Bonjour, amis!
If you know me even a smidge then you know I love French culture. One thing the french excel at is a picnic…or in french a pique-nique. They better, they invented it. So where did it come from? It originated in the 17th century as a social gathering where each one invited would bring something to share. It started with the upper class but, eventually all were invited to be involved. But today, in France a pique-nique is still a popular thing to do.
So let’s throw one together. The main thing is to keep it simple but beautiful. Another thing the french do well. I can honestly say that so much of this was already in my fridge but it’s always good to prepare.
Let’s build a perfect french picnic.
Crudités (veggies)-
I used mini cucumber and cherry tomatoes (I know, I know that’s a fruit)..I also drizzled balsamic glaze to punch them up a notch. Typically, I always have these two things in my fridge. A frequent meal of mine is a tuna steak and these two things are the base.
Fruit-
Blueberries and strawberries (two things I always have on hand because my kids eat them constantly)
BREAD!
Any french picnic worth its salt needs some delicious bread. I used baguette which I also made my sandwich with. Also, I added water crackers for another vehicle option.
Meat-
I went with salami and capocollo
Cheese-
One thing I did seek out? These adorable baby Brie wheels. Omg you guys. They’re so cute. Also just enough. No one wants to buy a huge wheel if you’re not going to use it all.
Fruit spread
Apricot and red raspberry are what I chose.
A sandwich (duh.)
I went with a very traditional french sandwich. Simple. Raspberry spread, prosciutto, and Brie. That’s it.
Bubbles!
Or whatever you like to drink but I feel like some champagne or fizzy rosé is the ticket in this situation.
The best part about having yourself a french picnic is it doesn’t have to be hard. You can use half of what I did. Or double it. And nothing has to be the same as what I used. It’s just a good blueprint.
“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know.” – John Keats