Today is National Picnic Day! With the weather warming up and flowers blooming, today seems like the perfect day to head outside for a picnic.
People have been eating their meals outside for centuries, and it’s believed that our modern-day picnic evolved from Medieval hunting feasts and Victorian garden parties. The first usage of the word “pique-nique” is traced to the 1692 edition of Origines de la Langue Française by Tony Willis, where the term was used to describe a group of people dining in a restaurant who brought their own wine. The English word “picnic” is believed to have first first appeared in English in a letter by Lord Chesterfield in 1748 , where it was associated with card-playing, drinking and conversation.
The concept of a picnic being a meal to which everyone contributed something has been retained from the original French usage. During the early 19th century a group of Londoners formed “The Picnic Society” to promote picnics as social gatherings. These events were potlucks, and each participant also had to provide a some of the entertainment. These picnics were usually elaborate affairs where society members drank from crystal goblets and listened to live music while eating their meal. Todays picnics are much more casual, with dishes such as salads and sandwiches enjoyed on blankets in parks or wooden tables in back yards.
Whether you’re planning on picnicking today or you have a picnic planned for later this spring, we have some ideas for delicious vegan dishes to pack from some of our great cookbooks.
Thai Tofu-Vegetable Wraps from Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson. These vegan wraps are filled with baked tofu strips, crisp fresh vegetables, and a creamy, zesty sauce and they are perfect for a lunchtime picnic. You can add more vegetables if you like, and for an even quicker version you can use a package of ready-made baked marinated tofu.
Kale-Tahini Salad from Practically Raw by Amber Shea Crawley. What’s a picnic without a green salad? This kale salad so hearty and filling, it’s a meal in itself, but it also makes a tasty side dish for potlucks and friendly mealtime gatherings.
Vegan Tempeh Salad with Grapes and Smoked Almonds from The Blooming Platter Cookbook by Betsy DiJulio. Grapes add color, moisture, and natural sweetness to this hearty salad, while nuts add depth of flavor, crunch, and nutrition. In addition to being terrific in a whole grain sandwich, the filling is also great with crackers, celery sticks, or in a lettuce wrap.
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Almond Butter from Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson. Potato salad is the quintessential picnic dish. This colorful dish is both a nice change from regular potato salad and an unusual way to serve sweet potatoes. Almond butter provides a creamy richness to the dressing and toasted almonds add crunch.
Midnight Mocha Cookies from Practically Raw Desserts by Amber Shea Crawley. These delicious dark raw vegan chocolate cookies are so low-cal and low-fat, they actually would make a perfect midnight snack, but it is their deep cocoa color and flavor that gives them their name. They’re perfect for packing up and taking along to outdoor gatherings, and they make quite the tasty dessert!