Picnic
81 recipes found
Blueberry Poppy Seed Cake
This simple one-bowl recipe highlights blueberries and poppy seeds in a fluffy vanilla- and almond-scented batter that comes together in a flash. It travels well, which makes it a perfect picnic dessert or beach snack, and it’s just as good for breakfast the next day. The combination of butter and oil gives the cake great flavor, but, more important, keeps it moist for days on the counter. For those who are not fans of almond extract, feel free to leave it out and replace it with more vanilla extract.
White Bean Caprese Salad
Beloved pantry white beans add substance to this take on caprese salad, which comes together in no time. It’s a perfect side for grilled chicken or fish, and can be easily doubled to work as a main course when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. If you’re so inclined, a handful of spicy arugula, thinly sliced roasted red peppers or ribbons of prosciutto — or all three — would also be nice additions. This dish is easily transportable and tastier when eaten while sitting in a lawn chair.
Taiwanese Meefun
Meefun is a stir-fried rice noodle dish very common in Taiwan, and many cooks always claim that their version is the best. Traditionally, meefun has dried shrimp, but this vegetarian rendition gets its umami from dried shiitake mushrooms and gains a little heft from eggs. It’s delicious when first made, but can also be served at room temperature, so it will travel well to a picnic or gathering.
Green Beans, Corn and Carrot Salad
This is a sturdy, appealing picnic recipe made from haricots verts, corn and carrots. Haricots verts, by the way, are skinny green beans, but you can use regular ones instead. Like the sandwich, this salad gets even better the longer it sits, and is relatively indestructible. With all the contrasting colors, it’s pretty, too.
Lemon Poppy Seed Poundcake
This lemon poppy seed poundcake is summery and quick to make, and perfect for a picnic. One tip: cut up the poundcake before the picnic but leave it in the baking pan. It makes it easier to transport, and the pan protects it, too. Then serve it on its own, with ripe berries, and let the ants enjoy the crumbs.
Marinated Mozzarella, Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
This simple dish of marinated cherry tomatoes, olives and mozzarella is best, of course, when cherry tomatoes are in season. That it gets better as it sits is a boon: Bring it to potlucks or picnics, or simply let it sit in your refrigerator, a satisfying lunch at home. A generous handful of basil leaves, sprinkled atop just before serving, gives everything a bright, herbal finish. You’ll want to make this all summer long.
Spicy Bacon-and-Egg Pie
Bacon-and-egg pie is a rustic specialty from New Zealand, here zipped up with a mixture of sriracha and cream. Made from whole eggs that hard-cook under a pastry crust lid, with fat chunks of bacon, it is closer in feeling to steak-and-kidney pie, that sturdy pub staple, than to quiche. It is terrific picnic fare.
Rosemary Chicken In Pita Bread
Pan Bagnat
The beauty of a pan bagnat: not only is it impressive and something different to share with fellow picnickers, it also wants to be made in advance. The longer it sits (up to 24 hours), the better it gets. The flavors marry, the oil and tomato juices mingle, the anchovies dissolve into the bread and all of it coalesces into a sophisticated whole that stays intact when you bite in. Pan bagnats can be a catchall for whatever vegetables are on hand: crisp hot and sweet peppers, fennel, cucumber and scallions. Even string beans, peas and fava beans can all work. The tuna itself is optional; some versions are ringed with just anchovies and sliced hard-cooked eggs. And at the time of year when wild salmon is in season, you could use some of the leftover cooked fish in place of tuna, which would make the sandwich even classier.