This article originally appeared in the Bergen (County, NJ) Record and on the Bergen Record web site, NorthJersey.com.

A loaf, a jug, thou ... or maybe just a park bench

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

By CAROLINA BOLADO
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

Your back yard. The park bench across the street from your office building. That uncomfortable seat in coach on a cross-country flight.

What do all of these spots have in common? They’re perfect for picnics, say Hilary and Alex Heminway, the mother-and-son authors of “Picnics” (Gibbs Smith, 2007), who advise people to move outside picnic-basket mode and think of creative ways to make any meal away from home exciting.

“A picnic is a sort of frame of mind,” Alex Heminway said. “It’s taking time to give yourself permission to be quiet to eat, to pay attention to your food, to pay attention to the outdoors. It really can be anywhere.”

Take the average workday lunch, usually consumed absent-mindedly with one hand on the keyboard and eyes glued to the screen. The Heminways suggest making it a picnic of one by turning from the computer and taking a few minutes to focus on the food and enjoy it.

Picnicking can be especially important for urban dwellers, who might find it difficult to claim a patch of land for a quiet meal.

“On a Sunday, if you drive up along [Manhattan’s] West Side Highway, there’s always tons of people picnicking, people grilling in the parking lot or on a tiny sliver of grass,” said Alex Heminway. “There’s a human impulse to gather outside.”

Picnics can be boisterous, with good friends and laughter, or quiet, with only a book for a companion. They can take place at the end of a long hike or at the start of the day.

“Some of the most romantic picnics I’ve been on have been on the living room floor in front of a fire,” said Christine Nunn, who so loves picnicking that she named her company, Picnic Caterers in Emerson, after it.

As for the food, the standard peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will work, but with a little extra effort, so will other non-traditional picnic foods. The key, of course, is portability.

“You don’t want to have six pack mules or a semi carrying your picnic,” Hilary Heminway said. “You want to be able to just take it with you.”

She suggests using leftovers from one night’s meal to make a new dish for the next day’s picnic. Roasted chicken can be sliced and eaten cold or mixed into a chicken salad. Add some bread, onions and veggies to a leftover steak for a sandwich. Salads also work well, although she advises dressing them at the picnic.

According to Nunn, commercial mayonnaise is safe for picnics, but homemade mayonnaise, made with raw eggs, causes food to spoil quickly, turning potatoes and pasta into bacteria breeding grounds.

When it comes to gear, very little is necessary. A picnic basket is nice, but any bag that can carry food in — and trash out — works. Blankets are optional, though they do provide a degree of defense against ants and other picnic intruders. Bug spray and sunscreen are useful shields against insects and the sun’s rays, respectively.

One thing you won’t need is a ringing distraction, Hilary Heminway said. A picnic should be about focusing on the food, the company and the surroundings, not the demands of the modern world.

“We didn’t do a chapter on picnics with your cellphone,” she said. “Take away all those modern conveniences like television, cellphones, iPods. Leave them at home.”

* * *

Picnic tips

• Many foods that usually need refrigeration can safely spend four hours at room temperature before they start breeding bacteria, but in hot weather, spoiling can begin in two hours.
• Avoid shellfish and fish products unless you can keep them on ice in a cooler.
• Foods that work well outdoors include hard cheeses, salads (as long as they’re dressed on-site) and fresh fruit (except for cut melon, which can breed bacteria if kept out too long).

* * *

The picnic checklist

• Napkins, cloth or paper
• Plates, both large and medium
• Flatware, knives, forks, spoons
• Serving utensils — three should do it
• Mugs for soup or cold drinks
• Thermos for soup or cold drinks
• Stemless wineglasses — small tumblers are good
• Corkscrew or bottle/can opener
• Paring knife
• Cutting board
• Coarse salt in a jar and pepper mill, or salt and pepper shakers
• Damp wipes, soft cloths or paper towels for washing up
• Little vase for wildflowers
• Plastic bags for leftovers
• Garbage bag
• Blanket, bedspread, beach towel or quilt — cotton is best and can go in the wash; never wool, which can be too itchy
• Insect repellent — don’t leave home without it

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

* * *

5-mile-high ham and cheese ciabatta sandwich

• 2 slices ciabatta
• Prepared horseradish
• Dijon mustard to taste
• 2 slices Black Forest ham
• 1 slice Gruyere
• 2 sprigs watercress
• Unsalted butter

On the bottom slice of ciabatta, spread a sparse amount of horseradish, followed by mustard to taste. Arrange ham over bread and add Gruyere. Top with watercress and final slice of buttered bread.

Servings: 1.

From: “Picnic” by Hilary and Alex Heminway (Gibbs Smith, 2007).

* * *

Homemade lemonade

The Catering Kitchen in Oradell caters plenty of barbecues throughout the region, and chef-owner Robert Russo’s lemonade is always a big hit.

• 4 medium-sized lemons, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 mint leaves, sliced
• 20 ounces bottled water
• 8 to 10 ice cubes

Grind the lemon zest and sugar together in a mortar and pestle. Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a small pitcher and add lemon juice, mint and water. Let rest for 5 minutes to let flavors meld.

Split ice cubes between two glasses. Pour lemonade over and serve immediately.

Servings: 2.

From: Robert Russo, The Catering Kitchen, Oradell.