LINZI’S PICNIC PLAN
Food blogger Linzi Barrow, who describes herself as a cooking, gardening and foraging fiend, recalls childhood memories of family picnics. Photography: Lancashire Food Photography
Summer is fleeting at the best of times – after all this is Lancashire – so why not grab the opportunity with the warm weather (hopefully) to eat outside in some stunning local countryside. Whether that is by the sea, on the hills, or on the banks of one of the Ribble Valley’s wonderful rivers it doesn’t really matter, just pack a picnic and have a memorable food experience.
I for one will be making a point of dusting off the wicker picnic basket that lives for most of the year on top of the wardrobe and searching out a blanket, ready for creating memories – food memories. Tastes, textures, aromas and colours of food you will remember and sharing food with friends and family is what summer is all about.
I remember as a child when we were all sandwiched in our Ford Cortina as we drove off ‘en famille’ to somewhere new – picnics were just the done thing. So whether it was for the sake of the economy or that tea rooms were not as widespread as they are now, I’m not sure of the reason why we always took a picnic.
All I know is that out of the picnic bag came the boxes of ham sandwiches wrapped in waxed bread paper, fresh juicy local tomatoes that squirted juice across your chin, egg mayonnaise fingers and homemade cake to finish. You see – wonderful food memories of simple tasty food shared with family.
So if I’ve inspired you to pack a picnic please bear the following in mind. As a county blessed with a superb food culture, please avoid dashing off to the supermarket if at all possible and visit the local independent deli or farm shop all of which will be bursting at the seams with the best in local seasonal produce, which will make an amazing picnic and they will be very grateful of your custom too!
To me a picnic would not be complete without:
Sandwiches – why not try one of the growing number of the county’s artisan bakeries as the basis for a great sarnie.
Pies, pasties or sausage rolls – there’s lots of choice and some more creative flavour combinations are now available.
Salads – pack in plastic containers and put the dressing in a small jam jar to avoid soggy leaves.
Cake – homemade if at all possible, it just tastes so much better but no fighting over the last piece!
Extras – crockery, cutlery, chutneys and pickles, remember napkins and a bottle opener.
Drinks – why not try a locally brewed beer for the adults or good old fashioned dandelion and burdock, for a taste of childhood memories.
www.lancashire-food.blogspot.co.uk
