Tricks for the Perfect Picnic

🕘 Jul 28th, 2022

Ah, summertime. The sun’s shining, and beach blankets, patios and backyards around Vancouver are beckoning. There’s no time like the present to enjoy some food, beverages and lazy days with friends and family. Our picnic experts at The Lazy Gourmet can help you put together and pull off the perfect picnic that has everything you need — except the ant traps! Here’s a handy guide for a picnic made to order from The Lazy Gourmet.

Delicious Dishes

Cheese and Charcuterie boards offer a fun and easy way to keep everyone happy and mingling by letting them take their pick of an assortment of cheese, meats and accoutrements.

Our Executive Chef Jenny Hui recommends some crowd-favourite carnivore classics like Nastrano Salami, Prosciutto, Spicy Soppressata, cheese selections such as Ash Goat Cheese, Triple Crème Brie and Aged Manchego, and our house-made Spicy Red Pepper Jelly to lend a sweet twist to these savoury build-your-own boards.

Here at The Lazy Gourmet, we offer a variety of Cheese and Charcuterie Platters as well as gourmet specialty platters such as Jumbo Prawn Platters (marinated in cilantro, garlic and lime and served with curried mango mayo or traditional cocktail sauce), Mezze Platters (dolmades, dill-pickled beets, hummus, baba ganoush, roasted red peppers, olives, pita crisps, falafel) and Sushi Maki Platters (BC salmon, tuna, cucumber, vegetable spicy tuna, California and Oshinko Rolls, served with shoyu, wasabi and pickled ginger) and more.

All our Platters are also available in boxed form for you to pick up for or have delivered for your picnic party, and we’re happy to customize any of our platters to suit your specific tastes, event themes or dietary requirements of your guests!

And what’s a picnic without a side of potato salad? When it comes to this picnic staple, our founder Susan Mendelson’s recipe for French Potato Salad is a dish without equal.

Susan's Potato Salad

The recipe was recently featured in a CBC On the Coast radio interview segment with the marvellous Gloria Macarenko in which Susan shared some ways picnic-goers can enjoy this quintessential picnic side dish. If you missed it, take a listen here!

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

14 small new potatoes, scrubbed
3 Tbsp (45 mL) chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Fresh Dill or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried dill
6 Tbsp (90 mL) chopped green onions
4 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 large red bell pepper, chopped (optional)

Dressing:

1/3 cup (75 mL) red wine vinegar
¾ cup (175 mL) olive oil
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
6 turns freshly ground black pepper

Method:

In a medium saucepan, boil potatoes until fork-tender (15 – 20 minutes). Drain, cut into halves and let cool five minutes. Combine potatoes with herbs, onions and pepper in a large bowl and toss with dressing while potatoes are still warm.

Makes 6 servings

Lip-Smacking Libations

Our masterful mixologists here at The Lazy Gourmet have curated an array of thirst-quenching summer cocktails that’ll have your guests raising their glasses and saying ‘Cheers!’.

If you’re craving your own signature creations, our expert bartending team can concoct custom cocktails to order as well as zero-proof beverages guaranteed to satisfy your guests and keep them cool!

Here’s an easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy batched cocktail recipe from our team for Pimm’s Lemonade that you can prepare and pour at your backyard picnic or patio party:

Ingredients:

8 oz Pimm’s No 1 Cup
24 oz Fever-Tree Carbonated Lemonade
5-6 Mint leaves
Orange Wheels
Sliced Strawberries
Cucumber slices

Method:

Add ice to a large pitcher. Combine Pimm’s No 1 and Lemonade, 5-6 crushed mint leaves, sliced strawberries and cucumbers. Stir gently, then pour into tall iced glassware. Garnish glasses with 1/2 orange wheels and fresh mint.

Put it in Park

Picture- and Picnic-perfect parks abound around Vancouver — here are five of our preferred picks!

Spanish Banks: One of the most popular beaches in Vancouver, Spanish Banks is a sprawling set of interconnected beaches on the city’s west side along NW Marine Drive near Blanca Street. Fantastic views, convenient parking, picnic tables, volley ball courts and public washrooms makes this an ideal picnic spot.

David Lam Park: The ultimate urban park, located adjacent to Yaletown along False Creek’s north waterfront, this spot offers an expansive lawn which runs down to the water’s edge and has endless picnic spots to choose from that offer gorgeous views of False creek.

Stanley Park: This jewel of Vancouver offers an endless amount of grassy spots and sandy beaches to plunk down for the ultimate picnic. Popular spots include Prospect Point, Lost Lagoon and Third Beach, and the City of Vancouver’s Pilot Drinking in Parks Program allows for responsible alcohol consumption at the southwest corner.

Lighthouse Park: For a truly prime picnic spot, head to Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver and set up on the rocks overlooking the Ocean. The lighthouse is a national historic site and is one of the most photographed landmarks in the Lower Mainland. Be prepared for a leisurely 10-minute walk to reach the park.

Rocky Point Park: Located in the heart of Port Moody on Burrard Inlet at 2800 Moody Street, this family-friendly hotspot has ample lawn space and a spray park. Take a walk down the pier for excellent views of Burrard Inlet.

All the Extras

Need utensils? Glassware? What about that picnic blanket? We’ve got plenty of connections with local companies and can help you check off all the boxes on your picnic list! Whatever you need to put on and pull off the perfect summer picnic, we’ve got you covered.

Want to get started? Reach out to our sales and events team here and one of our personal event planners will be in touch!

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