Who doesn’t love to go on a picnic? I suspect that in this day and age of readily available takeaway food, an easier option is to purchase edibles along the way rather than prepare your own picnic fare. However, in my opinion, to take the easy option detracts from the fun and fanfare of a truly wonderful picnic.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Take food that is simple to prepare, easy to transport, not too messy to eat – and remember that everyone loves something sweet at the end. (See pages for picnic-perfect cakes.)
However, before rushing off to make a tasty picnic lunch, a few things should be considered. For instance, if the preparation is to be shared, it’s important to know that you will have enough food for everyone. Who will bring what type of dish, and how many will it serve? And make sure that you know if anyone is allergic or has any other special dietary requirements.
Transporting and storing your picnic food and drink is also an important consideration. Is the food to be served hot or cold? If cold, then the temperature must be kept consistently below 4°C, or if hot, above 65°C. This is a factor of the utmost importance, especially with meat, chicken, seafood, dairy and eggs. Cook foods in plenty of time to thoroughly heat or chill before packing into insulated containers.
Don’t leave food sitting out in the sun under any circumstances. Once served, cold food should not sit out for longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour if the temperature is above 25°C. Hot foods should not sit out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in temperatures above 32°C. If it does, throw it away to be safe.
Carry drinks in a separate container so that the food isn’t affected by the frequent opening of the esky or cooler. Always take plenty of drinking water.
And lastly, no-one wants their picnic ruined by flies and other annoying insects. Carry covers for the food – flies can spread disease – and take your own choice of personal insect repellent for yourself and potentially the other picnickers.
The amounts can be varied to suit the number of picnickers.
I recommend preparing this in its serving bowl the night before, to allow it to chill for several hours. Then transport it to the picnic in an insulated container. At serving time, the salad is simply stirred and is quite delicious as a side dish or as a stand-alone meal for vegetarians. It will not go soggy, as so many salads are wont to do. However, don’t be tempted to include tomatoes in the layering, as this will make it moist and unpalatable – rather, serve with small cherry or grape tomatoes as an accompaniment, or add these at serving time.
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Spring onions, finely chopped
Corn kernels (tinned or cooked and cooled, drained well)
Grated tasty cheese
6–8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
Coarsely grated carrot
Celery, finely diced
Peas (frozen, thawed, will do)
A thin layer of premium-quality mayonnaise
Layer the ingredients in a salad bowl in the order in which they are given.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap, and refrigerate until serving time.
Serves 4
½ cup (85g) couscous
½ cup (125ml) hot water
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh mint
½ cup diced dried apricots
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1½ tablespoons olive oil
Combine the couscous and hot water in a medium mixing bowl, and stand for 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork, and leave to cool.
Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill thoroughly until serving time.
Serves 4
Use a waxy type of potato, such as kipfler, nicola or nadine, for best results in this all-time favourite.
500g peeled (or scrubbed) and cooked potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
2 tablespoons chopped chives or spring onions
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
90g diced cooked bacon (optional)
2 tablespoons French dressing
2 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
Put the potatoes, herbs and bacon (if using) into a large bowl.
Gradually mix through the French dressing, and then the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add salt and white pepper to taste, then gently fold in the eggs.
Chill thoroughly until serving time.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg chicken breast pieces, skin on
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Pour the oil into a baking dish, and roll the chicken breast fillets in this.
Mix together the remaining ingredients, and sprinkle some over the underside of each fillet. Roll the fillet over and sprinkle the remaining mixture over the skin.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
Chill thoroughly. Cut into slices before packing into shallow containers to take to the picnic, in an insulated container.