When Summer Comes, Can Picnicking Be Far Behind?

Summers are made for picnics, aren’t they? Everyone thinks so. In the 1600s, the French came up with the term pique-nique for casual lunches eaten outdoors — often as part of an excursion in balmy weather and usually in parks or other scenic locations — but the concept is immemorial. What else but a picnic could Omar Khayyam have had in mind when he wrote in The Rubaiyat, “A loaf of bread, a jug of wine / And thou beside me in the Wilderness?”

The Egyptians have made picnicking a national holiday: Shem el-Nessim (or “Smell the Air Day”) when families take simple meals of onions, dried fish and boiled eggs outdoors so they can inhale the fragrances of the summer season that is approaching — a tradition that dates back to Pharaonic times. So, wanting to take some easy-to-prepare and easyto-eat food outside to enjoy in pleasant scenic surroundings seems to be an inherent human trait that has been around forever, possibly tied to an appreciation of seasonal change. When you consider the ubiquity of the picnicking impulse, it seems proper to consider expanding a picnic menu to encompass some of the foods from other cultures who also enjoy getting outdoors, spreading out a blanket or tablecloth on the ground or on a rustic table,

–––––––––––––––––––––––– Tabbouli

This is a most refreshing salad and keeps well without needing to be refrigerated. To some, tabbouli is a bulgur salad with parsley. To others, it is a parsley salad with bulgur. I side with the latter conception, so I go heavy on the parsley. But by adding the bulgur last, you can eyeball the proportions that seem best to you.

¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 1 cup bulgur (cracked wheat) 1 cup water 1 bunch Italian parsley 1 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes (Canned diced tomatoes will work well.) 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Whisk oil, lemon juice, and garlic in small bowl to blend; set aside.

Bring the cup of water to a boil, stir in the bulgur, and remove from heat when water returns to a boil. Let stand until bulgur is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.