Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
July is National Picnic Month! Gallo Family Vineyards along with the Sunday Supper family have gotten together to bring you some fabulous recipes that pair with wine to serve at your next picnic.
I love starting off a picnic with a cheese tray. Use soft cheeses like Brie or goat cheeses instead of a cheddar which will just get sweaty as it sits out. Make up some containers with olives, nuts, pickles, fruits or sliced salami. You can even make it easy on yourself and go to the olive bar at the store and pick up several kinds and serve it in the containers. I love Gallo Family Vineyards White Zinfandel with all kinds of cheeses. It goes with everything from chicken to desserts. If you like a dry wine you might want to try Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
I love the mini bottles of wine you can get from Gallo Family Vineyards. The best thing about the mini bottles is you can easily choose a different wine depending on what you’re serving. They are the perfect size for taking along with you. I also keep several kinds on hand to cook with so I don’t have to open a big bottle for a 1/2 cup of wine.
For a picnic I like to make a couple of really good side dishes that don’t require mayonnaise. The Cold Chinese Peanut Noodles I’m sharing today is perfect for a picnic and can be made the night before. Add the sesame seeds right before serving. Wrap up the sesame seeds in a foil square to carry them to the picnic.
When it comes to the main dish what I make will depend on where we’re going. If it’s a park with grills we might grill out, kabobs are a great choice and so are hamburgers. Submarine sandwiches are also a great choice if you don’t want to cook.
My tips for a perfect picnic:
Planning is key to a successful picnic. Think of everything you’re going to need from start to finish. Doing hamburgers, take a spatula. Have to light a fire, be sure to take matches. Wine, don’t forget the corkscrew. If you are bringing the Gallo Family Vineyards mini bottles that won’t be needed, they have a screw off top. Sunscreen, insect repellent and silverware need to be in a bag too. I actually went to a picnic last year where the only silverware was a few plastic forks. So make a list of the obvious and not so obvious.
A couple of plastic tablecloths can dress up the tables. Some folding chairs might be useful also depending on who’s coming. If it’s a romantic picnic bring some blankets and a couple of pillows. Maybe a wine glass or 2? Wet wipes or paper towels in plastic bags are also helpful.
The most important thing is to keep your food cold. Pack the cooler just before you are ready to leave. Foods that are packed from the refrigerator need to be in ice or surrounded by frozen gel packs. The hot heat in the summer can really spoil food fast and you sure don’t want to ruin the day by getting sick.
Pack your cooler according to what is going to be needed first, because it goes in last. This way you won’t have to dig thru the cooler to find what you need. If you can, pack a separate cooler for beverages. If you’re not going far, freeze some fruit to use for ice cubes in the drinks.
- 1 package Chinese Egg Noodles or thin spaghetti
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup sweet peppers - sliced thin
- 1/2 cup red onions - sliced thin
- 1 cup cucumbers - diced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
- Sauce
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- sesame seeds
- Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until done. Rinse well with cold water. Add to a large bowl.
- Add all the vegetables to the bowl. Toss.
- In a small bowl mix together the sauce ingredients. Pour over the noodles. Toss until the noodles are coated with the peanut sauce.
- Serve at room temperature.
Read the Gallo Family Vineyards post about National Picnic Month on their blog. To locate Gallo Family Vineyards try the Gallo Family Vineyards store locator. You can also connect with Gallo Family Vineyards on Facebook / Twitter / You Tube and Instagram.
See what our other Sunday Supper taste makers are sharing today.
Picnic Appetizers:
- 10 Deviled Egg Variations by Sunday Supper Movement
- Thai Spiced Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce by Soni’s Food
Picnic Main Dishes:
- Baked or Grilled Tandoori Chicken Legs by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- BBQ Pulled Pork Picnic Sandwiches by Family Foodie
- Creamy Pesto Chicken Sandwiches by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- French Ham and Butter Sandwich (Jambon Buerre) by Shockingly Delicious
- Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs by Life Tastes Good
- Italian Hoagie Style Pressed Picnic Sandwiches by Feed Me, Seymour
- Kimbap (Korean ‘Sushi’) by Curious Cuisiniere
- Picnic Sandwich Torte by Palatable Pastime
Picnic Salads and Sides:
- BLT Panzanella Salad by Casa de Crews
- Cold Chinese Peanut Noodles by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Lemon Chicken Penne Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Mason Jar Salmon Nicoise Salad by Simply Healthy Family
Picnic Sweets and Desserts:
- Banana Pudding Cups by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Blueberry Crumb Bars by Alida’s Kitchen
- Blueberry Peach Snack Cake by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Key Lime Cheesecake Crumb Bars by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Lemon Meringue Pie in a Jar by Desserts Required
- Simple Strawberry Pie by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Southern Fried Apricot Hand Pies by Magnolia Days
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
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I want to dive into that pile of noodles and eat my way out.
YUM – cold noodles with chilled wine sounds perfect to me! Great picnic tips too…the last picnic we attempted, I forgot napkins or wet wipes, lol.
Now this looks yummy!!
OMG!! What a great noodle recipe! I love all of the flavors that you have in it! I need to make this!
WOW those noodles look delicious! I wish I had some for lunch right now!
Mmmm….I’d need to make a double batch so I could eat this all week long! LOVE these scrumptious noodles—perfect picnic fare!
I want to grab my chopsticks and go to town!!
Great tip about packing your cooler last out in first! These noodles go on top right so no one needs to dig for them!
Lots of great tips and those noodles sound delish! Thanks for sharing :)
Ooh I love this cold salad and cannot wait to try for our next party :) The flavors sound amazing!
Thanks Soni!
I LOVE this recipe. Great tip about wrapping the sesame seeds in foil!
I love peanut noodles! These look awesome!
Super fun and creative dish to bring to a picnic! I love peanut noodles! Saving and sharing ;) Great pic’s btw ;)
Those noodles are mine, all mind. I am not sharing! Wonderful recipe, and I am so happy to cook alongside you for the #SundaySupper picnic.