Who better to share picnic tips than Ashley English? The North Carolina food writer and blogger has just published “A Year Of Picnics: Recipes For Dining Well In the Great Outdoors” (Roost Books, $25), a cookbook that covers all the ins and outs of picnicking, no matter what the season. Here are her five top tips for dining outdoors:
Consider keeping an “at the ready” picnic basket in your car, or by the front door. Stock it with plates, napkins, glasses and a wine key, and you’ll be perennially prepared for picnicking!
Think beyond lunch in the park and consider a breakfast — or even sunrise — picnic, an afternoon coffee break picnic, an outdoor movie night picnic, or a stargazing picnic.
Enamelware, stainless steel and bamboo make great substitutes for disposables. Up your picnic game — and tread more lightly on the planet in the process — by swapping in these materials wherever possible, from plates to cutlery and drinkware
Keep designated picnic-specific bottles of insect repellent and sunscreen in your “at the ready” basket so you’ll be prepared for whatever curveballs nature throws your way.
Frozen treats and beverages needn’t be off limits just because you’re on a picnic. Grab a bag of dry ice at the grocery store, pack it into a cooler alongside your items and keep your cool outdoors when the mercury soars!
