How to pack a perfect picnic

People picnic for all sorts of reasons - to enjoy the view, to save money at a concert or amusement park, to let their kids roam free on a nice day. Rarely, however, do people unearth their melamine plates from storage because they actually think they'll get a better meal out of it. In most cases, picnic food - soggy sandwiches, overly mayo-ed salads, bruised fruit - is mediocre at best.

That's a shame because picnics can be aesthetically pleasing, wholly enticing feasts worthy of their grassy settings. In the beautifully illustrated book The Picnic, cowriters Marnie Hanel, Andrea Slonecker, and Jen Stevenson share the inspiration they've gathered from their Picnic Club, a monthly gathering of food-minded folks in Portland, Ore., who think nothing of taking a couple of dozen oysters or chicken liver mousse with Lillet gelée to the park.

"We suggest a theme like 'mezzepalooza' or 'picnic in Provence,' but we don't tell anyone what to bring. The running joke is that you just can't show up with a tub of hummus," Stevenson says.

The book showcases the ways food can be reinvented and repackaged to be new and fun and extra portable. "What we've learned is that it doesn't have to be complicated to be attractive. You can serve salads on a stick or take watermelon, feta, and black olive salad and layer it in a mason jar to make it more interesting," Stevenson says. Mason jars are a big thing in The Picnic, which also suggests using them for beverages and desserts, as in the recipe for individual blueberry cardamom crisps. (These resourceful women have even discovered a way to serve them à la mode en plein air.)

Admittedly, some people just want to picnic for the ease of it. For the less-experienced or less-aspirational picnicker, a great place to start is University City's aptly named Picnic, where Anne Marie Lasher caters to outdoor eaters with a refrigerated case full of salads and sandwiches that can be packed into vintage wicker baskets for an authentic experience.

Lasher has fond memories of picnicking with her grandparents in Upstate New York, with fresh baked goods, thermoses full of lemonade, and all kinds of pickles. "The world is so fast-paced now," she says. "I don't think many people grow up going on picnics. So they look at it as something romantic to do, and often our customers want to surprise their partner on a special occasion."

On the whole, she finds that people tend to play it safe with their picnic menus. "You want to serve something that you know people will like," Lasher says. "That's not to say you can't be a little adventurous, but sometimes people have to be convinced to picnic in the first place - not everyone likes eating near bugs - so you want to make it a good proposition for them."

Providing at least one standard dish in the spread is a smart strategy. A tuna salad with olives and artichokes works well, as does the perennially favored tomato and mozzarella salad. "We also sell a lot of corn salad in the summer to picnickers who are headed to Fitler Square or the Schuylkill Banks," says Bacchus Market owner Tracey Wolfson. A well-made chicken salad, like the one offered at Bacchus (we've lightened it up with Greek yogurt), can be a crowd-pleaser. If a baguette seems too predictable, serve it in lettuce cups, endive spears, or prebaked mini tart shells. Likewise, The Picnic's grilled horseradish flank steak with lightly charred small tomatoes makes a beautiful room-temp friendly presentation, and its flavors are simple and summery.

For her part, Lasher prefers a picnic with many small dishes. "I'm a grazer, so I like to have a lot of options." Condiments, jams, relishes, and pickles, like Lasher's curried vegetables, add a layer of interest and sense of abundance to the picnic spread, plus more opportunities for mixing and matching flavors.

If all else fails, no one is going to turn their nose up at a crusty baguette, a couple of cheeses, and some fruit. Even among the high-end picnickers of the Picnic Club, arrangements of cheese and charcuterie have an important and rightful place. The key, Stevenson says, is that everything is freshly cut and arranged on a board when they get there, with the crackers, nuts, olives, and fruit packed individually to preserve their integrity.

For some gatherings, assembling food on-site can be part of the fun. Stevenson and her cowriters suggest the idea of bringing deviled egg whites and filling them from a Ziploc bag with a snipped-off corner at the party, creating a sort of dinner (or lunch) theater that avoids the dreaded congealed crust of a premade egg. Supplying the elements of a sandwich and letting people build their own can keep the bread from soaking up too much liquid.

In general, eschewing throwaway napkins and cutlery will instantly take the picnic up a few notches. "Dressing it up with a fun tablecloth and cloth napkins makes it feel more elegant," Lasher says. However, there are real practical concerns with lugging around the contents of the kitchen cabinets. Instead of glass and heavy china, choosing plastic (faux plastic mason jars can keep the desired country look intact) or bamboo tableware makes the basket or cooler infinitely more transportable.

The golden rule is balancing beauty and bulk. And always keep in mind how far the parking is from the picnic site, says Wolfson. "You have to remember you're schlepping chairs, blankets, and bug spray in addition to the meal, so you want to make it easy on yourself. And don't forget the corkscrew."

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Makes about 6 cups

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1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 cups apple cider vinegar

5 whole cloves garlic

3 thin slices ginger

1 small yellow onion, halved and julienned

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

7 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets (about 4 cups)

5 medium carrots, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)

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1. Toast seeds over medium heat in a small saucepan, swirling the pan, until fragrant and slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup water, vinegar, garlic, ginger, onion, sugar, salt, and remaining spices to the pan. Stir and return pan to heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2. Place the cauliflower, carrots, and bell pepper in a 2-quart heat-resistant glass bowl or measuring cup. Pour hot brine over the vegetables. Stir to coat and make sure vegetables are submerged in liquid. Allow to cool. Cover or transfer to another sealable container and refrigerate for at least two days, or up to three weeks.

- From The Picnic (Artisan, 2016)

Per 1/2-cup serving: 153 calories, 3 grams protein, 34 grams carbohydrates, 26 grams sugar, trace fat, no cholesterol, 2,775 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 6 servings

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4 cups chicken stock

2 cups white wine

2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 small yellow onion

3 thyme sprigs

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped plus ¼ cup minced celery

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup red grapes, halved

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

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1. Combine the chicken stock and wine in a large stockpot. Add carrots, garlic, onion, thyme, and roughly chopped celery and bring to a boil. Carefully add chicken breasts to the pot. If they're not covered, add enough water to fully submerge them. Bring to a boil again, then turn off the heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

2. Using tongs, remove chicken from poaching liquid and allow to cool. Discard poaching liquid.

3. Cube chicken, and add to a large bowl with grapes and shallots and minced celery. In a small bowl, combine the horseradish, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Add enough dressing to coat the chicken - you may not need all of it. Add parsley just before serving.

- Adapted from a Bacchus Market recipe

Per serving: 419 calories, 48 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams sugar, 12 grams fat, 127 milligrams cholesterol, 855 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 4-6 servings

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1/4 cup prepared horseradish (about half a 4-ounce jar)

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon fine sea salt plus more for sprinkling

1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

One 2-pound flank steak

11/2 pounds cherry or cocktail tomatoes on the vine

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1. Whisk together the horseradish, garlic, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Lay the steak in a baking dish and rub it with the marinade, coating all sides. Cover and chill for 2 hours to marinate, or for up to 1 day.

2. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Wipe the excess marinade from the steak. Grill until the steak is medium-rare in the middle, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes. Or refrigerate until the picnic, up to 2 days.

3. While the steak is resting, drizzle the tomatoes with oil and a pinch of salt but keep them connected to the vines. Carefully place the tomatoes on the grill. Close the lid and cook until softened, wilted, and lightly charred, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Just before leaving for the picnic, slice the steak against the grain into thick strips and transfer them to a serving platter. Top with the tomato vines, drizzle with a little more oil, and cover tightly for transport.

- From The Picnic (Artisan, 2016)

Per serving (based on 6): 348 calories, 43 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams sugar, 15 grams fat, 83 milligrams cholesterol, 1,059 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.EndText

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Makes 8 servings

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For the topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

For the filling:

4 cups blueberries

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Vanilla ice cream (if desired) on dry ice

To pack: Spoons, ice cream scoop

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. To make the topping: In a bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt. Add the butter and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until the butter is broken into pea-size bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes while you make the filling.

3. To make the filling: In a bowl, stir together the blueberries, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

4. Divide the blueberry filling evenly among eight 4-ounce heatproof glass jars, pressing on the berries with the back of a spoon so they are snug in the jars, and leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace for the topping. Spoon the topping into each jar, dividing it evenly. Place the jars on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the topping is crisp and the filling is bubbling slightly, 18 to 20 minutes.

5. The filling will ooze out a little, so once the crisps have cooled to room temperature, wipe off the jars and screw on the lids for transport. Serve scoops of vanilla bean ice cream (packed in dry ice for travel) on top of each crisp, or in the inverted jar lids. Recap leftovers and enjoy within three days. (Or freeze cooked or uncooked crisps for up to a month, then bake and serve.)

- From The Picnic (Artisan, 2016)

Per serving (without ice cream): 233 calories, 2 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 22 grams sugar, 9 grams fat, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 157 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.EndText