Picnics!

I think about them all winter: hang on to little jars that would be handy; tag recipes hoping I won't forget about them; write lists of good spots. In a den of daydreams these thoughts hibernate till the trees are light bright green and the weather pleasant.

Of course, the only things I could be talking about are PICNICS.

The winter jumped to summer for a week and I, well, I jumped at the chance. In the little heatwave with a funny day off, I packed a picnic. I chopped up some blackberries and strawberries, macerated them in a couple tablespoons of sugar and mint and put them in a jar.

Meanwhile, I made my favorite chocolate chip cookies, except, I didn't have chocolate chips. I chopped up an amalgamation of chocolate bars I had and tossing them in really improved the usual situation.

I had made a rhubarb ginger concentrate a couple weeks ago to help extend the rhubarb season in my life. In little bottles that I had drank the contents of months before and stowed away, I poured in some of the concentrate, seltzer, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Next, I cautiously gave them a shake for a quick refreshing soda.

Finally, I wrapped up a chunk of aged gouda (all-time favorite cheese) and put all the food in a basket along with utensils, a cheese cutter, napkins and a tablecloth. I picked up a baguette, goat cheese and pesto on my way over the river to meet SEM (also known to dream in picnics) over her lunch break. On a bench across from a cherry tree with this little spread between us, we talked of many things while watching people enjoy the scurry of their day in this unexpected weather.

I hope this is the first of many picnic menus posted here. Back to cloudy and slightly chilly days, I had to cancel a picnic last week (GA and I still had a fine lunch indoors) and am left waiting again.