Easy And Not So Easy To Prepare Picnic Foods - All Tasty
A sampling of picnic foods on a picnic table, or on a blanket on the ground, seems at times to be a relic of a bygone era. Family picnics during July and August were something always looked forward too. Picnics have by no means vanished, but we seem to be in too much of a hurry nowadays to take time out to plan and enjoy them. Besides, who wants to sit around a picnic table when one or two of the party are yakking on their cell phones?
All Is Not Lost - A good picnic with all the right picnic foods remains an enjoyable experience. Just because we haven't had one lately doesn't mean we can't plan a good one. Even the wicker picnic basket, out of style for awhile, seems to have made a comeback. The best picnic foods are after all the ones we enjoy, so there are no set rules. A bucket of KFC chicken, or hot dogs, some chips, potato salad, soda pop and beer will keep lots of people satisfied. Even more so if you remember to bring a watermelon, and a knife to cut it.
Picnic foods don't even have to be super nutritious, though it's nice when they are. A selection of raw vegetables or a well-made salad will often take care of that. You can carefully plan and prepare a picnic meal in the kitchen, or simply stop by a good deli on the way and stock up there. If it's going to be a large picnic, such as a family gathering, pot-luck is often the best approach. When this is the case, it’s always nice to bring something that you've spent a little time preparing, something that others will want the recipe for (even though, like most people, they'll probably never use it, but it's still a compliment).
What you bring in the way of utensils and plates depends on what picnic foods are going to be served. Some foods are hard to cut with those little plastic knives, even if the edges are serrated. A picnic for two on the other hand may call for real dishes and cutlery, and wine glasses to boot. Plastic glasses don't cut it as far as romantic picnics for two are concerned, unless you're drinking really, really cheap wine.
What this article is all about is to give you a few different picnic foods you might consider worth bringing along. A few of them are a little out of the ordinary, and a few of them fall under the classification of ethnic foods. For a fun picnic, out of the ordinary can be a good thing. So, you're not stuck with just peanut butter, ham and cheese, or tuna fish sandwiches, fried chicken, potato salad, and watermelon, although a good ham and cheese on rye followed by a slice of cold watermelon isn't something to turn one's nose up at. Let's look at a few alternatives. If you see something you like, a recipe may not be required, but if so, chances are you'll find a pretty decent one on the web.
First The Sandwiches - Some of the variations may not be called sandwiches but the idea is the same. A filling between two pieces of bread, a bun, or a bagel, or wrapped in a tortilla, or on top of a piece of rye or pumpernickel. A combination of thinly sliced smoked salmon (the more lightly smoked the better), with cream cheese and chives, and a few cubes of tomato and avocado is great with whole wheat bread, wrapped in a tortilla or a Greek pita pocket, or on a single slice of pumpernickel like the Scandinavians eat it. They call it an open faced sandwich, or Smørrebrød. Another tasty treat in a pita pocket is a mixture of canned tuna and chopped red onion, with a little mayonnaise added, mainly to hold everything together (though it does add to the taste as well). Other things that go well with smoked salmon in a sandwich are bean sprouts, dill, and cream cheese (great with bagels). Bacon with avocado, or mixed with blue cheese makes interesting sandwiches. Just make certain the bacon is crispy.
Let's assume for the moment that this is going to be a potluck affair. Of all the picnic foods you can think of, something with an ethnic flavor may definitely fill the bill. You can find many of the ingredients in an ethic food store, often even in your local supermarket. Or you can get the basics and improvise a bit, if you can't find every one of the needed ingredients. (continued...)