Who Picnics?

[Hovannes]

We're gung ho picnickers. We started going on picnics when we were dating. Our picnic basket has accompanied us on many road trips and the inner lid is plastered with tourist decals of locations were we "spread the blanket."
There are items in our basket that work so well for picnicking I could probably write an article about them---a Opinel knife for building sandwiches, a SAK cork screw for opening bottles of wine, tools for grilling. We also have a dedicated ice chest just because some stuff needs to be kept cold.
The best picnics seem to follow trips to a farmers market or roadside stand for truly fresh fixings.

Does anyone here like to picnic? Do you have any favorite picnic recipes?

 

[warren]

It's not a picnic without potato salad and deviled eggs. I don't don't to the basket and blanket but, I do dine "al fresco" quite often.

I add that I envy you and yours enjoying such an experience, often and around the countryside.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I love a picnic with the wife and kids. My favorite is chicken salad sandwiches with chips, fruit and a sweet tea. Nothing fancy, but very refreshing on a hot day. And of course I have to enjoy a bowl of Sunday Picnic after the fact

 

[Chasing Embers]

 

[monty55]

My ex and I used to picnic a lot before and after we were married. Always brought the same stuff. 2 bottles of wine, one red and one a chilled Pinot Grigio, a good selection of cheeses, olives, cured meats, melon, and a French baguette. Sometimes peaches or plums when they're in season. I had a plastic tarp I'd put down first, then blankets on top of that. Lots of good memories.

 

[bullet08]

Nope. Haven't done that since elementary school. Just started going to Pizzeria recently. Haven't done that since junior high, but found a nice joint.

 

[trudger]

We picnic while on toad trips. Simple foods but way better than any chain junk.

 

[shanez]

We try to regularly get out and picnic in some fashion.

 

[Ahi Ka]

I live in NZ. We don’t have dining tables or cutlery, so yeah I guess we picnic ??

 

[DanWil84]

We're Dutch, we cycle, so yes we picnic. Generally keep it quite basic with some sandwiches and cold drinks, but sometimes we pull out a bottle of wine.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

We picnic bunches, especially when we do bike tours, but we always look for a good picnic table or some large rocks, or stumps. I'm not a fan of sitting on the ground. After hours of riding bikes, I wouldn't be able to get back up off the ground, ha ha.

We will keep a couple of meals in our panniers for really long rides.

 

[Hovannes]

Here's a history of the picnic table you might find interesting, in spite of the first illustration

An Illustrated History of the Picnic Table

From campground to crab shack to suburban backyard, the ingenious form of the picnic table has remained largely unchanged since the 1930s.

placesjournal.org

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

When camping of course and family backyard meals.

 

[mso489]

It's a cliche that food tastes better outside, but it's true. For various reasons, a packed picnic has become more complicated for us than in the past, but we aspire to it. Meantime, we often opt to eat take-out outdoors, outside the restaurant or at a different location.

El fresco dining outside the restaurant does often permit a beer or glass of wine with the meal, which is an extra. I have sipped wine or beer from a coffee cup, but it is more silly than a guilty pleasure.

As a kid, my folks used to put together a picnic after a day at the beach, with white bread, cold cuts, cheese, and a tin of sardines, that tasted especially good. At work, I used to enjoy taking my tray lunch outside in the heat, which was a nice change from the air conditioning, a kind of subtle sauna here in the South.

 

[Hovannes]

One issue that has been a concern of mine is the use of public grills.
Say you're on a road trip and instead of fast food, you opt for a picnic.
Since the object is to get from point A to point B there isn't the opportunity or motivation to take one's time and compose a picnic feast, where as going out on a Sunday afternoon expressly for picnicking allows more time to pull out all the stops. That might involve grilling, however grilling means either taking along a small grill (like a Hibachi) or using a public picnic area supplied grill, which are usually in pretty gross condition, or at least they are here in CA.
Campers of course, can have the luxury of a camp fire but there's no such luck for the casual picnickers.
On ski trips, we've often employ a thermos to keep hot food made at home hot and ready to eat---it works for soup, chili, and stew but not say, hot dogs or sea food.
Speaking of sea food, buying some shellfish fresh off the boat to enjoy during a harborside picnic is a great experience and less costly than a fancy restaurant with a view. All you need is a pot, a nut cracker and a Coleman.

 

[Hovannes]

It's a cliche that food tastes better outside, but it's true. For various reasons, a packed picnic has become more complicated for us than in the past, but we aspire to it. Meantime, we often opt to eat take-out outdoors, outside the restaurant or at a different location.

El fresco dining outside the restaurant does often permit a beer or glass of wine with the meal, which is an extra. I have sipped wine or beer from a coffee cup, but it is more silly than a guilty pleasure.

As a kid, my folks used to put together a picnic after a day at the beach, with white bread, cold cuts, cheese, and a tin of sardines, that tasted especially good. At work, I used to enjoy taking my tray lunch outside in the heat, which was a nice change from the air conditioning, a kind of subtle sauna here in the South.

I've enjoyed many a 6" Subway Spicy Italian (hold the mayo) in a park.
The ducks can get a little intimidating though!

 

[shanez]

One issue that has been a concern of mine is the use of public grills.

I have a nice cast iron grill grate that I use to help with that issue. Even so, I still let the fire burn the heck out of the existing grill grate in the hopes that it cleans, or at least decontaminates, the exsitng grill before I place mine on it.

 

[Hovannes]

I have a nice cast iron grill grate that I use to help with that issue. Even so, I still let the fire burn the heck out of the existing grill grate in the hopes that it cleans, or at least decontaminates, the exsitng grill before I place mine on it.

View attachment 139947

That's pretty slick!

 

[shanez]

Here's some old threads I posted:

Thread #1

Thread #2

Thread #3

Thread #4

Thread #5

Thread #6

Thread #7

Thread #8

Not all of them are specifically picnicking but we do picnic of some sort when engaging in other outdoor activities.

 

[Hovannes]

It's a cliche that food tastes better outside, but it's true. For various reasons, a packed picnic has become more complicated for us than in the past, but we aspire to it. Meantime, we often opt to eat take-out outdoors, outside the restaurant or at a different location.

El fresco dining outside the restaurant does often permit a beer or glass of wine with the meal, which is an extra. I have sipped wine or beer from a coffee cup, but it is more silly than a guilty pleasure.

As a kid, my folks used to put together a picnic after a day at the beach, with white bread, cold cuts, cheese, and a tin of sardines, that tasted especially good. At work, I used to enjoy taking my tray lunch outside in the heat, which was a nice change from the air conditioning, a kind of subtle sauna here in the South.

Quite a few really good Al fresco places come to mind
I remember having fresh papaya and Puerto Rican coffee for breakfast right on the beach in San Juan.
There was a memorable hamburger at a place called McWank's in, I think, Watson Lake, BC
And a wonderful fried Calamari sandwich at a little place near the Berkeley Marina alongside the 580, just a few old shipping containers and wooden picnic tables on dirt parking turnout.