This is your official guide to hosting the perfect picnic this summer. We’re offering up our best advice to enjoy dining al fresco with your favourite people in your favourite park. Across this great country there are so many beautiful spots to spread out your picnic blanket and bask in the sunshine. With this guide you’ll be picnicking well into autumn.
Keep it simple
Picnics are fun and meant for enjoying the beautiful weather, grass underfoot, and the company of friends. This is not the time to showcase your culinary talent. Instead, let mother nature do the work. Pick up seasonal produce from your local farmer’s market and let the bounty of the season speak for itself. Prepare a tapas-style meal - think dips, veggies, fruit, cheese, bread, nuts. Easy and delicious.
Involve your guests in the planning
Refer to your friends on their favourite summer eats. It will help inspire your menu planning and ensure there will be something in the offerings for everyone. Create a Pinterest board and invite your friends as ‘collaborators’ to pin great summer salads, picnic blankets, packing tips, and cute accessories. Inviting your friends to contribute will also give you an opportunity to ask if there are any food sensitivities to be mindful of. Is anyone avoiding gluten, dairy, or meat?
Minimize your waste with reusable containers
Mother nature will provide you with the perfect venue. Be kind to her in return and keep your waste to a minimum. Takeout Without has some great suggestions for reusable containers. You don’t have to be fancy - mason jars work really well too. You can keep all your gear for your future trendy picnics.
Jazz up your picnic with accessories
Head to your local urban general store to pick up bamboo sporks and glass straws for your picnic. They’re reusable and will add some charm to your spread. If you’re a camper, you may find some useful accessories in your gear that will translate well to your picnic. Pick wildflowers and lay them out on your blanket or lace them in your hair. Bring the outdoors into as many details as possible.
For our picnic, we headed to the Toronto Islands and found the perfect grassy spot with a view back to the city. We ate off organic bamboo plates and sporks, and drank homemade iced tea from an empty beer growler we had on hand. It was simple and perfect. After filling our stomachs, we hopped on our bikes and cruised around the islands.
Our menu:
- Hummus
- Carrots
- Olives
- Chickpea salad
- Iced tea
- Strawberries
- Black bean brownies
If planning lunch for your friends seems daunting, make it a potluck. Ask everyone to bring something and you’ll end up with a smorgasbord of flavours. Enjoy the sun and your company. Because that’s what this is all about.
Happy picnicking all!
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