Packing the Perfect Picnic
Here in Northwest Arkansas the weather is trying to convince us that Spring has sprung. Perhaps Punxsutawney Phil was correct! While I am a little hesitant to trust a weather predicting ground squirrel since the south is notorious for producing false Spring, the warmer weather and sunshine is still brightening my mood.
This nice weather also has me thinking about planning Springtime activities. While I do look forward to more walks and more pickleball, there is one thing in particular I am especially looking forward to in the coming months. It doesn’t involve tennis shoes or a wiffle ball, but it does involve a nice, woven basket. That activity is a good ole’ fashioned picnic.
Some of my first memories of picnicking are from our annual church picnic. I remember being so excited to spend the entire Sunday afternoon fishing and running around the lake while a gospel bluegrass band played in the background. We would always enter the fishing competition, hoping to be the one to catch the biggest fish. Unfortunately, my Barbie fishing pole never led me to victory. Nevertheless, we had a great time running around and playing volleyball.
After several hours of playing outside with friends and re-applications of bug spray, it would be time to serve the meal. This picnic was set up more as a buffet. The checkered tablecloths would be placed over large fold out tables, and everyone would set their side or dessert along the tables for everyone to enjoy. After grabbing a piece of fried chicken, I loaded up my plate with mac n cheese, potato salad, broccoli salad, and all of the cookies that my paper plate could hold. Of course you knew who made what dish, and if you didn’t hurry the favorites were picked over.
We would then sit in our lawn chairs and stuff our faces as other musical acts continued on the stage. I’m sure we played for several hours after the meal, but honestly I just remember eating copious amounts of chocolate chip cookies. I don’t know for sure if the church hosts the annual picnic now, but it definitely makes for good memories.
Photograph by Carly He
Besides the church picnic, which honestly was more like an outdoor buffet, there is one other picnic I remember fondly. This one didn’t have bluegrass music or little old ladies from the church, but it did have plenty of laughs and was a celebration of friendship. Back in 2021, when we were still nervous about the scary virus that shut everything down, I was texting one of my good friends, Anita. Her birthday was coming up and she really wanted to celebrate, but we couldn’t figure out a plan that was fun yet health conscious. After several suggestions, we landed on having an intimate friend's picnic in one of her favorite parks in Knoxville, TN.
I was super excited about planning this picnic party because we had been lacking in the celebration department. I quickly volunteered to be host of the event and planned out the menu. After picking some picnic favorites, the only thing missing was a vessel to hold all of the delicious goodies. Fortunately, my friend and next door neighbor had a beautiful, traditional picnic basket for us to borrow. After making fresh raspberry lemonade and putting them in glass bottles, everyone grabbed blankets and met in the park.
We had such a wonderful time catching up through bites of cucumber sandwiches and mini cheeseballs. Our friend Carly even brought us delicious strawberry stuffed puffed pastries and vanilla cold brew to top off the afternoon. Although the majority of us don’t live in Knoxville anymore, it is a fond memory I have that we can hopefully recreate one day.
Once my hesitancy for the authenticity of Spring has declined, I look forward to having a picnic with some new friends here in Northwest Arkansas. While I can’t copy the complete experience of our picnic in 2021, I will absolutely be copying the menu. It was the perfect combination of savory and sweet that left you full and satisfied. Hopefully this menu and recipes can provide some inspiration for you and your family to get outside, enjoy the sunshine, and share a meal together.
While the food for our picnic was delicious, nothing made it sweeter than spending time with good friends.
Dalene’s Mini Cheeseballs
Makes approximately 30-40
2 8oz. Blocks of cream cheese, softened
1 small can of crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon of Lowry’s season salt
1 small bag of pecans, crushed, about 4 oz
Mix together the softened cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and seasoned salt in a small bowl. Refrigerate the mixture in the bowl for at least two hours. After chilling, make the mixture into mini cheeseballs, about 1 inch. You can also use a cookie scoop to make the cheeseballs. Then, cover with pecan pieces. Place cheeseballs on a cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Refrigerate until it is time to serve. Serve cheese balls with crackers.
Photograph by Carly He
Corn Salad
Serves 4-6 people
4 ears of sweet corn, shucked
1 container of grape tomatoes, halved
1 package of mozzarella pearls, about 8 oz.
¼ cup of green onion (about 3 stalks)
1 tablespoon of fresh basil, finely chopped (about 10 leaves)
¼ cup of olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
First, shuck the corn and halve the tomatoes. Add the shucked corn and tomatoes into a large bowl with a lid. Tear apart the mozzarella pearls and add them to the mixture. Finely chop the green onions and basil. Add to the mixture in the bowl as well. In a small mason jar, add in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake until incorporated. Then, add the dressing to the bowl and toss until the salad is evenly coated. Let the salad sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
