by Ben Becker, Newsletter Writer
It’s no joke out there. You’ve unrolled your blanket. You have unfolded your favorite camp chairs. Your spread has been set out with plates, water bottles, and portable flatware. Yet any minute, the forces of nature are just waiting to strike. An ominous dark cloud can be seen just over the horizon, ready to roll in with a thunderclap at just the moment you’re finally settled in. Should this threat prove empty, you have nothing but blue skies, the warmth of the day, and full bellies that can lull you into a false sense of security. As you doze beneath the canopy of a shady tree, your vigilance fails, leaving you and your treasures vulnerable to a rapid invasion. Before your eyes can open and the situation has become clear, they have taken over. That mass of tiny black legs and abdomens are everywhere! ANTS! The bane of picnickers since time began! Contaminating your carefully prepared cuisines, biting your skin, and driving your dog to distraction.
It doesn’t end there. Even if you are lucky enough to laze in the calm of temperate weather and maintain an unbreakable defense against insects, there is still a peril always lurking, peering out from the darkness of the woods, preparing for the second your back is turned. Then, in a flash, a blurry giant of brown fur charges. You panic, unsure of whether to run, to pelt this interloper with the projectiles of potato salad, or to roll in a ball and hide. Before decisions can be made, the large creature is gone, with only some large flanks and a small tuft of the tail still in sight. Surveying your previously idyllic spread, you notice that among the chaos of scattered napkins and torn linen, your basket and the remaining contents within have gone missing.
Hazardous experiences such as these might dissuade the faint of heart from venturing forth to grassy fields to dine alfresco. For the more intrepid eaters, such an excursion is a welcome distraction from an increasingly urban world shaped by concrete and car traffic. Doing so successfully requires a bit of planning and perhaps some practice as well. Whether you are camping deep in the wilderness or just venturing to the park around the corner, the methods, accoutrements, and dishes explored below will prove invaluable to your future outings.
Repellents
While a heavy investment in gear, equipment, or prepared foods can bring most of the comfort of home into an outdoor setting, there are still some basic things to remember to enhance your experience. To keep you from becoming absolutely miserable, you’ll need to be well prepared for bugs. Be sure that repellent is bold and underlined at the top of your list of things to pack. The Co-op carries many of the natural repellents available in our Wellness aisles. Conventional DEET repellent sprays can be found at many retailers around this time. DEET is effective but also has toxic properties. When using a spray, you will want to target exposed areas of the skin and around your ankles.
For those who aren’t partial to putting repellents on your skin, you can use incense sticks designed for this purpose, such as the Nantucket Spider brand carried by the Co-op. Garlic, the most pungent and wondrous of alliums, also has natural repellent properties which can be effective against flying insects.
Should you find yourself near a body of water such as a river or wetlands, mosquitoes and blackflies can be an especially pesky nuisance. Recent rain storms will also inspire these pests to rise and seek human prey. Mosquitoes can be especially irritating, and while spray repellent remedies are pretty effective in defending yourself from their bite, adding a portable fan at waist level, can really make a difference. Though fearsome, skeeters are poor flyers and cannot withstand a stiff breeze.
An increasingly dangerous threat to your wellbeing is the growing population of deer ticks. Often hard to spot, these parasites are thick within the deep woods, especially off the beaten path. You will need to be vigilant in checking for and removing ticks from your body. Ticks have small heads relative to their body which need to be completely removed using a tick key, or by flipping them upside down with the edge of a knife. If bitten, should you begin to display symptoms of Lyme disease, such as a rash, joint aches, and flu-like symptoms, seek treatment right away. If caught early, Lyme disease is easily treatable but left unchecked it could result in permanent complications for your health.
Keep It Contained
Outdoor eating often carries the temptation to grab disposable tableware such as plastic cutlery, paper plates, or a styrofoam cooler that will be used once but never break down. Even that biodegradable set of forks you grabbed carries a cost to the environment. These plant-based materials often require special facilities for decomposition, and more often than not just end up filling space in the landfill. Instead, make some conscious choices for picnic supplies by relying on the reusable and ditching the disposable. Having a trusty personal set of camping cutlery can come in handy, whether you are out on the Ice Age Trail, enjoying a salad at your desk, or at a potluck in the park.
A wicker picnic basket is an iconic conveyance for all of your culinary accouterment. However, if this cannot be found, there are many great alternatives that can help you cut waste and keep food fresh. An old-school lunch pail or that vintage “A-Team” lunchbox you have tucked away is never out of style. Perhaps you would like to do some updating beyond your reliable Thermos container. An excellent way to dispense with plastic beverage containers is to pick up a Klean Kanteen at your local Willy Street Co-op. Sturdy and stylish, their vacuum-seal varieties can provide hours of temperature control, making them great for cold drinks or hot coffee. Sizes ranging up to 30 and 64 ounces are great if you want to pack for the whole crew.
When trying to pack for your picnic, there are many places to look for inspiration so that you can avoid creating waste. In fact, while many cultures throughout the world have approached portable meals with disposable packaging such as paper sandwich wrap, others have a long history of using more permanent packaging such as bento boxes or tiffin carriers. Ditch your plastic lunch box in favor of a dhabba. The containers of all shapes and sizes are designed for the enjoyment of tiffin, a lunchtime tradition that has evolved from the intersection of British and Indian culture. The dhabba, or tiffin lunch box, are usually round metal containers stacked on top of each other with a tight-fitting lid, making for a perfectly sealed collection of dishes, perfect for carrying food to work or an outing. To observe the traditional fare, pack these containers with some afternoon tea, a light snack, or with Indian recipes such as spicy vegetables, cooked vegetables, some yogurt, bread, and maybe even some pickles for a respite that is worth looking forward to. Whether you are transporting a rich selection of Eastern-inspired dishes in stackable tins, or just sealing up your sandwich, picking up some reusable food containers will mean your meals stay both fresh and free of disposable waste. Once you have your containers, it's only a matter of filling them with foods and enjoying yourself.
Potato Salad
What does the preferable picnic basket contain? Potato salad undoubtedly. Eating outdoors just wouldn’t feel right unless you rolled the dice before that mayonnaise spoils in the hot sun. What may appear to be a dish of little distinction is secretly an opportunity for a creative outlet, as this unassuming mixture often reflects various tastes and the cultural heritage of those preparing it.
It all starts with the spuds. You could keep it simple with a few boiled Idaho yellows. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, substitute some sweet potatoes to bring an offset to your other flavors. Sneaking in a few hot peppers will bring a spicy complement. For some additional color or texture, maybe try a blue potato. Firmer than its red and white brethren, the blue potato will give your salad an enticing crunch. The base ingredient doesn’t really define the potato salad, however. Rather, it is the seasonings and other addition that bring out the personality and tradition that make it a crowd-pleasing favorite. A classic German potato salad preparation, for example, includes chunks of bacon and features a sweeter flavor profile. Other folks will evaluate the correct preparation of the salad on the basis of how much paprika was applied. If you yourself have more of a salt tooth, crunch up some potato chips to achieve that crispier mouthfeel.
Smørrebrød
If your picnic would benefit from a simple yet elegant approach, why not try the Danish take on a sack lunch with their open-faced sandwich, which they call the Smørrebrød. Smørrebrød conventionally begins with a base of a fermented Danish bread that is sweet, tangy, and rich in malt. Next, a thin spread is applied, either of butter or goose fat, though the American palate might be inclined to employ mayonnaise, cheese, or even avocado at this stage. The sandwich may be as simple as these two ingredients, but it is in the following stages where smørrebrød demonstrates its versatility. It is this receptiveness to innovation that truly gives the dish great value as it can absorb many of those items you are trying to use up in your fridge, whether its leftover pasta salad, an apple that is about to turn, or last night’s chicken. For the classic flavors of Denmark, Danes top their buttered rye bread with shrimp, pickled herring, and boiled eggs. More modern takes often incorporate produce of many kinds, which could include apples, plums, cherries, beets, fennel, or asparagus, all of which can be rotated based on the season. Danes often eat these sandwiches in courses with a knife and fork, so be sure to pack some in your mess kit or picnic basket.
The Right Bread
Whether eating open-faced or skipping silverware for the standard two slices, a great sandwich can benefit from the right bread. Whether white or brown, the best bread will come fresh from local bakers, such as Madison Sourdough or Origin. Origin offers handcrafted varieties such as ORIGINal and Sprye, both made with rye flour. These flavors will provide a welcome complement to sliced ham, spicy mustard, and pickles. You can also be more adventurous with Origin’s focaccia loaves, which present Mediterranean features such as olives, dates, and goat cheese. All of Origin’s breads are made using only organic, stone-ground grains grown and milled in the Driftless Area, so even with the fancier recipes you are always enjoying a taste of home.
Whether you’ll be scarfing down sandwiches, or having a light snack of fruit and granola, your picnic can take on just about any shape with proper preparation. All you need is a little cooperation from Mother Nature, but even the occasional drizzle shouldn’t deter you if you have the proper equipment. So this summer, pick up some produce and locally made grub at your Co-op, pack up your basket, and head out into the fresh air to enjoy the best al fresco experience imaginable.