One of our favorite ways to eat is outdoors. Whether in a park, along the water, or on a hike, there’s something special about a picnic. Every now and then we'll share these experiences, mainly what we ate, here.
Picnics are a thing of simplicity. The meal shouldn’t be too heavy or require too much planning. In our case they usually comprise of a smorgasbord of food, whether it’s tossing together random pieces from the fridge, just some simple ingredients (think cheese, chocolate, fruit, nuts), or a light salad. Usually wine or beer makes its way into the bag. Cutlery and napkins should always be on hand.
Last weekend we had our first picnic of the season in Cobble Hill Park, an adorably quaint and quiet park tucked away between two street blocks, surrounded by picturesque homes. The night before said picnic I made pea soup, following this recipe posted by Mark Bittman from a restaurant in Vermont. I goofed and added the half and half too soon and didn’t strain it like the recipe calls for, but it was still delicious eaten chilled and topped with goat cheese.
Right before heading to the park I prepped the ingredients for an arugula, fennel and fig salad from VeguKate. With the ingredients in separate baggies and the dressing in a tightly closed jar, a fresh salad upon sitting down at the park was guaranteed.
We stopped at our local wine shop on the way, where Prem chatted with the owners and settled on a Sicilian Frappato, light and floral, wonderful for a summer evening, while I stood by tasting a couple of the wines the store was sampling. :)
Once at the park, Prem poured the wine and I assembled the salad on each plate, then poured the soup into plastic wine tumblers (next best thing if no disposable bowls are to be found) and crumbled the goat cheese in. A couple neighbors had a similar idea, but most people were strolling through the park with their dogs or kids, on their way to somewhere else, probably home.
One benefit of picnics is the easy clean-up. The picnic bag is light as can be as we make our way home in the dusk.