Leaving all your worries behind for a day in the countryside is one of the great joys of a summer picnic. A small cooler, an old blanket and the promise of a day spent in harmony with nature. Whether its with your family or just the two of you, picnics leave their indelible mark in your memory and thats why nothing should spoil the day.
Especially spoiled food!
To me, the key to a successful picnic is simplicity and careful planning. Having had my fill of ambitious affairs that included table clothes, flatware, even china tea service on greenery by the water, I vowed long ago to keep it simple myself.
But simple doesnt mean effortless or unimaginative. On the contrary, there are so many more creative choices today than the picnic clichés of pâtés and cold chicken or hotdogs and hamburgers.
Nothing says summer like pasta, potato or vegetable salads, bejewelled with fresh herbs just before serving for maximum flavour and visual appeal. Keep salad ingredients and dressings in separate airtight containers until you are ready to eat.
An impromptu picnic is always the most remembered. And you can always be ready in minutes by creating innovative sandwiches with your favourite foods like cheese, ham, hard boiled eggs, salsa, fresh herbs, avocado, tapenade, roasted red peppers, hummus, sprouts, sliced apples or tofu based spreads just to name a few.
However, dont forget that bacteria thrive in protein-rich foods such as eggs, fish, mayonnaise and meat. Therefore, do not leave these out for more than two hours at room temperature and even less in the sun.
What makes a good sandwich is the right bread. Replace the white or brown sliced bread with ciabatta, whole wheat pita, flavoured wraps, multi-grain, raisin, rye, egg or onion bread.
Cold quiche, vegetable frittata or ricotta-spinach calzones make perfect all-in-one picnic foods as well. All you need with these are cool drinks and summer fruits to finish off your al fresco feast.
If you are determined on barbecuing and have a portable grill, then go for it! Sausages, hamburgers, beef, pork or chicken kebabs prepared at home, transported in the cooler can be barbecued on site.
A few safety tips
Wash your hands before preparing and eating food. Take disposable travel wipes with you just in case clean water may not be available.
Thaw all fish, poultry and meats thoroughly before cooking, and make sure they are cooked properly to destroy bacteria.
Observe the two-hour rule thats the longest time vulnerable food can survive without refrigeration.
Transport the cooler inside the car instead of the hot trunk, and keep it in a shade at your destination. Avoid opening the cooler too often, take what you need quickly.
Transfer cooked meats to a clean plate- not on the same plate which held raw meat. Do not reuse marinades which came in contact with raw meat, chicken or fish, and dont put the cooked food back into an unwashed container that contained the marinade.
Last but not least, clean up after yourself. Take a garbage bag for the disposable paper plates and napkins, used aluminum foil and plastic wraps; and another for bottles, containers and recyclable utensils to be washed when you get home.
Like most good things in life summer is fleeting away all too quickly, but we still have some good days left to enjoy its beauty. Have a great, safe picnic and make the most of it.
Picnic Power
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Published on
September 4, 2007
- Published on July 1, 2010
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Füsun Atalay
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