Pack A Picnic Basket Like A Suitcase

In the hot heat of summer, cold should be the No. 1 priority when it comes to picnics, said James Schend, the food editor at “Taste of Home” magazine.

“Just to keep things safe, you should have everything chilled down, so a good cooler is a must,” he said.

Frozen freezer bags with plain water, or with two parts water and two parts rubbing alcohol, are some options to try. You can also certainly use a traditional cooler packed with ice. Or, you can get creative and freeze water bottles to keep items cool and treat yourself to a refreshing drink once the ice begins to melt.

Keeping things cold doesn’t necessarily mean foregoing the proverbial checkerboard cotton-lined wicker basket. But admittedly, Schend said those wicker baskets aren’t as practical as picnic backpacks, which are convenient to carry and can store everything from food to wine.

Whether you pack in silverware or bamboo utensils as an eco-friendlier option to plastic, Schend said successful picnics require a bit of planning.

Think of it like packing for a vacation. Lay out the items you want to bring and then whittle it down to only what you need. Include plastic bags for your dirty dishes, he said.

As for the food, Schend likes meals in picnic baskets to contain three main ingredients: some kind of fruit or pasta salad (not greens because they wilt too quickly), protein and dessert.

For the salad, Schend said some kind of macaroni or potato salad works well. Another option is a watermelon and cucumber salad that keeps well even at room temperature and has a high acidity because of the balsamic vinegar that’s added to it.

“It is a really good one that’s usually on my summer entertaining list,” he said.

His favorite protein option is fried chicken, mostly because it’s tasty both warm and cold. One of his recipes calls for soaking the chicken in buttermilk before frying it, which he said adds to the flavor and helps keep the coating adhered to the chicken.

“It’s just that one sharp little bite to it that just makes that chicken even juicer and crisper when you get it out of the fryer,” he said.

Then, make room for a favorite summertime dessert — in Schend’s case that’s a strawberry shortcake. To make transportation a little bit easier, Schend said you can put the shortcake in a mason jar to avoid it crumbling or getting destroyed on the way to the picnic.

Contrary to their name, coolers also can be used to keep contents hot. One recommendation is to shuck sweet corn ahead of time, put it in a cooler and cover it with boiling water. The corn will steam itself in 20 minutes and continue to stay hot.

“We always call them coolers, but the opposite works just as well — they keep things hot,” he said.

While some choose to keep picnics simple and others go all out with candelabras and champagne flutes, Schend said there are some conveniences he appreciates as he gets older, such as tablecloths, blankets and pillows.

“Those small little touches do elevate things,” he said.