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A pleasant picnic in the open
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| The classic picnic is a tradition which repeats itself year after year with the arrival of the good weather. Whether at the seaside, in the hills or countryside, the main thing is that an entire day should be spent in the open with friends and relatives. Even little ones can have fun letting off steam in the open. Here are a few tips to make sure that the picnic is a real success, but which can also be applied whenever you organise a lunch and preparing a menu. |
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The arrival of the good weather announces the start of spring breaks by the sea or in the mountains. Tradition dictates that lunch should be spent outdoors, with all the family and lots of friends. But in order to make a picnic outdoors a real success for both old and young, you need to bear a few rules in mind.
First and foremost, it is necessary to remember that the choice of equipment is fundamental: it is best to opt for tools that combine both aesthetics and practicality. Let's start with the tablecloth: waxed covers or cloths to place on the ground are a good idea as they help prevent you from getting dirty and keep out the damp. These can then be covered with a check tablecloth.
The containers used for transporting food should also be practical and preferably colourful. It is recommendable to choose hermetically sealing glass or plastic containers that stop liquids and sauces from leaking out. Plates, cutlery and glasses should be unbreakable, easy to wash and very light. It is best to avoid plastic disposable ones that fly off with the first gust of wind. Finally, the classic wicker basket is ideal for carrying the food. For keeping drinks and also more delicate food cool however, it is a good idea to get a cool bag with the appropriate chargers that keep the temperature constant. Thus the perfect picnic "table" is laid.
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What renders the picnic really special though is the menu. It is possible to prepare vegetable, egg and cured meat dishes a day in advance, which are also delicious cold. As an appetiser, one might offer delicious baked omelettes with sweet potato and sage. Vegetable kebabs can also be eaten standing up and are particularly inviting, even for little ones. One need only get some long skewers on which to thread pieces of courgette, aubergine, cherry tomatoes and pieces of mozzarella.
Moving on to the first course, it is essential to let the imagination run riot, preparing highly colourful cold pasta dishes that are appealing both to the palate and the eye. It is therefore a good idea to choose the more creative pasta shapes such as Ruote (wheels). But even the more traditional Fusilli or Spirale are excellent. Cold pasta dishes may be dressed with rucola or other seasonal vegetables, but also prawns, mozzarella, olives, capers or cherry tomatoes. To render the dish even more inviting, add a touch of saffron or curry powder during the cooking to give an appealingly colourful touch.
Second courses too should be ready to eat and easy to transport. Savoury tarts of every kind are perfect: from vegetarian ones to those filled with cured meats and cheeses. Hard boiled eggs are the real star of the Easter picnic: they may be served with decorations of fresh vegetables cut into juliennes.
Finally, it is important not to overlook dessert. Puff pastry cakes should be avoided as they crumble in transportation. A soft sponge cake with chocolate chips or a carrot cake would be better choices. But the real classic picnic dessert remains the fruit tart, with strawberry jam or fruits of the forest jam.
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