URBAN FORAGR - Avenue Magazine May 2010

By CINDA CHAVICH

One of the best things about Calgary is its proximity to the Rocky Mountains, and all of that wilderness to explore.

But you can’t go forth into the great outdoors without fuel, it’s always great to have something special when you’re “eating out”.

So whether you’re packing a cooler for an afternoon in Fish Creek Park, or filling your pack to hike a mountain pass, you’ll need some ideas for portable treats.

THE FOOD

Picnic food is essentially cold food, meals to eat al fresco, in a plate- and flatwear-free zone, preferably while perched on a smooth, sunny rock or lolling on a blanket.

Ergo, picnic food needs to provide elegance with simplicity - the best sandwich, a perfect piece of fruit with a wedge of ripe cheese and a tasty baguette, a super salad, a nice pate or terrine.

Depending on the locale (and the proximity to the car or cooler) your picnic may be as simple as a good ham and cheese bun, or as complex as a tapas feast of frittata,

stuffed peppers and ceviche.

If you have time, you can prepare an elaborate picnic menu at home, but if you’re trying to be spontaneous, it’s good to know where to go for grab-and-go picnic fare.

Sure, you can find the fixings for an adequate picnic at any supermarket, but if you’d prefer to stay away from processed foods, or the banal on the cheese and charcuterie front, it’s best to cherry pick your picnic from some of the city’s best food markets, smaller deli and take-out food stops.

THE FIND

When it comes to Calgary’s best picnic food, you need to know what you’re after.

If it’s the weekend, you can cruise the Calgary Farmer’s Market for fresh fruits and vegetables – Blush Lane is a favourite stop for organics, or get your fill of fresh mini cucumbers and sweet cherry tomatoes at the Gull Valley Greenhouse booth. The market has other great finds to fill the picnic basket – several local sausage makers and butchers for things like bison pastrami or turkey chorizo, the Greek salad, artichoke salsa, olive spread and eggplant antipasto from 2GreekGals, and local Sylvan Star cheeses.

Speaking of cheeses, a cheese shop like Janice Beaton’s Fine cheese makes a good spot for picnickers to find a wide variety of cheeses, crackers and condiments – and she now also makes lovely sandwiches to take away, featuring local charcuterie and, of course, cheese.

Delis are also perfect for picnic provisioning. A great one-stop spot for bread, meat, cheese, chocolate and other goodies is the Rustic Sourdough Bakery, with its fine hearty breads and deli next door. Their Alpine Meusli bread is filled with nuts, fruit and seeds, and is lovely with cheese. The Swiss Light Rye is a classic but they also make heavy 100% rye which is a rare treat and totally portable. At the deli, you can build your own take-out sandwich from their wide variety of cheese, meats and condiments.

Lina’s Italian market is another one-stop deli – head to the cheese and deli meat counter in the back for salumi and sopressata, and collect small containers of savoury snacks, from spicy mixed olives to stuffed peppers, baby boconcini and colorful salads. There’s always nice fresh Italian focaccia and crispy bread sticks or taratelli, too.

L’Epicerie is French deli with great food for a special picnic, whether you’re going upscale with foie gras torchon or just looking for a rustic pork and pistachio terrine enjoy with a baguette from Manuel Latruwe bakery next door. Include some imported French cheeses or a slice of his truffle cheese terrine in your basket, a jar of French cornichons, and finish with individual portions of take-out crème brulee.

CRMR at home is another great spot for local bison and elk charcuterie, their housemade pickles and breads, and the kind of individual desserts you’ll find at CRMR properties like Buffalo Mountain Lodge, Divino or The Ranche.

If a big sandwich will satisfy your picnic requirements, there may be nothing better than a stop at Spolumbo’s deli for their classic Italian paninis, loaded with cold cuts.

And the new Boxwood – a tiny counter service restaurant in the new Central Memorial Park – promises more of the River Café’s fresh local food at approachable prices, with big porchetta sandwiches served on their own freshly baked bread, or rotisserie free-range chicken to eat in or take out.

If a salad is more your style, check out the offerings at Planet Organic – their creative sweet potato salad with ginger and pecans, soy bean and arame salad, couscous and kale salads, are just the kind of sturdy stuff you need when you’re packing a picnic. Plus, it’s a great spot for fresh fruit and killer cookies.

And if you find yourself in the mountains without a proper picnic, stop in Canmore at Valbella Meats for bread and pate, or at the well-stocked Railway Deli. Or get a sandwich at the Bison in Banff.

THE FIX

Pack a picnic that fits the moment – high energy foods like power bars, nuts, cookies and chocolate, with lots of hydrating liquid for a summer hike; or cold, kid-friendly foods like fried chicken, pasta salad and watermelon for a family picnic in the park. Fresh fruit can range from portable blueberries and bananas, to melon wedges draped in prosciutto or elaborate fruit salads. Pack fresh carrots and broccoli to nosh, or a premade tabouli or potato salad, and consider protein sources from beef jerky to bean dips, devilled eggs or cold quiche, depending on the setting. Choose pita breads, tortillas, naan and Mediterranean flatbreads for your pack, with spreadables from hummus to refried beans, vegetable spread and herbed cream cheese. But leave the soggy stuff – like tomatoes – out of your sandwiches. If you must, carry them separately and add just before eating.

If you have more time to plan – and you’re carrying a cooler - think about make ahead picnic foods, a big layered muffuletta sandwich filled with roasted vegetables, a potato and spinach fritatta, or even a home-baked calzone, filled with Italian sausage and cheese.

Make sure to pack your picnic well – in an insulated cooler bag, or inside zippered plastic bags to prevent spills. Use bagged ice or pre-frozen freezer packs (or even frozen juice boxes) to keep perishable food cold. A small cutting board and sharp jack knife is handy for slicing cheese and charcuterie, and bring along some paper napkins, with plates and cutlery for more formal al fresco dining.

A perfect picnic is all about location, location, location - so choose your picnic site well.

Here in the city, a quiet corner of Confederation Park or a place to watch the ducks paddle around Prince’s Island make good picnic spots, or fill your panniers, and ride the city’s amazing bike trails, to Carburn Park, Edworthy Park, Stanley Park or the wild Weaselhead, and you’ll feel like you’ve left the city behind. Ditto for the Rockies – whether you’re just hiking around West Bragg Creek and Kananaskis Country for the day, or taking a longer trip into Banff National Park, you can stop for an impromptu picnic almost anywhere along the trail.

Just remember to sit back in the sunshine and enjoy the great outdoors – everything just tastes better when you’re eating outside.

©Cinda Chavich 2010

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