Pack the perfect picnic: eating outdoors transforms the simplest meal into a memorable repast. Prepare one of these delicious picnics and dine in style with friends, family, or a lover

Natural Health, July-August, 2007 by Marge Perry

HUMANS HAVE been eating outside for a lot longer than they've been eating inside. Perhaps that's why we feel a primordial connection to the earth every time we plop down on it and unpack a picnic. And maybe that's also why food seems to taste so much better outdoors--it's a potent reminder of where our food comes from, especially if it's made with fresh, whole ingredients. Next time you attend a concert in the park with co-workers, organize a tailgate with friends and family, or surprise a lover with a romantic picnic fro two, whip up some of these dishes and you'll ensure the food is as fresh and enlivening as the air.

Family Gathering

Pick up some store-bought macaroni salad, antipasto salad, or coleslaw to round out this meal of Overnight Pressed Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwiches and Giant Oatmeal Cherry Cookies (recipe on page 104). Top off with a batch of might lemonade (visit www.naturalhealthmag.com/ picnic for an easy recipe).

Romantic Dinner

Don't forget the long-stemmed strawberries with vanilla sugar, cinnamon sugar, and creme fraiche--plus a bottle of Pierre Brigandat Brut Champagne ($36; www.morrellwine.com).

Poached Shrimp with
Lemon, Celery, and
Olive Oil

Serves 2

12 ounces peeled and deveined
   extra-large shrimp
2  celery ribs, halved lengthwise
   and chopped
1 carrot, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, very thinly
  sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped
  fresh parsley
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh
  lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups mixed baby greens
  Parsley sprigs (optional
  for garnish)
  Lemon wedges (optional
  for garnish)

1. Bring large saucepan of lightly
salted water to boil. Add shrimp
and cook 1 minute. Remove from
heat and let stand 2-3 minutes or
until shrimp are opaque and cooked
through; drain and rinse under cold
water and drain again. Transfer
shrimp to cutting board and cut
each in half lengthwise.

2. Combine shrimp, celery, carrot,
shallot, lemon juice, parsley, oil, zest,
salt, and pepper in medium bowl;
toss well. Can be served immediately
or refrigerated until ready to use,
up to 1 day.

3. To serve, arrange 1 cup of mixed
greens on each of two plates. Top
each with 1/2 of shrimp mixture.
Garnish with lemon wedges and
parsley sprigs, if desired.

Per serving: 272 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 3 g fiber, 868 mg sodium (36% Daily Value).

Grilled Portobello, Fennel,
Red Onion, and Orzo Salad

Serves 2

1/3 cup dry orzo pasta
1 4-Ounce portobello mushroom,
    stem removed
1/2 medium fennel bulb, cut into
    1/4-inch-thick wedges
1/2 medium red onion, cut into
1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon plus I teaspoon
  extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup seeded diced tomato
3   tablespoons crumbled
    reduced-fat feta cheese
1 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring large saucepan of lightly
salted water to boil. Add orzo and
cook according to package directions;
drain, rinse under cold water,
and drain again. Transfer orzo to
large mixing bowl.

2. Preheat grill to high heat.

3. Brush portobello, fennel, and red
onion with 1 tablespoon oil and
sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set
on grill rack coated with cooking
spray and grill vegetables until well-marked
and tender, 3-4 minutes per
side for fennel, 5-6 minutes per side
for onion, and 7-8 minutes per side
for portobello mushroom. Transfer
to cutting board and allow to c001 5
minutes.

4. Dice vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces
and acid to orzo. Stir in basil, tomato,
feta cheese, vinegar, and remaining
1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and
pepper; mix well. Serve immediately
or refrigerate until ready to serve,
up to 3 days.

Per serving: 266 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated), 33 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 5 g fiber, 804 mg sodium (34% Daily Value).

Evening with Friends

A gathering like this is all about finger food. In addition to the recipes below, pack a crusty baguette and a dense raisin-pecan bread (plus a serrated knife). A sparkling wine such as Can Vendrell Cava Brut Reserva ($20; www.organicvintners.com) and a rose such as Domaine de la Janasse Cotes du Rhone ($111; www.bendwinecellar.com) would work well--and remember the corkscrew! For cheeses, you'll need about four ounces per person: a Maytag blue cheese from Iowa, St. Andre from the Pyrennes, Manchego from Spain, and Cart Valley sharp cheddar from Wisconsin make a nice balance. Be sure to include a cutting board and a knife for each hunk of cheese.

Citrus-Chile Marinated Olives

Serves 12

Bring toothpicks for spearing the olives,
and keep a recyclable plastic container
nearby for the pits.

1 cup Kalamata olives
1 cup Gaeta olives
1 cup green olives
3 3-inch strips lemon peel
3 3-inch strips orange peel
3 2-inch strips lime peel
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Combine olives, peels, thyme, rosemary,
oil, and red pepper flakes in small bowl
and toss well. Cover and refrigerate
overnight.