PICNIC IN THE PARK

Because of this beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying recently, we decided to take to the great outdoors with a blanket, flowers and some tasty snacks. We packed our picnic basket with foods that were easy to transport and prepare once we arrived at our destination.

To keep the meal light and refreshing, here’s what we served:

Mango rice salad
Melon balsamic prosciutto crostini
Lemon ricotta mint crostini

We sipped (or guzzled in some cases) rose-infused lemonade in glass mugs borrowed from a friend, and gobbled down pink grapefruit sandwich cookies for dessert. To make crostinis, simply buy bread crisps from the grocery store and top with two or three ingredients of your choice. We liked the mix of sweet and savory toppings.

There certainly is an art to picnic serving and set-up! We packed the rice salad in mason jars covered with patterned napkins and tied them with string. This way, we already created individual servings for everyone, and they looked way cuter than bringing them in tupperware. The crostini was served on vintage trays found at an antiques sale. We also  brought two wooden drawers that we turned upside down to create an impromptu level table space (they also functioned as handy containers for carrying our supplies). Any small table, stool or drawer would do the trick. We brought a few flowers and potted succulents to pretty up our blanket and we were ready to enjoy the day.

By spending a little extra time on the details, we were able to create a picnic setting full of color, pattern and a little bit of whimsical extravagance as we enjoyed the sunny day.