Handy picnic

Who has not given in to a family lunch under the trees or a romantic dinner on the beach to enjoy the sunset? This is the charm of picnics which are generally improvised but delightful but which, however, still require some organisation. To avoid blunders, here is the list of picnic essentials. Take note!

Food

No picnic is complete without a cake, tart, quiche, flan, or all four! They are easy to eat cold with your fingers and you can cut them into pieces for fingerfood before leaving for even more convenience. This avoids the need for knives and forks and will delight your guests with the variety of fingerfood.

The essential protein item in a picnic is obviously cold chicken pieces and home made mayonnaise. If you have a bit of time to prepare your outing, hard boiled eggs are also a good idea.

For your fresh bread, think of pâté and other pork products accompanied with vegetable sticks (cucumber, carrot, mushroom, peppers) to dip in tzatziki or hummus.

You also need to prepare the essential pasta salad seasoned to your liking (tuna, tomato, cucumber, feta, sweetcorn). Everyone likes it and it fills up even the hungriest tummies. A tip to not cook the salad too quickly: bring the vinaigrette separately!

Another good idea: a gaspacho or cold soup in a thermos and served in plastic cups. Refreshing and original!

On the cheese side, hard pressed cheese is the king of picnics.  So bring along Gruyère France, Comté, and Cantal in your cooler!

Finally, for dessert, tarts or clafoutis are easy to transport but those with a sweeter tooth can bring a chocolate cake already cut into pieces or even muffins!

A little tip for really refreshing water? Simply add a few drops of lemon juice. To keep water cool for as long as possible, even outside the cooler, fill the bottle 3/4 full the night before and put it in the freezer. It will slowly melt during the day. Ice cold effect guaranteed!

To take

  • A cooler or insulated bag with ice packs
  • Of disposable plates (cardboard or bamboo pulp for a responsible picnic)
  • Paper napkins or a roll of kitchen towel
  • A blanket to sit on
  • A bin bag for waste
  • Sun cream and hats for children
  • Playing cards for fun