THE FAMILY PICNIC IS AN IDEAL OCCASION
by Dave Ponke

It is termed as “a fashionable social entertainment in which each person present contributed a share of the provisions.”

Ahh – the ideal picnic is a wondrous, often bountiful occasion!

The history of the picnic actually resorts back to the 14th century, where in England they held medieval hunting feasts. Foods eaten back then included pastries, meats such as hams, baked or roasted game, and various fruits and vegetables. Much of the menu then is like the items many desire today.

The dictionary calls it; “an informal meal, in which everyone pays his share or brings his own dish.”

A good deal of the same concept holds true today.

Getting together and sharing the meal can be a personal and quiet, time-sharing moment, even perhaps an adventure.

We can all recall the memory of having a picnic - with family, friends or a special person in your life. Adults and children alike have fond memories.

Is there a favorite menu for your picnic? Are there specific foods that you may choose, ones you enjoy most or special treats you desire? A traditional list of picnic items, contributed by all participants, or gathered simply by one person, may include breads, cheese, fruits such as apples, grapes or a banana.

A picnic doesn’t have to be “under a shady tree by the river’s edge,” necessarily; even a quick stop, along a highway or interstate while traveling on a family vacation could result in a picnic of fruit juice and cheese crackers under a shady tree!

But there is the one item, the long-standing favorite, cherished and loved by so many over the years: the sandwich! The sandwich is the virtual leader in the list of favorites, most may agree. The sandwich itself must be a creation, a form of art. You would begin with quality bread, perhaps hand-carved, thick French slices, or an oatmeal-wheat and grain, fresh from a small-town bakery (Can’t you smell the wonderful aroma?) Next, the topping on the sandwich. Sliced chicken breast, with a generous portion of mayonnaise, a mild cheddar cheese, garden-fresh leaf lettuce, and red-ripe tomato slices hits the spot!

But do not forget - cut the sandwich in half. You may snicker now - but once you are resting, atop the spread-out blanket, under that growing-just-right tree branch, that provides ample shade in the mid-afternoon, you WILL appreciate the easy-handling of a thick, hearty sandwich that doesn’t fall apart like a broken puzzle!

Mouth-watering relishes, like dill pickles, olives or even radishes are terrific, drinks too can vary. Some prefer a thermos of freshly-brewed coffee. Others may opt for a small insulated jug of fresh lemonade, fruit juice, or maybe ice tea with fresh lemon.

Now comes everyone’s favorite! The dessert. Raspberry pie, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate chip cookies, lemon tarts, cinnamon crackers, orange jello, blueberry cake, pineapple chunks dipped in vanilla crème, orange wedges….the limits to the end of the meal is only limited by your imagination.

The picnic basket should be of an ample size, capable of carrying all of the necessities (including silverware, napkins, condiments, cups and even a pair of candles…and matches, of course!)

A typical picnic meal, garnered from an old menu discovered from the 1920s in the United States read like this: fried chicken, deviled eggs, dates stuffed with peanut butter, potato salad and gold cake squares. Another from the 1930s read: jellied chicken, brown bread and cream cheese sandwiches, stuffed olives and celery, cookies and cocoa.

Families spend so much time on the run today – in the world of rush, rush, rush and the hectic lifestyles led by so many. Isn’t it time to stop, pack a picnic basket and head for the hills? Even for a couple hours, it is a deserved break we should all take!