Marnie Hanel - The Picnic

The Picnic

Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket

MARNIE HANEL, ANDREA SLONECKER & JEN STEVENSON
Illustrations by Emily Isabella

Contents

Preface

AT THE FIRST SIGN OF SPRING, when the crocus blossoms peek through the grass and the bluebirds return to the trees, we start dreaming of picnic seasona celebration that kicks off the first warm day of the year and lingers through crisp early fall. Our first picnic might only involve grabbing a sandwich and a paperback and heading to the park for a quick lunch, but as the days get longer, our picnics become more and more elaboratelending themselves to date nights, outdoor concerts, movie screenings, plays, book clubs, campouts, birthdays, baby showers, engagement parties, brunches, and beach parties.

We love picnicking so much that we decided to make a habit of it. Four years ago, we walked to our favorite park, found a perfectly situated picnic table, spread a tablecloth, and unpacked rounds of molten-centered triple crme, bowls of sweet Shuksan strawberries, tiny pots of lemon curd topped with soft spoonfuls of whipped cream, and (perhaps most important) a wine cellars worth of ros. One by one, our friends appeared, bearing the makings of an alfresco feast. Once the spread was suitably sumptuous, we filled our plates with deviled eggs and dilly beans, asparagus salad and fresh cherries tossed with mint, little leek tarts and slices of poached salmon, and we settled onto our blankets for a meal that lasted late into the night. Needless to say, we were hooked, completely taken with the ease and spontaneity of our get-together. Only a few hours passed before we started planning the next one, and it wasnt long before it became a monthly affair. And so the Portland Picnic Society was formed, quite by accident.

Picnics are a silver bullet for summer entertainingthey take the stress out of parties and leave only the fun. For the modern hostess, whose friends often outnumber her chair count, bringing the party to the park makes it possible to gather any number of people, with less effort than it takes to find a restaurant to accommodate a large group. Picnics require far less fuss than hosting a party at home, too, since you can forget about cleaning the house or washing a single dish. And because the menu expands and contracts with the guest count, theres no need to worry about last-minute additions or cancellations. Invite just a few friends, or catch up with all of your favorite companions in one fell swooptheres always enough food at a picnic, since everyone pitches in.

Beyond being a great way to gather, picnics offer an excellent framework for exploring new recipes. Whether you have ten minutes to make a snappy snack or an afternoon set aside for a series of summery projectspickles, paletas, or Mason jar piesyoull find many ways to wow. And since nothing impresses us more than a picnic of the Hyde Park variety, at which a glance at a nearby blanket might yield a magnum of Champagne, an entire roast chicken, and a three-tier cake, we hope youll delight in a sampling of foods you might not have previously considered bringing to the park.

These recipes are tried and tested, but we hope youll play with them, making the most of seasonal ingredients, snipping herbs from your window garden, and riffling through your bar cart for splashes of substitutions. Our picnics aspire to the same level of detail, creativity, and charm as if we were entertaining in our own homesin essence, were just kicking off our flats and taking the party outdoorsand we hope youll do the same. Besides, we like the challenge of planning a meal thats somehow even better without the comforts of a kitchen.

Remember to check the basket packing list to make sure you have everything you needyoull find one at the end of each recipeor prepare to improvise with the contents of your handbag. Thats just the kind of creativity that makes these recipes our go-to picks. Speaking of which, go forth and picnic! And be sure to show off your delicacies as you do. Join us online at #thepicnicbook.

Xo,

Marnie, Andrea, and Jen

chapter 1

From Basket to Blanket

These are a few of the critical skills that separate the picnic novice from the picnic pro, and with the help of this definitive picnic primer, youll be the latter in the time it takes to spread a Pendleton blanket in the Champ de Mars. These pages will take you from picnic planning to pack-up, supplying you with the definitive picnic packing list, setting forth pivotal picnic standards and practices, and even schooling you in the art of choosing the perfect picnic site. So read on, preferably while sitting in your favorite park, for an advanced education in picnicking.

Pop-Up Picnic

In its most basic form, a relaxing picnic requires nothing more than stepping outside with a few nibbles. When a languid morning turns into a peckish afternoonor when the weather is fair and the boss is out of the officehead for the hills with a picnic of store-bought provisions. Here are some ideas for a modern twist on the ploughmans lunch.

Picnic Party Primer

Even the most spontaneous of parties have an invisible hand behind them, making sure all picnickers find the picnic site easily and have something to drink and eat when they get there. Heres how to pull off a picnic thats just the right mix of ease and enchantment.

1 Menu Planning

Unless you have an incredibly telepathic group of friends, its a good idea to ask everyone to declare what theyre bringing in advance via a round-robin email. Otherwise you might end up with twenty chicken salads and zero desserts. Choose a theme to inspire the masses. (For ideas, see the menus: .)

2 Portioning

Break out this reference chart to calculate the appropriate number of items to bring. If guests need direction, assign bites, salads, plates, sweets, and sips. Most of the recipes in this book serve four to six people.