The Best Gift of All Time Is… A Picnic Basket

Shhh. Hey guys, I’m going to tell you a secret.

The best gift of all time is…. A picnic basket! Here’s why and what you need to know.

A picnic basket implies that you are going to go to the beach together (and with the kids!) instead of work or the ball game. There is the expectation of a day in the park, the plaza, or out wine tasting, maybe with friends, a glorious sunset toast, or perhaps a short walk to a quiet hollow by a creek together. The possibilities here in beautiful Sonoma County for the best picnic destinations are seemingly endless. That is the promise inherent in a bountiful picnic basket. That is why a well-outfitted picnic basket is the greatest gift of all time. As we start to open up our society again after the long shelter-in-place, let us take a moment to pause. Are we going back to life as we knew it or can we rebuild our schedules with the best outcomes of the shelter in place orders. The best part for so many of us was the family time, the cooking together, the fresh air in the garden, and the walks together.

Family, food and the outdoors - that’s our picnic! Now you are all set to go.

Are you heading to the forest? Is there a cheese or beef jerky producer on the way. Do you know your local farm stands for apples or other fruits?

Slow down and leave some time for new adventures to unfold.

Frantically rushing to a picnic destination almost defeats the whole point.

Make as much as you can yourself - potato salad always comes to mind! Sandwiches are easy. Chill the bottle of white wine first before you head out.

Great outfitters for a picnic are found in every hamlet in Sonoma County, but the heavy hitter is definitely the LOCAL grocery stores such as Big John’s, Speers Market, Miracle Plum.

The larger independents are like the gold mine of our picnic dreams such as Olivers and the Nugget stores. They have basically everything you need from exotics like celery root remoulade, Marconi almonds, artisan crackers and fruits.

It isn’t hard to live up to an idealized vision of a picnic. It’s not hard to make it happen.

With a picnic basket and a blanket in the trunk, you can be down the road as soon as you make the decision to go. Or, if things stay the way they are, you can always just picnic in the back yard, too. When you can’t go anywhere else, there is nothing better than a picnic at home, too.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT FOR A GREAT BASKET AND THE ULTIMATE GIFT.

1. The basket itself. There are many versions anymore, but I’d stick with good old-fashioned wicker. Having a plastic one or just a ‘cooler’ that holds everything doesn’t seem up to the idealized picnic or our dreams. Stay with the program! Lined picnic baskets can keep things cool with a blue ice-pack. 2. There are two types of picnic blankets, one for the ground that may need backing like an oil-cloth or is rubberized so you won’t get wet, and one for a picnic table that could be the ubiquitous checkered red or some other fancy cloth. I went down to the fabric store for the table version and found an end piece that is lovely and affordable. Highly recommended is Joann Fabric for a unique table cloth! 3. Plates. Keep things smallish. Fancy real porcelain china side dishes that are perfect can be found for pennies-on-the-dollar at any one of a hundred antique stores in the area. Mix and match plates can be fun! 4. If you are going to the coast, don’t forget the oyster shucker. 5. If you are going anywhere, don’t forget the wine opener and the champagne stopper! 6. Do forget the plastic forks. Please. NO PLASTIC! They bust anyway. 7. IMPORTANT! You’ll need a real knife or two of some kind. There will be cheeses and breads and maybe some meats to cut. There are specific cheese knifes if you are that way. Wrap your knives in a dishtowel for safe packing and unpacking. 8. Glasses - I try to stick with real glass, but I’ve lost a few that way too, but the clink is worth it. 9. Cutting board - you’ll probably need a small one of these for cheeses and another for meats unless you have a big one that may not fit in your basket. 10. Kitchen towel and garbage bag to help clean up.

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