Aug. 27--It's true you scarcely need more than a blanket and a few snacks to have yourself a picnic. But if your fare is limited to sleeves of crackers, plasticky cheese and supermarket potato salad, it's time for an intervention.
Picnics aren't just an excuse to share dinner with an ant colony. They're the perfect chance to celebrate seasonal foods and, yes, expand your culinary repertoire -- especially for Labor Day celebrations.
"There's nothing off-limits for our group," says Jen Stevenson of Portland, Ore. "We are very intrepid picnickers."
Stevenson is part of the Portland Picnic Society, a small group of food writers, chefs, bakers and others who meet monthly (even in winter, on living room floors) to celebrate the art of the picnic. She is also co-author of the recently released cookbook "The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket" (Artisan, $19.95) along with Marnie Hanel and Andrea Slonecker.
For this group, picnics are serious business. They've done a crab boil. They bottle individual cocktails for easy (and adorable) serving. They've used dry ice to keep homemade fresh-fruit paletas from melting.
"Our lives are so hectic," Stevenson says. "There's nothing like eating outside. You lay your basket in the grass and have this beautiful spread of food. It doesn't have to be fancy."
Stevenson's group also swoons over quick, seasonal Mason jar salads. Or easy party subs on high-quality bread with upscale ingredients like strawberries and Camembert; turkey, triple creme cheese and apricot jam; or roasted eggplant with harissa, labneh (a fresh cheese) and quick-pickled red onions.
Uncomplicated yet thoughtful is exactly how Chicago chef Christine Cikowski prefers her picnics. Cikowski, co-owner of Honey Butter Fried Chicken and Sunday Dinner Club with Joshua Kulp, sells grab-and-go picnic packs with fried chicken, biscuits, pasta salad, slaw and cookies.
During a recent backpacking trip to Yosemite National Park, one of her favorite picnic meals was also the simplest: a spread of different nut butters, jams and goat cheese to top purchased corn cakes.
"Everybody loves peanut butter and jelly," she says. "This makes it a fun thing to do. I like my picnics low-maintenance."
She has also been experimenting with popcorn toppings (current favorites include cinnamon-sugar and homemade dill pickle seasoning) for easily totable picnic food.
At one picnic, Cikowski recalls, a friend brought homemade lemonade Popsicles. Another delighted the group with a big batch of mojitos.
"I always appreciate when people bring things you wouldn't expect on a picnic," she says. "I like surprises."
The essential deviled egg
Prep: 20 minutes
Makes: Makes 1 dozen
From "The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket" by Marnie Hanel, Andrea Slonecker and Jen Stevenson
6 large eggs, hard-cooked, peeled
1/2; cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2; teaspoon Champagne vinegar
Pinch of fine sea salt
Filling add-ins, see below
1 Halve each egg lengthwise, pop out the yolks and press them through a potato ricer into a small bowl. Rinse the egg whites; pat dry.
2 Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar and salt in a medium bowl. Add in any optional fillings. Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
3 Spoon filling into a 1-quart resealable plastic bag or pastry bag fitted with a 1/2;-inch tip. Chill filling until the picnic, or up to 48 hours. Transport filling to the picnic in a cooler or in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag filled with ice.
4 At the picnic, snip a corner of the plastic bag or unseal the pastry bag. Squeeze about 1 tablespoon of filling into each egg white.
Nutrition information per half egg: 64 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 95 mg cholesterol, 2 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 120 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Add-ins
2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish, 1/2; teaspoon white pepper, pinch of salt; garnish with radish slices
1/4; cup minced celery, 1 tablespoon minced red onion, 1 1/2; teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; garnish with cooked bay shrimp
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika, 1 small garlic clove, minced; garnish with a sliver of chorizo
1/2; cup minced cooked bacon; garnish with 1/2; cherry tomato, 1/2;-inch strip of bacon and julienned butter lettuce
2 tablespoons pesto; garnish with basil leaves
2 jars (2 ounces each) diced pimentos, drained; 1 tablespoon grated white onion; 1/2; cup finely grated extra-sharp cheddar; garnish with a red pepper strip
Mint juleps en masse
Prep: 10 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
From "The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket" by Marnie Hanel, Andrea Slonecker and Jen Stevenson
1/2; cup mint simple syrup, see recipe
2 cups high-quality bourbon
Crushed ice
Fresh mint sprigs
Stir together the simple syrup and bourbon in a 2-quart glass jar. Pack the jar, ice and mint in a cooler. At the picnic, fill glasses with ice, pour in the cocktail and garnish with mint.
Tip: Buy ice already crushed or place the ice cubes in a resealable bag and smash with a rolling pin.
Nutrition information per serving: 236 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 17 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 1 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Mint simple syrup: Heat 1/2; cup sugar and 1/2; cup water to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves; remove from heat. Add 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves. Let steep for an hour. Strain syrup into a jar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes: about 3/4 cup
Dill pickle popcorn
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
From Christine Cikowski, co-owner and chef of Sunday Dinner Club and Honey Butter Fried Chicken in Chicago
1/2 cup white vinegar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup popcorn kernels
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh (not dried) dill
1/2; teaspoon kosher salt
1 Simmer the vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon. Add the butter; stir until it melts. Turn off the heat.
2 Pop the kernels via your favorite method. Transfer the popcorn to a large stockpot or bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Make sure the vessel you choose has at least 2 inches of space between the popcorn and lid to allow enough room to shake the topping to distribute evenly.
3 Whisk the garlic powder, dill and salt into the butter-vinegar mixture. Drizzle the garlic-dill butter over the popcorn. Cover the pot or bowl with the lid and shake vigorously, ensuring that all the popcorn is evenly coated with the butter. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition information per serving: 282 calories, 19 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 46 mg cholesterol, 26 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 246 mg sodium, 5 g fiber
