Pack a perfect picnic 🧺
At a toasty Concerts on the Square this week, my husband and I sang (quietly!) along to Pink Floyd tunes alongside hundreds of picnickers. On their blankets was everything from biryani (good, messy) to empanadas (fried, limited window of tasty).
To me, the ideal picnic aligns with these key principles:
- The ingredients should be (somewhat) sturdy. This means muffaletta-style sandwiches with giardiniera instead of delicate greens, baguette instead of soft pre-sliced bread. Couscous/pasta salad > green salad.
- No prep onsite. If we’re grilling, the meat comes in its own marinade. The watermelon is pre-cut, sugar snap peas de-stringed. (An exception to this rule is cheese; we bring a little cutting board.)
- Minimize mess. The less wrapping/plastic I have to toss, the happier I am. We bring a rubber band for open chips and off-brand Tupperware for leftovers.
- Bring something sweet. Madison Chocolate Company sells 5-piece boxes of sea salt dark chocolate caramels which soften up after a few minutes out of the cooler. I love how melty Dorie Greenspan’s dark chocolate “world peace” cookies get in summer, and I’m a sucker for a fruit pizza.
- Steamline beverages. On Wednesday at Square Wine, we picked up a chilled, fresh and minerally Flores Picpoul de Pinet, a light white that runs around $14. I found the steal of the summer at Woodman’s: a box of Spanish rosé called Quadrum, $15.49 for three (!) liters. This might be the wine equivalent of a lawnmower beer? It tastes like cold raspberries.
- Pack smart. Fried stuff doesn’t travel well. Hot stuff won’t stay hot. Don’t worry if it’s not pretty. And don’t put your Thermacell mosquito repeller too close to the food, it’s a skoche toxic.
Lately, my cooking at home has simplified. I’m stir-frying shrimp and green beans, grilling lemon-mustard-herb marinated chicken, and sometimes cranking the AC to roast potatoes and beautiful purple cauliflower (I found personal-sized heads at the Monona Farmers Market). Lunch is garlic/chive hummus, tabouli and pita chips from Yalla Dips, or strawberry-topped salads with Deer Creek juniper-studded blue cheese.
If you’re up for going out, try a Laotian lunch at Sern Sapp on Willy Street, a new spot from a scion of the Lao Laan Xang family. The spring rolls look divine. Two summers ago I took shelter from a storm at chilly, sleek Nitro Beverage Lounge before driving my Prius into the flood (RIP). Then and now, I recommend Nitro’s NA cocktails, like Smoke and Silk (smoky tea, strawberry, lemon)…