Spring Picnic Food Ideas to Enjoy During Warmer Days

It’s springtime! It means, its picnic season! The weather is perfect — not too cold, not too hot, not too buggy. The weather's just right to enjoy the great outdoors. Although it’s still cold days in some places, everyone is looking forward to warmer days again. And a perfect way to savor the warmer days is to enjoy a great picnic in the backyard or park with family and friends.

The best way to savor the sunshine days is with great food and drinks! Here are the best make-ahead food recipes that you can prepare and make the best picnic you've ever had!

Spring Salad — Avocado, spinach, strawberry salad

This fruit-veggie salad is perfect for your picnic. Packed with great flavors and all the ingredients are in season, easy to prepare, healthy and delicious!

Total prep time: 15 minutes

Yields: 4-6 servings

Here's what you need:

For the salad:

• 6 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1-pint Hulled and sliced strawberries
• 1-2 peeled, pitted and diced avocado
• 4 ounces Crumbled cheese (blue cheese, goat cheese or feta)
• 1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
• Half small red onion, thinly sliced

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup avocado or olive oil
• 3 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
• pinch of ground dry mustard (optional)
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly-cracked black pepper

Here's how to prepare it:

To make the salad:

1. In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients with your desired amount of dressing until combined.
2. Serve immediately.

To make the dressing:

1. Whip all the ingredients until combined.
2. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, or more to taste.

Fresh Spring Greens Soup

This green soup is creamy, healthy and warming soup is the best choice for the season. It's full of fresh greens and full of flavors.

Total prep time:  minutes

Yields: 3 servings

Here's what you need:

• 3 airtight containers for the go-versions (mason jars or glass jars) or bowls
• 1 small broccoli head cut in florets
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• 2 bunches watercress
• 1 onion finely diced
• 2 bunches wild garlic
• 1 &1/2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 5-6 mint leaves
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 lemon juice only
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Mixed seeds - for garnish

Here's how to prepare it:

1. In a medium soup pot, heat the coconut oil. Add the onions and fry for 2 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring to simmer.
3. Add broccoli and spinach, let it simmer for 5 minutes over low heat.
4. Add the watercress and wild garlic, and remove the pot from heat. Let it cool.
5. Into a blender, transfer the soup. Add lemon juice and mint leaves, and blend until it pureed.
6. Pour evenly in each container (jars or bowls).
7. Garnish with mixed seeds and serve with potato fries (optional).

Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs

This classic picnic Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs recipe with a twist from Ree Drummond is mouthwatering.

Total prep time:  50 minutes

Yields: 8-10 servings

Here's what you need:

• 2 sticks butter
• Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 24 whole chicken legs

Here's how to prepare it:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheets with foil.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, salt, and stir. Set aside.
4. Rinse and pat the chicken legs dry. Dip them one by one into the butter mixture using a metal tong and line them on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Once done, take a pastry brush and brush the chicken legs with the butter mixture one time.
6. Place the baking sheet into the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, basting a couple of times while roasting. If the chicken legs need more color, turn on the broiler for more minutes and watch them closely.
7. When golden brown and fully cooked, remove them from the oven.

Picnic Salami Sandwiches

These picnic salami sandwiches are outrageously easy to make, full of flavors and healthy. You can wrap them up nicely with a parchment paper colorful twine.

Total prep time: 30 minutes

Yields: 4 sandwiches

Here's what you need:

• 1 French baguette, cut into 4 pieces and halved
• 1 lb. hard salami
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 8 oz container softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sun-dried chopped tomatoes

Here's how to make them:

1. To make the spread: In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. On half of each sandwich, spread the mixture evenly.
2. Distribute the salami on each sandwich evenly.
3. On top of each sandwich, put about 1/2 cup baby arugula and cover each with half of the sandwich.

Cherry-Pistachio Tea Cakes

These Cherry-Pistachio Tea Cakes from Food Network Kitchen are the most delectable and easiest cupcakes you'll ever bake all spring.

Total prep time: 35 minutes

Yields: 12 tea cakes

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
• 12 to 24 medium cherries with stems

Here's how to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a food processor, put the pistachios, flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse until finely ground.
3. In a large bowl, whip the confectioners' sugar and eggs, then whip in the pistachio mixture until mixed. Stir in the melted butter until just combined.
4. Into each muffin cup, put 2 tablespoons of batter. Bake until slightly puffed and just beginning to set, about 8 minutes. Put 1 or 2 cherries in the center of each cake and continue baking until the cakes soft and the edges are lightly browned for about 10 to 12 more minutes.
5. Transfer the pan to a rack and let them cool for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from the pan to cool completely.
6. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

This fun, sparkly and brilliant colored Garden Delights Magnetic Wine Charm set will be the perfect touch to your picnic cocktail glasses and mason jars. These are the best wine charms to help identify and distinguish your glasses. You can also check our latest blog, Brunch Ideas for Easter Sunday for your Easter celebration.

Celebrate the warmer days of the spring season by having a great picnic with your loved ones and watch signs of blooming spring flowers! Just pack a blanket or two, thermos of coffee or cold beverages and some of these make-ahead foods and go!

Enjoy the warm weather!