What do you pack for a picnic

[Curlybrunette]

Hi all,

We are going out for the day on Sunday and are going to take a picnic. There are 2 families and we are each going to take things for both families to share.

I usually do sandwiches, a side salad, maybe a pasta salad, sausage rolls, fruit salad, cake etc. A average not very exciting type of picnic.

What sort of things do you take on your picnics? I'd like a bit of mumsnet inspiration to jazz up my contributions.

(We'll be leaving home at 7.30ish in the morning and will take ice packs but the food will be out of the fridge for a good few hours before we eat it)

Ta
x

One thing I only like quiche warm (awkward I know) so wouldn't take that. How selfish eh, I don't like it cold so no one gets it!!!

I usually make a quiche and flapjacks.

Heh x-posts

Rice salad (with peas,peppers,sweetcorn, spring onion)
cooked chicken legs in honey glaze
cooked chiplolatas
home made scotch eggs
quiche
chocolate muffins
strawberries, bananas and apples

xposted on quiche

Usually not enough. DC's turn into eating monsters when they hit the great outdoors!!

Best picnic I've ever had was a whole rotisserie chicken bought from the supermarket eaten with our hands and garlic mayo from a jar. Eaten with baguette, cherry tomatoes and radishes. Lots of wet wipes essential.

Otherwise - very lazy picnic involving a couple of baguettes, different types of pate, cheese, salami/ham, little cornichon gherkins, crisps, dips. No preparation/extra packaging needed, survives happily in coolbags.

Saw a man in the supermarket today bottle a warm cooked chicken, nice bread, nice cheese, bottle of wine and some salad - looked lovely and I was [green] as I struggled with a moaning toddler and a hungry newborn

Yep, baguettes, cheese, olives, peppers & celery, dips, crispS etc and homemade cake. keeps for ages in coolbox and no prep needed.

Maybe also couscous salad. Good sandwiches to make on advance are baguettes with pesto and/ or tapenade with sundried tomatoes and mozzarella. Best made the night before and wrapped tightly in foil. My chef friend always does them and they're delicious.

Scotch eggs, drumsticks, cherry toms, bread, cheese, leaves of some sort (must have dressing separate)
Pretty pedestrian really but I do make a fab coconut cucumber salad.
We don't tend to take dessert, but buy ice cream instead.

Parma ham, saucisse, hard boiled eggs, baguette, gherkins, tomato&mozarella salad, strawberries...

You could make a goat cheeses & rosemary tart...or grill courgettes, aubergines, peppers etc and have it with prosciutto and nice cheese...

when i was a kid we went to northern ireland and had to drive up to scotland for the ferry. we stopped half way and my mum had done a picnic. believe it or not at 15 it was the first picnic id had! i remember it like yesterday. i can still taste the pork pies (from the bakers not crappy supermarket ones) with brown sauce, ham sandwiches, salad, coleslaw and crisps now! so basic but everything tastes good out side!

Curly, your picnic doesn't sound boring or average at all. Anything that is made with love and to share can NOT be boring, whatever the food is. It's not the sunblushed tomatoes or griddled vegetables in olive oil vs the scotch egg and the buttie. What a lovely thing to do with another family or even just for your own. Must remember to do more picnics myself. Have a lovely day on Sunday whatever you cook or take.

Lots of ideas on this thread that was running at the weekend here

couldtryharder, i couldnt agree more!

I was thinking of starting the same thread the other day as we tend to go for the usual scotch egg, little sausages, baguette, ham and cheese, and could do with some inspiration too.

How about:
Home made savoury muffins (e.g. courgette and cheese)
Tortilla
Veg sticks and dip
Sausages in honey and sesame seeds
Falafel

Tabouleh
Parma Ham
Crem of St Augur
Nice bread
Olives
Pate
Melon
Bread sticks
baba ganoush dip
lemony and garlicy hummous
Crisps

Lemon drizzle cake
Thorntons mini millionaires shortbread

I am bloody hungry now!

Ongakgak, sounds like the picnic we had today - easy but interesting things. I also did a salad - washed the leaves, bagged them and took sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and feta and a vinaigrette dressing and made it up while we were out. Tossed in some smoked salmon on top of mine, had french bread on the side.
Took lots of fruit and some snacky stuff and there was the obligatory ice cream that we bought there.

Oh, and bcos it was Dh's bday I took a load of lemon cupcakes un-iced that we put candles on - these were perhaps the biggest hit.

I'm hungry too now, thanks guys, think I'll go for baguettes and meat, cheeses, olives etc. Roll on Sunday!

Also I'm going to google a savoury muffin recipe, never done them before but have been meaning too.

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm

x

Also, meant to ask nettoSuperstar can you give me your coconut cucumber salad recipe please. That sounds lovely

x

Dead easy muffin recipe from Aitch's site. They are yummy for adults as well as kids. I do courgette and cheese but I guess you could do anything, cheese and bacon, chorizo, carrot, squash etc.

We went for a picnic at the weekend and as it was a last minute affair I had no chance to make anything so had
Lettuce
Tomato
cucumber
3 diferent cheeses
loaf of greek Bread
crackers
choizo
parma ham
melon
mango
apples
crisps

Love some of the ideas here. Am having family over Friday so might do some of those muffins. htey sounds scrumy.

I pack 2 whole french sticks and take knives, cheese and ham to slice there with big old vine tomatoes

I LOATHE the prep pf picnics, and its demilished in about 5 mins

Baguettes & butter
nice cheese
ham
cold sausages
spring onions
cucumber
cherry tomatos
bag of leaves
pringles
strawberries
grapes