OmniVeggie

Last summer Matthias and I packed our bags with some standard picnic fare and headed to Central Park to sit on a patch of grass, get tipsy on overly sweet crappy Riesling and feed birds chunks of baguette. Truth be told, it was one of the nicest evenings we have ever shared.

Last week, spring finally arrived, bearing the gift of a beautiful 70 degree sunny day and the perfect evening for this year's first picnic. Rather than give you a single recipe of our own, we wanted to give you a formula of sorts for taking your food outside, eating tiny little bites, watching puppies play, smelling the new foliage, and slowing down to enjoy your time with the ones that you love. It sounds sappy, but it will be enough to pull you out of your spring restlessness and make you grateful for surviving another winter.



Recipe For A Picnic
serves 2-4

Farro with Coarse Pesto (the leftovers are great, and you will still have some even if you cut the recipe in half. a pound of farro is a lot, even when you like grains. a lot.)

Salumi


Cheese, Veggies, Crackers, or Bread
White Bean Hummus
Fig Jam (I made homemade fig newtons earlier in the week, and we thought the dough could use a little work, but the filling is spot on and was delicious on the cheese.)
Lemonade (Matthias puts lemon zest in the simple syrup and it makes all the difference.)



These are some humble suggestions, and made for a splendid dinner in Astoria Park. Find a little patch of green, pack your totebag (or your picnic basket if you're lucky enough to have one), pack some booze, or leave it out, gather some friends, or keep it intimate, picnics are the perfect excuse to leave your worries at home and a free pass to enjoy the little things that you cherish, and wonder about the ones that have yet to come.