Scandinavian Picnic Foods
Scandinavian Picnic Foods - Cucumber salad is a favorite in the Scandinavian countries. It is one of the easiest salads you could prepare, and people who haven't tried it before always seem to want a second or third helping. The only thing you have to be able to do is know how to cut a cucumber into very thin slices. You simply marinate the sliced cucumber in vinegar overnight, in the refrigerator, and that is all there is to it. The cucumber slices remain crispy, and you get a combination of cool cucumber taste and tangy vinegar. Another favorite, an open faced sandwich, is gravlax on rye tack. It sounds weird, especially if you don't know what gravlax is. Gravlax roughly translates as "buried salmon". Perhaps salmon was prepared that way in the distant past but here, it is simply thinly sliced salmon that has been cold cured. It is essentially raw but cured, or very lightly smoked. You can substitute lightly smoked salmon if you wish, but you want to serve it cold, with a little dill and perhaps on some cream cheese (optional). This is not the same as lutefisk by the way, which has been known to scare people away. The Scandinavians also like strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. That's something you can fix and, stretching things a bit, call it ethnic.
English Picnic Foods - English picnics have tended to be rather formal affairs, at least in the past. A collection of recipes is almost certain to include a set of manners to be adhered to, with paper plates being the ultimate sin to many, and plastic utensils not much higher on the social scale. You have to bear in mind, that the traditional English picnic often took place at places like Ascot Downs, with the food served by a butler. Of course most Englishmen are quite happy with more simple fare, and a couple of favorite English picnic foods are offered here. The English are very fond of stuffed roast chicken and cuts of pork, plus pork pie. They seem to prefer their salmon baked as opposed to smoked or grilled. Salads tend to be greens with oil and vinegar dressing, simple enough. What the English really do very well though is the desert, which often is a combination of tarts, cakes, and a variety of fresh fruits. Europeans in general like fresh fruits at the end of their meals, especially grapes, and picnics are no exception. So bring along some apples, berries, grapes, and the watermelon.
French Picnic Foods - Like with the Scandinavians, cucumber salad is one of the more popular French picnic foods, with a combination of red peppers and beans another favorite for a salad. No French picnic is complete without cheese, a selection of them is best, with Brie almost mandated by law. With cheese of course comes wine, but you can have sparkling water as an alternative if you don't care for something with alcohol. Everything is followed by a selection of fresh fruit.
While we could go on an on with ethnic examples, Hawaiian or Mexican picnic foods for example, we eventually either get into a problem with translation (Mexican) or unfamiliar words (Hawaiian), or find that the ingredients cannot be purchased locally. Of the two, Mexican food is normally a bit easier to work with, as most of the ingredients are readily available. Or you can just make up your own salad, or sandwich, add some chili pepper and call it Mexican. The Mexicans, especially the restaurants, probably won't appreciate that, especially if your concoction turns out to be a hot disaster.
If all of this appears to be a bit too much, stick with basic picnic foods, ham and Swiss cheese with mustard on rye bread, something to drink, plus some fresh fruit, and no one should be disappointed. If you do want to be a little more daring, make up a batch of cucumber salad. I don't think anyone will be the least bit disappointed with that. Or just visit a good deli on your way.