Thanks to the early arrival of spring weather (followed by a brief return of winter weather, and then spring weather, again), we planned a picnic! We stocked up on the essentials — a picnic basket, blanket, snacks and beverages — and were determined to find the ideal spot to enjoy conversation and good eats. A picnic need not be fussy, so choose dishes and snacks that travel well, and bring your favorite bottle of wine to toast the great outdoors. Pack everything in a basket and head on your merry way.
We headed to Green Door Gourmet and selected goods from their farm store paired with items from The Registry to create a picture-perfect picnic.
When the occasion calls for a picnic (an outdoor concert, trip to the park, or a desire to simply be outside), use these photos and the packing list below as inspiration for a picnic of your own.
Green Door Gourmet’s organic farm is located just 10 minutes from downtown Nashville and the setting was the perfect backdrop for our picnic.
If you are feeding a crowd (and not traveling far), set up a serving station for the snacks.
Pack fresh bread, fruits, cheeses and veggies to keep you fueled throughout the day.
This basket comes stocked with glasses, napkins, utensils and plates for four. See more information on the basket in our packing list below.
Green Door Gourmet grows some of the most beautiful flowers (available via their flower CSA and by bouquet). We snagged these to bring brightness to the setup.
Take your picnic up a notch with a few quick tricks.
- Skip the formalities. Save your silver for a dinner party, but skip the paper plates if you plan to take photos. Incorporate flowers from the surrounding garden, park or field for added interest.
- Make the most of seasonal offerings by enjoying in-season fruits and veggies. Yes, you can prepare a well-rounded meal of sandwiches, salads and dessert, or you can keep things simple by bringing vegetables, fresh fruit, a loaf of bread and cheese. We paired our cheese with pantry items, such as honey and apple butter.
- You will want to wash down your eats with something refreshing. While we are partial to a cold bottle of rosé, we also packed ice water in carafes and chilled San Pellegrino to help us stay hydrated.
- We think the most important piece of the picnic puzzle is the blanket. There are few things more uncomfortable than sweating in a pile of grass. Find a blanket that is soft, of a durable weight and easy to pack. A woven in2green blanket fit the bill for us.
- And lastly, what is a picnic without a beautiful basket? The size of your basket (and how far you have to travel) will dictate what you can tote along. Make sure your basket has space for everything and is easy to carry. It doesn’t hurt that this one is easy on the eyes.
What is a picnic without a picnic basket?
Strawberry season is almost here …
Bring a bit of green into your basket with something seasonal.
Although packing sandwiches is always a good idea, we were more than happy to fill up on bread and cheese.
Bring the bright colors of spring into your picnic with plates, napkins and produce.
We wrapped our freshly baked bread in a Turkish T towel to avoid crumbs in the picnic basket.
We brought this baguette board to assist us in cutting the perfect piece of bread. While we could have simply cut the bread beforehand, we couldn’t resist an excuse to use this beautiful wooden piece.
Picnic Packing List:
- Fresh fruits and veggies — available at Green Door Gourmet
- Cheeses — available at Green Door Gourmet Farm Store
- TruBee Honey — available at Green Door Gourmet Farm Store
- Oak & Olive Rustic Basket for four — available at The Registry for $156
- Enrico Acacia Wood Oval Platter — available at The Registry for $53
- Vagabond House Baguette Board Knife Set — available at The Registry for $88
- in2green striped blanket — available for $156 at The Registry
Celebrate spring and pack a picnic!
Thank you to The Registry and Green Door Gourmet for making our picnic possible and to Leila Grossman of Grannis Photography for the beautiful photos!
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