With things as they are right now, picnics are more popular than ever, and who could complain! Is there anything better than finally seeing your friends and family again, basking in the sun and sharing a nice meal on a blanket together? You don’t want to make things too difficult for yourself, but unfortunately, it still takes a bit of work to plan the perfect picnic. Here are our tips for ensuring your picnic is an all-round stunner.
Location, location, location
Whether you’re laying down your checkered tablecloth in the city, in the country or on a beach, there’s no shortage of idyllic locations! Two things that should influence your choice are the kind of atmosphere you’re after and what you have planned for the event, which can be so much more than just a meal! A park in the downtown core will likely be a lot noisier than a remote rest area on the water’s edge. The beach can be great for cooling down during a heatwave, but if that’s where you’re headed, you may need to pack a beach umbrella, as it will be harder to find spots in the shade. Where you choose to have your picnic will affect how you plan your menu and what you’ll pack, so think about location first and the rest will follow.
What to eat?
Of course, the foundation of any good picnic is the food! That means you need to take care in choosing your menu. One of the best parts of picnics is grabbing a bite to eat in between chatting with friends and doing some fun stuff. A good picnic should have salads full of fresh ingredients, sandwiches, avocado deviled eggs with fried capers, pâté, fine cheeses and a variety of cold cuts, fruit and crackers. You’ll also need crudités, so make something mouth-watering to dip them in, like our spicy hummus with hearts of palm.
Save yourself some work by adding ready-to-eat products, such as our artichoke and heart of palm salad. Transfer the jar’s contents to an airtight container first, however, to keep things from getting messy and make it easier to serve. Our piquillo and almond pesto also makes a great addition to a picnic and is perfect for dipping crostini, veggies and breadsticks. With a spread like this, everyone will be able to graze to their heart’s content! And why not round out your basket with a visit to a local market near the site of your picnic? You can discover some tasty items and support local producers at the same time. Finally, don’t forget refreshments. With homemade lemonade, iced tea and plenty of water, you’ll have lots of great ways to stay hydrated!
Keeping things fresh
The main challenge of a summer picnic is keeping your food fresh. After all, no one wants their dream picnic to turn into a nightmare. Do yourself a favour the night before and refrigerate everything you’ll be bringing, even baked goods, muffins, applesauce and other items that can be eaten at room temperature.
Pick a hard cooler, which is more efficient, and don’t skimp on the ice packs. If it’s a real scorcher of a day, you can even fill the cooler with ice before you add the food. It works just like a thermos. Once all your picnic items are in the cooler, fill the empty spaces with frozen bottles of water that you can drink later on to cool down. Finally, when you arrive at your destination, place your cooler in the shade, or at least under a light coloured blanket.
