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In the picnic basket: a guide of what to pack

General

I have a secret. I’ve lived in the Bay Area almost my entire life, but I’ve never been to Napa. Maybe it’s because I’m not a big wine drinker, but for whatever reason, I never made it a point to visit. That all changed yesterday, though, when I drove up and spent the day there with friends. The wineries we visited were just as pretty as I expected, but the real highlights were the perfect weather and the rolling hills everywhere that looked like a scene straight from a postcard. And the food! The food. We started off at Bouchon Bakery where I tried their legendary macarons (yum) and ended at Dean & Deluca, the mecca of gourmet goodness. Everything in the store was exquisitely arranged, and we found all the perfect items for our picnic lunch.

We spread out towels by the creek at Bale Grist Mill Park and sat in the sun eating, chatting and dipping our toes in the water.
Now that the weather’s getting nice, I can’t wait to have more picnics. Here is, in my humble opinion, one of the most perfect picnic spreads of salty, sweet, light and hearty:
1) asiago baguette
2) prosciutto
3) green and black olives
4) Cheese! (Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, brie, and Humboldt Fog)
5) French potato salad
6) curried cauliflower (similar recipe here)
7) strawberries and blackberries
What are your picnic musts?

Last modified: January 10, 2019