Sunny days and breezy nights offer perfect opportunities for alfresco dining. From a laid-back morning meal to elegant drinks and relaxing picnics.
Garden party
Plan Ahead
When it’s hot and sticky out, you don’t want to be rushing around with last-minute tasks. To help you stay calm and fresh, prepare as much as possible ahead of time. Start meat marinating in the fridge the day before, and prep sauces and other recipe components in the morning. Then relax and enjoy the company of your friends.
Keep Things Cool
When partying outdoors remember your party will be livelier and your guests happier if you do your best to shelter them from the blazing sun. If your dining space is tree-free, set up some umbrellas for shade. And be sure to have plenty of bottled water and cold drinks on hand to quench thirsts.
Freshen Up
Keep food chilled but easily accessible by nestling serving dishes on larger bowls or platters filled with ice.
Spread Good Cheer
Bring a summery touch to your table by layering tablecloths, runners, and place mats in bright, sunny solids and prints. As a centre-piece, float candles or pretty blooms in colourful dishes.
Set the Scene
After dark, strings of lights hung around a patio or back garden will add a magical glow to the atmosphere. We’re fond of strands of tiny paper lanterns or, for a funkier vibe, chile peppers - both are available at many stores.
Barbecues
Who can deny the thrill of the grill? There’s nothing quite like cooking over a live flame. Beside the fire and the heat, the other important element of grilling and barbecue is what you put on the food. First of all, you want to lightly coat just about everything with a little olive or nut oil. This helps keep the natural juices inside the food and promotes caramelization and those telltale grill marks. If you don’t oil the food, it may stick to the grate, and its natural juices will evaporate, leaving it dry and papery. This is especially evident when grilling vegetables.
If you’ve mastered basic grilling, you might want to try smoking, in which small chips of wood that slowly smolder during the cooking process add another layer of flavour. Smoking is generally used for foods that cook a long time over indirect heat, such as barbecued ribs or brisket.
Picnics
A picnic is an event. More than just a portable lunch that you’d take to work or school, the word conjures up images of lazy feasts under shady trees and summer repasts on sunny beaches. A picnic is about good company, good food, and the open air.
A Smooth Start
If your destination has picnic tables, covering them with cloths will provide a clean, pretty surface on which to spread out the food. If you’ll be sitting on the ground, bring along a couple of blankets. Worried about wet grass? Try putting down a tarp, then layering your blankets over it. For extra comfort, waterproof cushions, such as those that go on outdoor furniture, make great seats.
Transportation Tools
You’ll want to pack a bag or hamper with the nonperishable, cups, and plenty of napkins, and a nice addition would be wet wipes for cleaning up messy fingers after the meal. If you’re bringing wine, don’t forget the bottle opener. Two medium-sized coolers should hold all the perishables, and it’s a good idea to take along some large plastic bags for dirty cups and rubbish.
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