|
Planning a Picnic |
 |
Selecting The Right Place
What better way to celebrate than having a picnic? Selecting to correct
setting for the picnic is going to be very important. Whether in the wilderness, a local park or
your own backyard, if you've deliberately chosen to dine al
fresco without table service, you're well on your way to
enjoying the pleasure of the
picnic. These natural settings
provide fabulous backdrops; now,
it's up to you to create the
tone of your meal, from rustic
to romantic. After you have made
this selection, only then are
you ready to spread the
checkered
blanket
and pull out the corn on the
cob.
|
Things You'll Need
Can Openers
Basic first-aid kit
Trash Bags
Insect Repellents
Ice or frozen blue "cold packs" to keep
your food & beverages at just the right
temperature
Paper towels and/or moist towelettes
Condiments: salt,
pepper, ketchup, mustard,
sugar, etc.
A camera, so you can capture the memories! |
|
|
Keep it
simple:
The secret
of a successful picnic is
simplicity, plus careful
planning and packing. It doesn't
pay to be too ambitious - the
biggest mistake most people make
is assuming that dishes which
work at home will be just as
good al fresco. When you're
planning a picnic, don't forget
to take advantage of the huge
range of ready-made products
available. Supermarkets have
lots of prepared foods to enjoy
in a unexpected burst of
sunshine to help you create a
quick picnic. Pasta salads and
other dishes dressed in
vinegar-based marinades can be
prepared the day before, hold up
well in the heat, and continue
taking on a wonderful flavor
over time.
Recipezaar, and
food
network has a
wonderful selection of picnic
recipes to browse through if you
need some additional ideas.
Going
beyond simple
Recipes and Dressing
|
Here's some packing and serving tips:
- Pack the foods
to be eaten last at the bottom
of the bag or chest and the
first on top, so that you don't
have to unpack everything at
once.
- Use
vacuum-packed containers to
avoid leaks and soggy bags; seal
the containers in Ziploc plastic
bags.
- Pack soft
foods like deviled eggs,
tomatoes or fruit in hard
plastic containers or egg
cartons.
- If you are
serving a hot soup, preheat the
thermos with boiling water. For
a cold soup, chill the thermos
with ice water for several
minutes.
- Divide or cut
the portions in your kitchen.
It's much easier to serve pieces
or slices of grilled chicken or
duck than to carve them on the
ground.
- Pack garnishes
in Ziploc plastic bags. Parsley,
basil, mint and herb flowers
should be sprinkled with water
before packing. Keep them in the
cooler.
|
|
|
|