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Romantic Picnic Ideas:
Planning A Romantic Picnic
Let's be honest. Planning a romantic picnic isn't all about food. Your picnic basket may be important, but it is only the second most important part of the picnic! (But do check out some great picnic recipes on the bottoms of these pages!)
So where do we start when planning a picnic? Let's start with ...
Planning A Romantic Picnic: Where Will The Picnic Be?
You might be headed for a picnic under the stars, like at the Hollywood Bowl. Toasty sunshine at the beach may be your cup of tea. Or maybe a romantic weekend getaway spot that is all your own. Even your very own lawn is a great spot for a picnic. The food ideas for a picnic will definitely revolve around where the picnic will be.
Planning A Romantic Picnic: When Will You Have This Picnic?
A bright and early breakfast on a mountaintop? A noontime picnic, so you can fritter away the rest of the day? An evening picnic to watch the sun go down? A summer picnic? Or a snow picnic? All are simply wonderful ideas. No matter when your romantic picnic is, it will be nicer if the romantic picnic food choices fit the time of day.
What To Do When Planning A Romantic Picnic
After determining the Where and When, then set out your options:
First, the menu. Here are some general guidelines for planning a romantic picnic:
- No food that needs to be cooked unless you are certain there will be a grill.
- Nothing that needs to be kept frozen. Ice cream is usually not an option.
- Food that can be transported easily. No big bowls or fancy mixing.
- Easy cleanup. After the picnic, you don't want to spend the rest of the day washing dishes!
- Finger foods are great, but knives and forks are ok too.
- Foods you can share, like artichokes and grapes, are great.
- It is nice if you can take a cooler for the drinks and for anything that needs to be cool.
- Wine is always nice, but be sure to include a cork screw.
Then pick a romantic picnic basket. A picnic basket for two is usually enough. I like using a larger one, a picnic basket for four, because it leaves more room for food and I can include real glasses for the wine. I also use a luggage cart for transporting the picnic basket to the car, and for taking it to the picnic spot after we have parked. That way, I don't have to worry so much about how heavy it is.
A good picnic basket will have all the utensils you need: plates, forks, etc. Do pack serving spoons if you need them.
And What is THE Most Important Part Of A Romantic Picnic?
Romance, of course. The meal and the planning are all geared to say, "I care about you enough to spend my time fixing you something special, something we can share."
When I was looking for pictures for this site, I discovered that nearly all picnic pictures showed ladies in skirts. Flirty skirts. Romantic skirts.
Create that feeling of romance, and your picnic is a huge success. [sigh]
And here are some more pages to help you in planning a romantic picnic:
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Discover some lovely
romantic picnic ideas, and make them your own! |
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Planning a romantic picnic ahead of time means that you will have
lots of time to spend with your sweetie. Romantic picnic recipe: California Artichokes With Vinaigrette |
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The
perfect picnic menu
combines delightful menu choices with delightful company, no matter what
the time of day. |
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Romantic picnic food ideas need not be difficult to prepare.
But they should be something your sweetie enjoys, and maybe something
you can share. Romantic picnic recipe: Rendezvous Guacamole |
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Romantic picnic recipes
come in lots of different flavors and
styles. Find the most romantic one for you. |
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Cold picnic food recipes are anything but dull. On the
contrary, they are the essence of a romantic picnic getaway. And
you've got more time to spend with your sweetie! Romantic picnic recipe: Shrimp Salad Delight |
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Food ideas for a picnic.
Let your palate be your guide in choosing just the right items for your
picnic basket. A special picnic recipe: Hazelnut Cookies |
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Easy picnic recipes are my favorite. Like you, I don't have a
lot of time to cook, so quick and easy -- and even gourmet -- picnic
recipes leave me time and energy to enjoy my picnic getaway too. Easy picnic recipe: Gourmet Salmon Salad |
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Summer picnic foods splash your world with sunshine and refreshment,
especially when you can dangle your toes in a nearby lake. Summer picnic recipe: Espresso Brownies |
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Great
picnic food ideas for even the most persnickety eaters start with
wine, then proceed to a main dish, one that is tasty and enticing.
That's true no matter what the season, what the time of day, or what the
dining preferences are. Great picnic recipe: French Style Potato Salad |
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Picnics have been a wonderful part of romantic California getaways since ... well since there were California getaways. Your hotel will help you get one together and point you to a very romantic picnic spot, such as Seaport Village Park or Butterfly Beach or Heisler Park or Avila Beach or Idyllwild. |
Here is a romantic picnic food recipe, for a food that you can share:
California Artichokes With Lemon Vinaigrette
The artichoke capital of the world is in California. It is a very popular veggie for picnics. You will need:
- 2 large artichokes
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsely
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Preparing the artichokes:
Get a bowl that will hold the artichokes and fill it about 3/4 full with cold water. Take your large lemon, cut it in half and squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl of cold water. Set it aside.
Take one artichoke. Cut it in half. (You will have two equal halves, not a "top" and "bottom".) With kitchen shears, snip off the pointy end of each leaf. Pull off the small, hard leaves around the bottom of the artichoke. Let artichokes soak in lemon water for at least half an hour. Remove and drain.
Place all four halves in a steamer, cut side down. Add 2-3" of water, but do not soak the artichokes in the water. Steam until a leaf comes off easily, usually around 30-45 minutes. Remove from steamer and let the artichokes cool.
Preparing the vinaigrette:
Put the shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, chives and parsley in a small bowl. Whish in the olive oil until well mixed. Salt and pepper to taste. Put this mixture in a sealed bottle or small container.
For your picnic:
Remove the artichokes from the refrigerator, and scoop out the prickly part just above the stem, making a little bowl. Wrap and put them in your basket or cooler, along with the vinaigrette.
At the picnic, place the artichokes, cut side up, on a plate. Scoop the vinaigrette into the "bowl" in the artichoke and drizzle it over the leaves.
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Planning a romantic picnic means getting all of the work out of the way ahead of time, so you and your sweetie can enjoy each other for awhile.
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