Last Sunday was one of those beautiful spring days that occurs so briefly here in Charleston prior to the arrival of the brutal summer heat. So we decided to take advantage of the weather and head out to our favorite local park for a picnic. Situated under a large flowering pear tree, several times a big gust of wind would come by and shower our picnic area with tiny white petals. There was nothing we could do but laugh and brush the petals off of our sandwiches. We stayed for over an hour eating, talking, telling jokes, playing tag, and then eating some more. It is my perfect version of a Sunday Funday.
Although many of you may be cringing at the idea of picnicking with four very young kids, I promise it is actually far better than eating at home or in a restaurant. There is no kitchen to clean or floors to sweep afterwards and nowhere in sight is a waitress glaring at you when a rogue fork or cup of water goes crashing onto the floor. You can be as loud, messy, and silly as you like and not even the nearby squirrels and blue jays seem to be bothered.
For this picnic, I decided to pack a French inspired lunch spread. The French are known for eating whatever is fresh and in season so we packed lots of fresh berries, apricots, tangerines, and tomatoes; a variety of cheeses; different types of cured meats; creams and jams; and lots and lots of bread courtesy of Wildgrain.
We recently decided to start a subscription with Wildgrain that includes an assortment of sourdough and slow-fermented breads, artisanal pastries, and handmade pastas that show up frozen at your door. All the bread is high quality and homemade from the best ingredients. Then on the morning of your picnic, no thawing is needed, just pop in the oven and you have the most delicious bread ready to eat.
This month’s Wildgrain subscription box came with a plain sourdough loaf, a sourdough walnut loaf, a slow fermented olive oil ciabatta, raspberry lemon biscuits, croissants, tonnarelli pasta, and fettuccine pasta. The croissants and biscuits were an absolute must have for the picnic and I also brought two of the loafs for making sandwiches.
The bread and the cheese are my obvious picnic must-haves. But here are a few more tips when planning a picnic:
- Choose a location that has the 3 S’s: shade, security, and space. If the spot has a playground in view, the kids are never going to sit and eat. If the spot has a beach or body of water nearby, the adults will never relax for fear of someone wandering off into open waters. But a park with an open field or grassy area is perfect. Just enough to keep the children entertained but still keep them close by. Our favorite two spots in Charleston are Hampton Park and Charles Towne Landing.
- Many local parks have accessible picnic tables dispersed throughout but we love to throw down a big blanket instead. This is just a personal preference but I find it feels cozy and makes us stay longer.
- If you are a family with multiple ages, bring a portable booster seat/high chair to place on the ground for toddler or baby so the rest of the family can enjoy their meal without having to worry about the younger one crawling away.
- Pack plenty of sunscreen, hats, and insect repellent. The last thing you want are mosquitoes forcing an abrupt ending to your outing.
- In addition to paper plates and cutlery, don’t forget to pack serving spoons, a cutting board, and a knife for the bread.
- For quick picnics, I make the sandwiches ahead of time at home. But for a slow, relaxed morning I will bring the entire loaf of bread and have everyone build their own sandwich as they go. This allows the older kids to be involved in making their plates and makes them eager to sit down and eat!
And check out Wildgrain today, you won’t regret it! Have a box sent to your house. Stock your freezer with delicious handmade breads and pastries. Now you will have one less thing to worry about when that next perfect picnic weather arrives. You can save 10% off your first Wildgrain box with code PRISCILLA10. Happy picnicking everyone! xx
