Back in our pre-kiddo days, the only thing to prevent us from a night out was the balance in our bank accounts. And sometimes even that didn’t stop us. Three, four, heck…seven times a week Lance and I would hit up our favorite spots in Dana Point for food, drinks, and conversation. All the while, never appreciating how clean our kitchen stayed, or how little trash we ever produced. It was an amazing life, one that in retrospect, I am forever happy we participated in.
Now fast forward a few years, and life began to revolve around nap times and bedtimes. A noise filled lunch at the mall food court was about as good as we could do. It wasn’t in our budget or interest to have a babysitter over on a regular basis. So it became very clear we needed to find creative ways to still have “dates”. We all know, marriage takes work and in those early years of parenthood, it’s easy to let that slip on the list of priorities. But not for us. It started out with something we called “floor picnics”. They entailed some cheese, a dried meat or two, olives and a bottle of wine. We would sit on the floor and snack, and sip and chat. No tv. No interruptions. Just us.
As the girls got a bit older and we moved to a bigger house, we relocated our “picnics” to the dining room, where we took turns playing DJ. Our menu evolved as well and we branched out beyond the basic charcuterie plate, delving into pâtés and terrines a time or two. There really is something magical about sitting with your spouse after the kids have gone to bed, lighting a candle (in my opinion, this is the candle of all candles, no other is worth buying), and just solving the problems of the world, late into the night.
The Food
We are seven years into it, and we still regularly have our date nights at home. In keeping with the spirit of “picnic” that started it all, we knew we had to buy Le Picnic: Chic Food for On-the-Go when we came across it at White, a picturesque little boutique in Cape May, NJ. The cookbook is full of beautiful photography and mouth-watering recipes that deviate from our regular household menu. We bought it while on vacation and were so anxious to get home and put it to use. It was an easy choice on what to make first: Roast Beef Picnic Baguette with Duxelles. A duxelles is the very luxurious mixture of mushrooms, onions, herbs and butter that you saute in a pan. And good lord does it smell delicious! You layer it on a baguette with roast beef, toasted pine nuts, and some arugula. This little taste of heaven is surprisingly portable, it’s meant to be eaten cold, so you can just wrap it up in parchment and take it on the go if a true picnic mood strikes you! We served this with a French potato salad. This is super simple, it’s just some boiled baby potatoes mixed with a handful of freshly chopped herbs (we used chives and parsley). The dressing is one I’ve made several times before and it never disappoints: olive oil, white wine vinegar, chopped shallot and dijon mustard. Shake those all up together and pour it on whatever you have, because it’s the bomb!
The Beverage(s)
You can go in a few different directions when pairing a drink with this frou-frou picnic meal. A fine choice is Plumcots from the Bruery Terreux’s Orchard Project. It’s sour wit ale made with fresh plumcots from a local farm. (Plumcot: plum + apricot, thanks GMO!) The whole idea behind this beer is just perfect for this particular meal, both have a rustic orchard vibe!
Another great choice though is not a beer at all but does come in a très portable can. It’s the Fizzy White Wine from Mancan. If you have yet to try wine in a can, you’re missing out. It’s amazing for pool time, beach time, concert in the park time. Or, you guessed it, at home date time! This particular one is full of effervescent fizz that just might make you feel like you’re sipping on champagne. It’s an affordable choice that feels like a splurge and gets along swimmingly with this picnic baguette.
The Music
In keeping with my French theme, let’s listen to A Violent Yet Flammable World by Au Revoir Simone. They are Brooklyn ladies with a very French name. Just like I’m a Polish/Irish girl serving up some very Frech garb. These ladies have a really cool ethereal sound that I just love. I was first introduced to them in the revival of Twin Peaks. If they’re good enough for David Lynch to have them play at the Roadhouse, then they’re good enough for me. Trust me on this. Their cooler-than-you synth-pop sound is the cherry on top of this date night scenario.
Until next time…..au revoir!
