picnic foods

Summer is approaching, which means it's time for relaxing outdoor picnics! Packing for a picnic is no easy task; to make sure you don't pull a soggy, sloppy mess out of your basket when the time comes, it's essential to choose foods that pack well, can be made ahead, and benefit from sitting for a few hours or overnight. These six dishes all fit the bill; bring them along on your next picnic!

Greek Salad Bites	Homemade Potato Chips	Muffuletta
Fruit Salad With Mint	Berry-Rosé Sangria	Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that's traditionally made in the Summer with day old bread, tomatoes, and basil. However, I love this salad and I make it year-round. So does Michael Chiarello, apparently, because he's got recipes for Spring and Winter panzanellas that incorporate seasonal ingredients.

Over the weekend I was invited to a picnic and decided it was the ideal time to experiment with his Spring version. It combines fresh peas, asparagus, basil, and green beans with croutons, radicchio, spinach, and ricotta cheese. This salad is spectacular!

It's full of interesting textures, from the crunch of the croutons to the crumble of the cheese. It's packed with tons of different flavors: earthy asparagus, aromatic basil, salty cheese. Spring panzanella is not only awesome at a picnic, but it's a welcome addition to a Memorial Day barbecue menu. Check out the method now.