Planning a Vegetarian Picnic: A Quick Guide

When the warm weather beckons us outside, there's not much better than having a picnic. But what to bring? Here are some suggestions to on how to pack the perfect picnic.

1. Sandwiches
Ah, sandwiches. Such a staple in American diets. Very handy and convenient, you can continue playing badminton as you eat. There are endless possibilities for a sandwich and here are a few suggestions: Brie and caramelized onions on a baguette, pesto and grilled veggies on whole wheat, baby spinach and cucumbers with humus in a wrap, avocado and tahini in a pita.
There is a very simple trick to keep sandwiches from becoming soggy on the trip from the kitchen counter to that grassy field or sandy beach: Toast the bread! This will dry out the bread and by the time you get to your destination, the bread will have softened but not be a soggy mess. Also, tomatoes are often the culprit of sogginess, so either leave them out, pack them separately, or get rid of the liquidy seed part and chop into small pieces before adding to a sandwich.

2. Salads
One of my favorites is bean salad using chickpeas, kidney beans, kernels of corn, finely chopped onions and tomatoes with a dressing made of 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, with salt and pepper to taste.
Then there's a more classic green salad. Focus on color as well, the more colorful vegetables, the more pleasing to the eye and the body! Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, and arugula form a great salad base. Throw some shredded carrots, avocado, dandelion greens, beets, chopped apples, pears, or mandarin oranges, cauliflower, and whatever else pleases the palate. Keep the dressing light, such as balsamic or drizzling of olive oil.
To continue on the colorful theme, let's make a fruit salad. Summer is the season for delicious blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and most other berries plus peaches, plums, and nectarines. Pineapple and melon chunks add another dimension. Don't forget that other staple at picnics: watermelon. I recommend keeping the rind on and slicing the watermelon into chunks for people to grab from a separate container, rather than tossing into the fruit salad.
Pasta salad doesn't need to be hot. Make bow tie pasta, let it cool and then toss with chopped tomatoes,

3. Not So Standard Fare
Nori rolls are delicious, fairly easy to make, can be bite sized and very portable for a picnic. Nori is a type of seaweed used on the outside of sushi. I usually put a layer of rice with shredded carrots and thin slivers of cucumber and spray with amino acids. Other yummy fillings are marinated tofu and avocado with wasabi and ginger. After rolling it up, cut it into bite sized pieces.
Vegan ceviche looks cool and tastes even better. Traditionally ceviche contains raw seafood but this recipe is centered around hearts of palm. Serve with tortilla chips. A great recipe can be found here: http://www.recipezaar.com/Vegetarian-Ceviche-That-Looks-Not-So-Vegetarian-215256
A different (and healthier) spin on egg salad is to hard boil eggs, slice them thin, and then toss with different veggies such as grilled asparagus, red peppers, cherry tomatoes (both yellow and red varieties) as well as some black beans and jalapeños. Forget the mayo, which can quickly turn nasty in the summer heat, and sprinkle feta over the whole colorful heap.

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but don't forget about food safety. Bacteria grows rapidly during hot temperature, especially if it's over 80 degrees. Eat all the food in under 2 hours after removing from coolers and you should be fine.

4. Dessert
Possibly my favorite part of the picnic. A fruit salad can definitely satisfy the sweet tooth, but if you're not too worried about you bikini bod (come on! We're having fun here!) go ahead and indulge at this picnic. Anything without frosting that can be made bite-sized like brownies, muffins, and sweet breads are good. Big bags of candy also work well.

5. Drinks
Grab a big thermos and fill with your favorite beverage. A popular summertime drink is the Arnold Palmer - half lemonade and half ice tea. Definitely bring plain ol' water to keep hydrated. My personal picnic fav is box wine. Box wine has come a long way and can be very good. It's also easy to disguise drinking in public (though, I'm not advocating breaking the law; drink in public at your own risk).

As for plate, cups, and flatware, I like the bring my own and wash later. Too much garbage in this world already. But if you don't want to deal with a big mess to clean either ask folks to bring their own from home or buy some really great biodegradable items made from corn or bamboo. Bring a bedsheet or blanket to sit on, a few placemats, and plenty of totes and containers for food and you're good to go picnic!