Our 8 favourite recipes for summer picnics and potlucks

Come summer, we just love to organize picnics and potlucks! Try to keep it simple – but just for fun, bring something a little different, something you probably don’t eat every day. Turn off your cell phone and take the time to really live in the moment, surrounded by your favourite folks.

Here are eight recipes you’ll want to make and take to all your picnics and/or potlucks this summer…

 

1. Foccacia, simple and delicious –
80 Twenty

If you offered to bring the bread, how about a batch of focaccia? It’s kind of like a thick-crust pizza with the toppings of your choice. We love this recipe from 80 Twenty, which is a cinch to make – and it’s even gluten-free!

 

Photo Credit: 80 Twenty

 

2. Fresh bruschetta –
A Dash of Compassion

We love recipes that make a whole lot of bite-sized deliciousness in just a few minutes. Bonus points if the recipe includes fresh seasonal ingredients! Nicole Axworthy’s recipe for bruschetta calls for tomatoes and goat cheese, peaches and macadamia vegan cheese with fresh herbs.

 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

 

3. Awesome baked falafels – 
The Simple Green

No need to tuck knives and forks into your picnic basket! Here’s a recipe for some great finger food. From The Simple Green blog, baked falafels with a dip made from raw sunflower seeds. Your taste buds will thank your for these tasty morsels, crunchy on the outside, meltingly soft inside. The flavour is authentically Middle-Eastern, without deep-frying – these are baked in the oven!

 

Photo Credit: The Simple Green

 

4. Crunchy sandwiches –
Seasons & Suppers

Getting a bit bored with ham sandwiches? Bite into freshness, with all the good greens you can cram between two slices of multigrain bread: cucumber, spinach, avocado, goat cheese – you take it from there! If you’re not feeling terribly creative, try this recipe from the Seasons & Suppers blog.

 

Photo Credit: Unsplash

 

5. Heavenly hummus –
A Dash of Compassion

Great as a spread for pita bread or a dip for veggie sticks, hummus is a veteran of countless picnics and potlucks. For something a little different, throw a cooked beet into the food processor – extra yumminess plus that gorgeous pink!

 

Photo Credit: Pixabay

 

6. Salad meant for sharing –
Food Nouveau

A picnic just wouldn’t be a picnic without a great big salad to share. We love this recipe for red rice salad with spinach, hazelnuts and cherries, from the Food Nouveau blog. And it’s not just a pretty salad, it’s so good for you…especially with a chilled cherry juice cocktail on the side!

 

Photo Credit: Food Nouveau

 

7. Muffins with quinoa and more –
Patience Fruit & Co

Reckon your picnic may run overtime? You’ll need an afternoon snack, then! Here’s one of the most popular recipes from our blog: spiced quinoa muffins with applesauce and cranberries. Super-nutritious and yummy, they’re bound to be a hit with young and old!

 

Photo Credit: Patience Fruit & Co

 

8. A refreshing drink – cheers! –
The Fig Tree

The finishing touch for a successful picnic is – you’ve guessed it! – a refreshing drink. Here’s a beverage everyone will love – hold the alcohol…And it’s suitable for all ages, too!

Photo Credit: Unsplash