The Mag
The art of picnicking
With the fine weather setting in, it’s the perfect time to have a picnic. More than just a moment in the countryside, it has become something of an art de vivre in its own right, an opportunity to get together to spend time in the natural world.
THE ORGANISATION OF A PICNIC,
SIMPLICITY REQUIRED
The picnic is above all an expression of freedom. All you have to do is tell a few friends, decide who’s bringing what, and choose the perfect place, sunny yet shaded, for everyone to enjoy. A picnic speaks to our senses – taking a bite of crusty bread, peeling a hard boiled egg, pitting a cherry, listening to champagne sparkling in flutes.
Shredded cured ham, vegetable sticks, a nice mixed salad, a gourmet quiche, an assortment of farmhouse cheeses… everyone nibbles at it, moves from one thing to another as they bite into a carrot or cut themselves a slice of pie. One guest had the idea of preparing salmon rolls with fromage frais. Mix a tub of fromage frais, 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche, one chopped shallot, ½ lemon, salt and pepper. Place the mixture on a slice of smoked salmon and roll up. Cut into pieces, add a few cocktail sticks, and serve with a chilled Extra Brut champagne.
PICNIC
ANYWHERE
Picnics have invaded our cities, from the banks of the Canal Saint Martin or the Garonne to urban gardens. Picnics can also be enjoyed by the sea, on a sailing boat off the coast of Corsica or on a vast beach. It can be all in white just like in Paris every year in June. It can be elegant, rustic, casual, gastronomic, exotic, simple but not simplistic, in the countryside, relaxed, with family, one-to-one, finished in a hurry, or until late at night. One thing is for sure: it’s time for a picnic !
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