The Phyto Picnic

Now that picnic season is upon us, here are my guidelines for the perfect Phyto picnic.

Firstly, make sure that all your picnic equipment is made from natural, sustainable materials.  You don’t want to be carrying heavy pottery plates and metal knives and forks, and you don’t want to end your lovely day out with a load of washing up – but if you follow the phyto lifestyle, you will not want to use plastic plates which are not biodegradeable, or paper plates which threaten our forests.  You can now get biodegradeable plastic plates and glasses made from PLA (polylactic acid – a bioplastic produced from corn and other natural starches).  Or even better, choose cutlery, cups and tableware made from compostable cassava starch and plant fibre – these products are all suitable for domestic composting, whereas the PLA products have to be disposed of commercially.

To carry your picnic, choose a picnic basket made from renewable materials, like willow or seagrass – or make your own picnic carrier.  Your local wine merchant may well give you a couple of  the lightweight wooden boxes that good wines are delivered in.  Let the kids have a fun day painting the boxes, then add your own rope or ribbon handles and you have a free picnic basket which the family have had fun making.  If you are cycling or walking to your picnic spot, go for backpacks made from natural canvas or recycled sustainable materials. 

Don’t forget that some picnic spots, especially by rivers or lakes, can be prone to biting insects – so pack an insect repellent made from natural oils.  And make sure you take some sunscreen with you.  Too much sun is dangerous – and sunburn is extremely painful.  Again, make sure your sunscreen is made from totally natural, plant based ingredients and that it offers between Factor 15 and Factor 30 protection.  It might also be a good idea to have some natural straw hats for the adults and cotton baseball caps for the children to keep the whole family cool and protected from the sun. 

The best picnics are enjoyed sprawled on a rug – so treat yourself to a colourful picnic rug made from recycled wool.

Choosing a picnic spot is not difficult.  There are thousands of beautiful spots in the countryside or on the coast.  If you want to combine your picnic with a look at a beautiful old building or a fabulous garden, try using the National Trust Guide to picnic sites or the English Heritage search facility. 

If you choose a lakeside, riverside or coastal site, you will have no problems amusing the children.  They all love splashing around in the water.  If you go for a quieter, countryside location, it would be a good idea to take some games with you.  Really old-fashioned games like sack racing will always go down well – and it’s healthy because of the exercise!  Or a treasure hunt could be fun.  When you reach your picnic venue, hide some tempting titbits and write down some clues for the children to solve.  Or invent a competition based on wild flower or bird or insect spotting.  Please don’t encourage the children to pick the wild flowers – ask them to draw them or take pictures of them and then give a prize to the child or group of children who spot the most different flowers or birds or insects.

Phyto picnic food is totally in tune with nature and, of course, all plant based or including meat or fish which has had a natural plant diet.  For a family picnic, I would recommend sticking to food which can be picked up and eaten without the need for knives and forks.  But if you are planning a romantic picnic for two, or an elegant adults only picnic, I would suggest more substantial dishes which can be easily carried in a picnic basket.  

Family Phyto Picnic menu

Food that is healthy, easy and fun.

Start with some healthy dips – Houmus, Yoghurt with spring onions, Aubergine puree, and our special natural alternative to tomato ketchup.  Serve them with raw vegetables cut into strips or florettes and cherry tomatoes on sticks.

For your main course, try slices of our Courgette and Parmesan or Spanish Frittata and some corn tortilla wraps or split pitta breads with a variety of fillings – such as feta or goats cheese with roasted cherry tomatoes and shredded lettuce, or diced chargrilled chicken with diced papaya, tossed in orange and lime juice, or you could use ratatouille with shredded white cabbage mixed with yoghurt and lemon juice. 

Finish with fruit kebabs – chunks of luscious summer fruit like pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, nectarines, grapes – threaded on wooden sticks.  Serve them with dipping sauces – mango and raspberry are my favourites.

If it is a very hot day, have some slices of watermelon with you to cool everyone down at the end of the meal.

To drink – serve our special Elderflower Cordial or Home made Lemonade. 

For a special adults only picnic, try our home made marinated salmon served with crème fraiche mixed with chopped dill and chives, followed by a platter of sliced seared tuna, marinated crevettes, fresh crab with lime and ginger mayonnaise and a green salad dressed simply with good olive oil and lemon juice.   

Finish with a blueberry and almond tart with extra blueberries.

Eaten in the shade of a huge tree, the wind gently rustling through its leaves and the dappled sunshine providing the feel of summer, this will be a picnic to remember.

Recipes for all the highlighted dishes can be found under the Phyto Cookery Book section of the website.