At long last summer is here. It’s picnic time. Whether watching fireworks in Grant Park, enjoying a concert at Ravinia Festival or a meal after a softball game in Oak Park, food simply tastes better outdoors.
The easiest picnic is one assembled from your favorite deli meats, cheeses and bread. Candace Barocci Warner, general manager of Convito Italiano, a food and wine market in Wilmette, and her husband, Rob, picnic often at Ravinia Festival during the summer season.
“Our favorite picnic fare is a wedge of pate, thinly sliced Italian salami, several varieties of cheese, cornichon pickles, freshly baked bread and a bottle of good wine,” she said.
But if you want to give your picnic a personal touch, you can create dishes that will impress friends yet require a minimum of preparation time and absolutely no cooking. Spending a few minutes “doctoring” some basic items will transform a picnic for four into a banquet.
Good Eating has come up with three menus that fit three budgets; all require only one stop at your local supermarket. Each menu includes easy recipes with few ingredients, many of which already may be in your pantry.
For instance, most supermarkets prepare a decent rotisserie chicken, but rather than serving it plain, we suggest you purchase a prepared sauce, chutney or flavored mustard to accompany it. Most prepared deli potato salads are uninspired, but mixing in a bit of deli egg salad and fresh herbs will give it a homemade touch.
“My favorite foods for picnics are tabbouleh [a cracked-wheat salad] or Italian rice salads with lots of fresh vegetables and herbs,” said Chicago chef and cooking instructor Alison Reich. Stir chopped mint and cilantro into purchased salads to brighten their flavor.
Reich also likes dishes such as cold soup served in mugs, fried chicken and brownies or bar cookies with fresh berries.
When it comes to drinks, Julie Chernoff, an Evanston cooking teacher, shares her favorite picnic trick:
“I freeze mixed fruit juices in a shallow plastic container with a tight fitting lid,” she said. “Rather than disposable ice packs, I pack the frozen juice along with cold foods. When it is time to serve drinks, I scoop the partially thawed juice into glasses and add red wine to make instant sangria. This method works well with frozen limeade and adding tequila and triple sec for easy margaritas.”
Planning for elegance
Thaddeus J. Tazioli, director of marketing for Sunset Foods grocery stores, believes that a little planning and careful packing can make every picnic a success. He and his wife, Marcia, are looking forward to a picnic before this year’s Shakespeare on the Green performance of “Othello” at Barat College in Lake Forest. “It’s worth the trouble to carry a padded bag with flatware and dinnerware,” Tazioli said. “We like to bring a collapsible bed tray to use as a low serving table, and we wrap glass stemware in large cloth napkins.”
Another tip: “When we bring food we want to serve warm, we wrap the dish or container in a large towel to hold in the heat.”
Once it grows dark they light candles to create a romantic atmosphere. They also bring a citronella candle to keep the bugs at bay.
Reich likes to pack light, or at least efficiently. “I keep things color-coordinated so the food looks more elegant and not thrown together,” she said. “I love attractive, nesting plastic containers to make cleanup more compact and easy.
“I’ll splurge on wine glasses, glass or plastic. There are some really good-looking plastic ones now that are scratch resistant. I always keep a picnic blanket in the car that has one side of waterproof nylon and the other side fleece. Remember the disposable hand wipes and a trusty Swiss Army pocket knife (with a corkscrew) and you’re in business!”
Keeping the picnic safe
Once you’re far away from your home’s oven and fridge, food safety becomes critical: Keep cold foods refrigerated until just before leaving home, then transport them in an ice-filled cooler, or choose foods that keep well at room temperature and serve them within two hours.
Pack the bottom of the cooler with ice or use an insulated tote bag and tuck in a refreezable ice pack. Place cold drinks on the ice and cold foods on top of the drinks.
The key to an enjoyable picnic is to keep it simple. Expect that you will forget something, but even so, your favorite foods will still taste better in the warm summer breezes.
Soiree with the stars
($35 or more, depending on wine)
Camembert and goat cheese
French bread
Poached salmon with tarragon mustard sauce*
Pesto vegetable salad*
Bakery brownies or fudge cake
Champagne or dry white wine
(* recipes included on this page)
Pesto vegetable salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
– Serving this tasty salad in the outer cup-shaped leaves of a head of radicchio makes a dramatic appearance.
5 cups coarsely chopped assorted deli grilled or roasted vegetables
2 tablespoons each: Italian salad dressing, prepared pesto
Freshly ground pepper
4 large leaves radicchio
Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces. Combine dressing and pesto in a medium bowl; mix well. Add vegetables; toss to coat. Add pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature within 2 hours or chill until packing time. Pack radicchio leaves separately. Spoon vegetables into radicchio leaves just before serving.
Nutrition information per serving:
80 calories, 60% calories from fat, 5 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 2.3 g protein, 2 g fiber
Poached salmon with tarragon mustard sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
– For this dish, Lynda Jo Shlaes, wine and catering director for Convito Italiano, suggests serving a crisp white wine that has the acidity to balance the natural oil in the salmon. Her favorite is a 1999 Gavi produced by Castello Di Tassarolo from the Piedmont region of Italy.
4 poached salmon fillets from the deli
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons each, regular or light: sour cream, mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon or tarragon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt or more to taste
Place each salmon fillet on a piece of plastic wrap. Layer lemon slices over salmon; wrap well in plastic wrap and chill until packing time. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon, lemon juice, sugar and salt in a small plastic container with lid; mix well. Chill until packing time. Unwrap salmon; set aside lemon slices. Place salmon on plates; top with sauce. Garnish with lemon.
Nutrition information per serving:
285 calories, 52% calories from fat, 16 g fat, 3.8 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 365 mg sodium, 1.9 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein, 0.1 g fiber
Banquet on a budget
(About $15)
Layered hummus dip*
Rotisserie chicken with cranberry chutney
Dilled potato salad*
Fresh grapes and strawberries
Bottled iced tea or lemonade
Dilled potato salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
– Don’t care for dill? Buy red potato salad and stir in Gorgonzola cheese and bacon bits.
2 cups prepared deli potato salad
1 cup prepared deli egg salad
1/4 cup chopped each: fresh dill, chives
Freshly ground pepper, optional
Combine potato salad, egg salad, dill and chives in a medium bowl; mix well. Taste; add pepper if you like. Transfer to a covered plastic container; chill until packing time. Pack in a cooler or insulated bag.
Nutrition information per serving:
285 calories, 67% calories from fat, 22 g fat, 3.8 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 1.7 g fiber
Layered hummus dip
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 container (7-8 ounces) hummus or roasted garlic hummus
1/4 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives or bottled olive spread
1/4 cup drained, bottled pickled hot or mild vegetables (giardiniera)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Garlic or herb pita bread or bagel chips
Red bell pepper wedges, optional
Spread hummus in an even layer in a pie pan or large shallow plastic container. Sprinkle olives and pickled vegetables over hummus; top with cheese. Serve at room temperature within 2 hours or cover and chill until packing time. Serve with pita or bagel chips and, if desired, bell pepper wedges for dipping.
Nutrition information per serving:
145 calories, 58% calories from fat, 10 g fat, 3.6 g saturated fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 3.5 g fiber
Roast beef sandwiches with creamy horseradish sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
– If you prefer a more upscale sandwich, look for sliced, rare tenderloin of beef from the deli or a gourmet take-out shop.
4 tablespoons regular or light sour cream
2 tablespoons regular or light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
4 ciabatta or kaiser rolls
1 cup mesclun salad greens or baby spinach
12 ounces deli sliced roast beef
Salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup rinsed, drained bottled roasted red or yellow bell peppers
1. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and horseradish in a small bowl. Split rolls in half; brush horseradish mixture over cut sides of rolls.
2. Layer salad greens and beef over bottom of rolls; season with salt and pepper. Top with roasted peppers and tops of rolls; wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Serve at room temperature within 2 hours or chill until packing time.
Nutrition information per serving:
315 calories, 26% calories from fat, 9 g fat, 2.9 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,265
Picnic with panache
Mixed nuts
Roast beef sandwiches with creamy horseradish sauce*
Sweet potato chips or kettle potato chips
Minted fruit salad*
Cookies
Beaujolais or beer
Roast beef sandwiches with creamy horseradish sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
If you prefer a more upscale sandwich, look for sliced, rare tenderloin of beef from the deli or a gourmet take-out shop.
4 tablespoons regular or light sour cream
2 tablespoons regular or light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
4 ciabatta or kaiser rolls
1 cup mesclun salad greens or baby spinach
12 ounces deli sliced roast beef
Salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup rinsed, drained bottled roasted red or yellow bell peppers
1. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and horseradish in a small bowl. Split rolls in half; brush horseradish mixture over cut sides of rolls.
2. Layer salad greens and beef over bottom of rolls; season with salt and pepper. Top with roasted peppers and tops of rolls; wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Serve at room temperature within 2 hours or chill until packing time.
Nutrition information per serving:
315 calories, 26% calories from fat, 9 g fat, 2.9 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 1,265 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 1.6 g fiber
Minted fruit salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Use cut fruit from the supermarket salad bar for this refreshing salad.
1/4 cup mango, strawberry or raspberry sorbet
4 cups assorted cut fruit, such as pineapple, melon, strawberries and grapes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
Place sorbet in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally. Add fruit and mint to bowl; mix well. Transfer to a covered plastic container; chill until packing time. Pack in a cooler or insulated bag.
Nutrition information per serving:
85 calories, 6% calories from fat, 0.7 g fat, 0.1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g protein, 2.2 g fiber
