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10 Picks to Pack on a Picnic

YumSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:50:24 -0700

Poolside parties. Backyard luaus. Outdoor concerts. Like peanut butter fits with jelly, certain soirées seem to go hand-in-hand with Summer. But I'd argue that there's no better way to pass the long, balmy days than to gather friends for an impromptu picnic. In true spur-of-the-moment fashion, any fare goes - but there are some old favorites that come to mind. Here, 10 prototypical picnic foods that fit the bill for a reason.

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What Would You Serve?

YumSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:30:49 -0700

Entertaining is one of my favorite activities of all time, but as with all hobbies, it requires lots of thinking ahead and decision-making, from planning a prep schedule to coordinating the menu. In this series, I'll present a dish and ask you to share what you'd serve alongside it.

Here's the scenario: I've heard from PartySugar about how picturesque it is to picnic at the Hog Island Oyster Company Farm, so this weekend I'll be scoping it out for myself. I'm rounding up eight close friends for an idyllic lunch, where we'll buy live oysters by the bushel and fire up the grill for barbecued bivalves. What would you serve the guests to complement the oysters? See what I'm thinking of bringing when you keep reading

All the News That's Fit to Eat - Sept. 17, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:30:47 -0700

Romesco sauce can transform any soup, seafood, or vegetable. - Miami Herald
Here are the secret ingredients that'll turn your meal around. - Boston Globe
Olive oil, beware: Lard is back. - San Francisco Chronicle
The best (and worst) cookbooks for Fall. - Los Angeles Times
How to decipher all those egg carton labels. - New York Times
Russian wines make a quiet return. - Chicago Tribune
Taste testing celebrity cognac and other spirits. - Washington Post
Perfect paella means getting all of these elements right. - The Oregonian
Transition into Fall with an Autumn picnic. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Source

Off to Market Recap: Picnic Gear

partysugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:00:23 -0700

Picnic season is in full swing and if you plan on packing a meal and heading to a local park, you'll need the proper picnic gear. From a basket to a blanket, planning a picnic requires the essential tools. To ensure that everyone hosts fabulous picnics, you headed off to market in search of the most perfect picnic gear. You looked for picnic baskets, plastic serving ware, and anything else that screams picnic. You saved your discoveries in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Picnic Gear.

I love this fun, floral bag that jspeed found. The matching plates are festive and the colors outdoorsy. Not to mention its tote like shape is very modern picnic basket. For more picnic gear, scroll to the right below.

Picnic With The Masses

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:03:31 -0700

If you love picnics as much as I do, head on over to Picnic Mob and get in on the picnic of the year. Part art, part neighborhood community building, and part picnic party fun, the folks at Conrad's Blog have come up with a unique social experiment. It takes a few minutes, but here's how it works: you answer 30 random questions about your tastes and interests and then enter your location. Your stats get added to a gigantic database and once they have a thousand people per town, you'll get an invite to a nearby park for a picnic with the masses! To ensure fun, they plan each section of the picnic based upon your answers. I know I'll be at the San Francisco picnic mob whenever it happens and I hope to see you there!

Source: BA Blog

Plan the Perfect Picnic!

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:40:11 -0700

Now that you've got all the items needed for a great picnic, I thought I'd help you out with a few picnic tips.

When packing a picnic, keep non-perishable foods (potato chips, fruit, etc.) separate from perishable ones. This way you'll save cooler space & ice for items that need it. Remember, the more stuff you pack in the cooler, the less cold it will be. An ideal ratio is 75% food and 25% ice, although I think 50/50 is even better!
Pack your cooler in reverse order. Put your dessert in first, the main course second and the appetizers third. This way you won't have to dig around in your cooler to find the items you need. This will save you time, effort and will help keep the cooler cold longer.
Freeze drinks (unless they're in cans) the night before. This will help them stay cool, as well as act as supplement ice in your pack. If you're worried about messy condensation, wrap them in aluminum foil (which may keep them frozen longer) or store in ziploc bags. Even if you don't freeze them, make sure they're already cool. It'll keep the cooler colder longer if the items are already cold.

To read the rest of my picnic tips, read more

If you've got the tupperware, pack things in individual servings. This way you won't have to worry about serving spoons and you'll save time when dishing out the food.
If you're packing a cook-out picnic, be sure to keep the raw foods away from the cooked foods. Ideally they would be in separate coolers. You don't want to worry about cross contamination.
Thanks to the picnic pack list, you'll never forget your blanket again. But what happens if the ground is wet? To ensure a nice dry spot, consider bringing along a tarp as well.
When looking for the perfect picnic spot, find one that fits the weather. If it's hot, look for one in the shade (keep the cooler there too!), if it's windy consider one tucked on the side of a hill (preferably the side without the wind!), and if it's cool find one that is nice and bright (don't forget the sunscreen!).
Picnic baskets are very chic, but consider bringing a cooler since it can keep food cold and double as a table.
If your food will be exposed, keep flies away by keeping it covered when not in use. Consider napkins with weights (such as small rocks) placed on each corner.
Even if it was delectable, throw away any perishable food that has been left out for more than a few hours.

Got a great picnic tip? Share it with us below!

Off to Market: Picnic Gear

partysugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:00:12 -0700

Picnic season is in full swing and if you plan on packing a meal and heading to a local park, you'll need the proper picnic gear. From a basket to a blanket, planning a picnic requires the essential tools. To ensure that everyone hosts fabulous picnics, let's head off to market in search of the most perfect picnic gear. Look for picnic baskets, plastic serving ware, and anything else - like this canvas wine tote ($39.00) - in between. Bookmark your discoveries in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag, Picnic Gear.

Happy hunting!

Geeksugar has created an explanation on how TeamSugar's bookmarking feature works so check it out if you are feeling confused.

For a list of my favorite places to shop online, read more

Bed Bath & Beyond
CB2
Cooking.com
Crate & Barrel
Ikea
Linens and Things
NapaStyle
Pier 1
Plum Party
Pottery Barn
Sur La Table
Target
Restoration Hardware
Williams Sonoma
Wishing Fish
World Market

Picnic Must Pack List

partysugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:27:17 -0700

Isn't it the worst when you arrive at your picnic destination with a cooler full of beer and realize you've forgotten the bottle opener?? When preparing a picnic, it's easy to overlook the small items you need when dining outdoors. The best way to prevent forgetfulness is to make a list, so I've put together a picnic packing list for you. Print out a copy and the next time you are planning a picnic be sure to go through the list and check everything off. To check out the list, read more

Blanket
Napkins
Plates
Silverware
Serving utensils
Cups and wine glasses
Corkscrew or bottle opener
A knife
Cutting Board
Condiments
Salt & Pepper
Garbage bag

Got something I should add to the list? Please tell me below!

Come Party With Me: Dolores Park Picnic - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:15:20 -0700

Dolores Park is located in between San Francisco's Mission and Castro districts and therefore attracts an eclectic crowd of hipsters. The look of our picnic will be very informal. First a large hippie blanket will be spread on the grass. The perishable food will be kept cold in a portable cooler while the rest of the dishes can be packed in a classic-style picnic basket. An inflatable ice bucket is a must have for keeping drinks icy cold.

Fill a screw-top pitcher with the lemonade and serve in plastic glasses. Bring paper plates and paper napkins, but be sure to recycle them if you can. Lastly, don't forget a hat to protect your face from the sun.

Photo by Loose Charm Productions

Come Party With Me: Dolores Park Picnic - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:15:00 -0700

Dolores Park is San Francisco's see-and-be-seen picnic spot. On warm weekends, the park fills up with everyone from families to hipsters looking to soak up the sun. Since the weather here is unpredictable, rarely do I plan a picnic in advance. Every time my sister calls to invite me to D-Park, I simply grab whatever is in my fridge. However, with a warm week ahead of us, I promised her that I'd make the ultimate fresh, healthy picnic. The Mediterranean-inspired menu will consist of the regular store-bought suspects (salty cheeses, briny olives, cured meats, crispy crackers) supplemented with some homemade favorites.

I'll wrap eggplant caponata and mozzarella sandwich halves in parchment paper. Then, I'll pack two salads - three bean with honey-mustard vinaigrette and couscous with spiced zucchini - in reusable plastic containers. These vegetarian-friendly recipes are perfect for picnicking anywhere so why not add them to your repertoire? To do so read more.

Caponata Picnic Sandwiches
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1(14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons raisins
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled
6 slices (1/3-inch-thick) drained fresh water-packed mozzarella

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
Add the vinegar, sugar, and capers. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cut the bread pieces horizontally in half. Grill the bread cut-side down on a grill pan over medium-high heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Rub the whole garlic cloves over the toasted side of the bread.
Add a slice of mozzarella to bread bottom, spoon the caponata on top, cover with the other bread half.
Wrap the sandwiches separately in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill until ready to serve, or keep at room temperature up to 1 hour.

Serves 6.

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Three-Bean Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
From Whole Living

Ingredients

Juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 pound haricots verts or green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 ounce mache or watercress, trimmed, rinsed, and spun dry
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, tarragon, chives, honey, mustard, and salt until combined. Set aside.
Prepare an ice bath; set aside.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add haricots verts or green beans; simmer until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer haricots verts to ice bath, and let cool completely. Drain in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels.
Place in a large serving bowl. Add kidney beans and cannellini, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Gently toss in the mache or watercress; season with pepper. Serve.

Serves 4.

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Couscous with Spiced Zucchini
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain couscous
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Bring broth with 1/4 teaspoon salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over couscous in a bowl and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to moderately low, then stir in coriander, chili powder, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Gently stir zucchini mixture into couscous and cool to warm or room temperature. Just before serving, stir in mint and lemon juice.

Serves 4-6.

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