HGTV's Monica Pederson offers some great ideas on creating the perfect picnic.
Use items you already have in your own home for stylish touches to a casual picnic with layered richly colored wool throw blankets as table linens, traditional woven picnic baskets, stylish black iron lanterns with candles, and greenery.
Style even a basic table by creating a beautiful no sew full length table skirt with inexpensive fabric remnants. Use tone on tone and punches of bright berry red for appetizing color and rich pattern. Large over-scaled hurricane glasses with candles, pottery and punches of green dress the table. Using unscented items such as mounded red apples or cherries and green plants gives tables a pop of color without having to use fresh flowers that may interfere with your food & wine aromas.
Suggested Recipe
by Executive Chef Colin Crowley
Chicken dried fruit salad—a twist on the old standby includes dried cherries, fennel bulb and no mayonnaise! Use croissants to dress it up further.
Serves 4 as a sandwich
- 2 cups grilled chicken, boneless skinless breast and thigh, diced
- ¾ cup diced celery
- ¾ cup diced fennel
- ¾ cup diced cherries
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
- Juice of ½ orange
- Zest of ½ orange
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 Croissants
Mix all ingredients and let marinate for 1 hour. Serve on croissant.
Wine Pairing
Rutherford Hill Rosé
Dry fresh flavors and aromas of cherry and plum pair well with the sweetness of the dried cherries in the Chicken dried fruit salad.