rolls can be for the next picnic!
Omfg, dr cow cheeses are the ultimate nut based cheese- not so easy to find but they’re actually aged, so they develop a lot more flavor than other nut based cheeses. I’ve been a fan for a long time but only splurge once in a while- i bring it to holiday parties and everyone else raves too.
http://www.dr-cow.com/news/
Wow, never heard of it. I do like nut milks including cashew. The new pea based milks make really creamy shakes and smoothies. I will have to try Dr Cow sometime.
Another choice is more traditional…
whole grain crackers, green olives, roasted peppers, soft rind cheese, pickled vegetables, sliced roast beef and roasted turkey. Oatmeal cookies and rasoberry lemonade.
I just had a picnic two days ago on the beach. Out on Sandy Hook (NJ), there is a piece of a pier or dock that broke off from somewhere and floated in. It is the perfect place to have a picnic because you can spread your food out without having to worry about sand. As it rests a mere 20 feet from the water, it is just perfection. We went all the way to the tip of the hook (about a half mile walk) and it is always isolated because no one wants to work for their fun. Never anyone around, with awesome views of New York City.
Brought along some beer, prosciutto, breadsticks, an assortment of olives, crab dip and toasted bread, shrimp cocktail, spicy hummus and pita chips, and chocolate chip cookies.
NYC is to the right of where I am aiming.
Thanks for the location tip.
Park in Lot M (its by the Fort and abandoned Nine Gun Battery). Then just hop on the trail. I assume it is only a half mile but it feels much longer especially if you are carrying stuff. But well worth it. Even when the other beaches are packed, the tip barely has anyone. Went back yesterday and there were three people scattered around which is the most I’ve seen at one time. Gigantic beach but secluded and private.
I know the section. Thxs Greg.
I hosted my sister, her husband and my two young nieces last week and we went up to Bear Mountain State Park for some Hudson Valley fun on Sunday. We had a lovely picnic that we picked up from a deli in Peekskill - chicken salad and salami sandwiches, a variety of chips and snacks, etc. If I were packing it myself I would have done finger foods like olives, nuts, charcuterie, etc., but this was perfect for a zero effort picnic, and the kids loved it.
Sounds ideal.
Mondays basket consists of lobster rolls, grilled corn salad, fruit skewers, pea slaw, cheese and crackers, mango bellinis and angel food cake with lemon curd sauce.
Have a delicious wknd!
What is pea slaw…?
I shredded napa cabbage and carrots thinly rather than the bagged stuff. I used frozen baby peas thawed fully and followed the rest as written. Made it today so the flavors meld.
Sounds easy and tasty!
I make the classic picnic foods: fried chicken, vinegar based macaroni/potato salad, cut up fruit, iced tea and brownies for dessert. In fact we just had this at the park two weeks ago when a new family moved into our tri-plex for a welcoming party.
Fun menu!
