HARVEST PICNIC

To celebrate the arrival of fall, I invited my friends to go with me to Bloomsbury Farm, located in Smyrna, Tennessee, for an afternoon of picking vegetables, noshing on fine food, and toasting a new season.

Upon arrival, we took a tour of the 400-acre farm with owner and farmer Lauren Palmer and learned how the crops are tended and harvested. We watched sweet potatoes being pulled out of the ground, helped weed the beds in the hoop house, and even tried our hand at picking broccoli and cauliflower in the fields. After our baskets were full, we found a shady spot overlooking a field of eggplants and bell peppers for a gourmet picnic.

After spending this glorious day at Bloomsbury Farm, I was ready to move in and become a farmer. I don’t think they’ll mind much . . . as long as I bring cake.

GET THE LOOK

Pumpkin planters filled with cabbage and burlap bags planted with herbs served as centerpieces for our al fresco lunch. Everyone sat on heirloom quilts and snacked on a charcuterie board filled with local meats and cheeses while I opened bottles of wine and Saison ale chilled in old enamel buckets.

THE MENU

I packed individual lunches in burlap sacks labeled with each guest’s name and included a cloth napkin tied with a fork and a sprig of rosemary.

MAKE IT AHEAD

Package and label lunches for guests so you’re not spending time serving everyone.

Lunch highlighted produce found at the farm—eggplant, prosciutto, and fresh basil pesto pressed sandwiches; roasted butternut squash and pumpkin seed quinoa salad; sweet potato and apple chips; sparkling apple cider; and dark chocolate–covered pretzels sprinkled with toffee.

We ended the afternoon with a cake that definitely stole the show: a three-layer apple coffee chocolate cake iced with peanut butter cream cheese icing; drizzled with dark chocolate and a bourbon salted caramel; and topped with peanuts, flaky sea salt, and caramel apples.

ENJOY THE PARTY!

When packing for a large-scale picnic like this, you don’t have to use a traditional picnic basket. Any basket, tote bag, cooler, or even a wagon will do the trick. Pack food in resealable containers to prevent spilling (I like reusable Mason or Weck jars). Everything can be made ahead and stored in a cooler until time to eat.