Food and gear for a great gourmet picnic
Top off a hike or ride with a basket of gourmet goodies packed in style.
Sandwiches: Seal in foil or a sandwich keeper. Put dressing in a separate container. Stainless steel lunch box, $24; curiosityshoppeonline.com
Salad: Stow in sturdy individual glass containers. Weck small jar, $27 for set of six; heathceramics.com
Lemonade: For a classy touch, an unbreakable lidded carafe. Tuffex carafe, $6.95; crateandbarrel.com
Click ahead for 4 great recipes.
Radicchio, Roasted Pepper, and Provolone Ciabatta Sandwiches
The vegetables in these sandwiches don’t get soggy as they stand, and the flavors benefit from a little time together.
Recipe: Radicchio, Roasted Pepper, and Provolone Ciabatta Sandwiches
Spinach and Orzo Salad
This herb vinaigrette-dressed pasta salad keeps better than a mayo-based one from the deli—and tastes better too.
Recipe: Spinach and Orzo Salad
Refresher: Almond Raspberry Lemonade
For the most thirst-quenching drink, look for a less-sweet brand of lemonade such as Santa Cruz Organic.
Recipe: Almond Raspberry Lemonade
Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies
Chewy, and big enough to share—though you may want every bite. For the richest flavor, use dark chocolate and cocoa such as Scharffen Berger.
Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies
Bike routes to killer picnic spots
Olympic National Park, WA: Park at the end of East Beach Road and cruise down Spruce Railroad Trail for 4 miles with turnoffs overlooking Lake Crescent and the Olympic Mountains. 800/833-6388
West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA: Stop at one of the bluffs or benches scattered along this spectacular oceanside road, or try the grassy lawns of Lighthouse Point, looking out at surfer hot spot Steamer Lane. parks.ca.gov or 831/420-5270.
The Rio Grande Gorge, NM: From the tiny town of Cerro, cycle 10 miles south to the Wild Rivers Recreation Area picnic sites. They’re right on the rim of the gorge, with views to match. 575/758-8851
Travel in style
Bicycles: We like classic Velorbis bicycles, distributed exclusively by Copenhagen Cyclery in Chicago, with shipping nationwide. Men’s Scrap Deluxe in aluminum, $1,895; copenhagenbike.com
Bike basket: Basil Rattan Look basket, $80; copenhagenbike.com
Pannier bag: Made from water-repellent canvas. Basil Kavan II, $141 for the double bag; amazon.com
