Sizzling Summer Delicacies: 5 Must-Have Foods at a Summer Picnic

by: Viktoria Lukas
2010-03-08

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Hunger soars with summer heat so apart from the usual, yearly beach trip, a picnic is a refreshing way to enjoy the summer sun.

Summer is also the time of the year to take advantage of tropical fruits in season such as melon, mango, watermelon and dalanghita—the Philippines’ answer to lime.

Here are the five must have recipes for a summer picnic:

Dalanghita Burst

This beverage is the local counterpart of the American lemonade. You may squeeze six standard sized dalanghita in a gallon of purified ice water and for a healthier drink, throw in the pulp as well. Mix in sugar to mask the sourness of the fruit and if you’re up for it, you may substitute a richer mix of syrup cooked with a bundle of fragrant pandan leaves. Throw in ice cubes and dalanghita rinds in the beverage. You may also opt to add the blend in a pitcher of Iced Tea to vamp the beverage up.

Watermelon Granita

This is similar to the Italian sorbet minus the cream and milk. You will need chunks of watermelon minus the seeds, ½ cup sugar and the juice of one lemon (you may of course substitute dalanghita if you please). Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into a wide, shallow pan and freeze for an hour or so. Once frozen, rake the iced mixture with a fork and freeze for another hour. Serve in chilled cups on top of sugared diced fruits.

Tuna Kebabs

Kebab is a mouth-watering picnic staple because food in skewers are easy to eat, especially if you’re having an outdoor picnic with no kitchen provisions. You may pack cooked kebabs or if your chosen picnic venue allows barbecue grills in the environs, you may bring them sealed tightly in resealable plastic bag. You will need white fish for this recipe and tuna is the best option. Marinade the fish —cut in 1 inch squares— overnight in a mixture of red onions, lemon juice, finely-chopped cilantro, salt and pepper, an optional dash of chili powder for spice, 2 cloves of garlic, and a cup of olive oil. Thread fish into skewers with squares of green and red bell pepper and dices of lemon and pearl onions. Serve with soy sauce seasoned with pepper, chili and lemon juice.

Egg and Tomato Finger Sandwiches

Sandwiches can be messy food and you don’t want a sloppy treat when you’re trying to relax under the sun. Scrambled egg sandwiches can be delicious and un-messy! Toast wheat sandwich bread and spread Dijon mustard and cooked tomato sauce (opt for fresh tomato sauce over canned ones). Put a single serving of scrambled egg in the sandwich along with fresh lettuce and cheese. Wrap in clean wax paper and serve with baked fries.

Corn-On-the-cob Special

Corn-on-the-cobs can be eaten by itself or with a little butter to taste. However, you can make this home-cooked delight extra special by adding a few delicious extras. Prepare various toppings for your cobs and pack them in small lunch boxes. Toppings can be a variety of gourmet butter and special condiment mixtures such as pesto butter and gourmet mayonnaise. For pesto butter, mix butter, parmesan cheese, and fresh chopped basil. Gourmet mayonnaise is made by mixing mayo with barbecue sauce and lemon juice.

For a stress-free summer picnic, don’t forget to pack an ample supply of ice cubes in an ice cube box, non-smoke charcoal if you’re taking your grill with you, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils and last but not the least, a couple of good-sized garbage bags for all the litter.

A picnic blanket is a must if you want to hold the picnic the traditional way but a folding table with matching foldable chairs is proven more comfortable.

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