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ABOVE: Marcella’s house-made giardiniera — spicy brined carrots, cauliflower, celery, red pepper and jalapeno. ABOVE RIGHT: The Caprese salad has torn chunks of fresh mozzarella, grape and heirloom tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper, extravirgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
hen planning a picnic, certain items are considered staples — a blanket, sunshine, good company and, of course, the classic picnic basket. But what differentiates your picnic from others is what’s inside the basket. Central Ohio Home & Garden magazine consulted local food experts Ian Rough and Rick Lopez for their recommendations on putting together the perfect picnic. Their advice is keep it simple, and if possible, let someone else take care of the cooking, which is exactly what they did for us. For the most part, cold dishes, such as salads and sandwiches, are the items of choice for these two chefs. Rough, regional chef for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, prepared an incredible spread at Marcella’s in the Short North, which features lots of fresh meats and cheeses that are picnic-ready. “The first thing that comes to mind for food that would be good for a picnic is antipasti, like the fresh meats and cheeses we have, because they are easy to serve and delicious,” Rough says. Marcella’s offers a cured-meat plate that features prosciutto di parma, mortadella, bresaola, capicola, sopressata and salami. The cheese plate includes
taleggio, mozzarella, aged provolone, aged goat cheese, pecorino di pienza and gorgonzola. “For a picnic, I also like some of our antipasto salads with our giardiniera vegetables. You can just snack on that,” Rough says. “Also, the caprese salad, the peppers and mushrooms, and I like the Sicilian caponata, a roasted eggplant salad with olives and capers.” “Those are great for picnics because they don’t have to be freezing cold or extremely hot, so that’s appealing,” he adds. Rough’s personal favorite for picnics is his homemade sausage. “As a family, me and my dad have been making our own sausage for 20 years,” he says. “With the bratwurst, I’ll parboil it at home with some beer, and then I take it to the park and fire up the grill and get them all nice and crisp.” Lopez, who owns Knead on High, also located in the Short North, is known for using local products and ingredients and for his made-from-scratch dishes. Lopez recommends incorporating different textures and colors when putting your picnic plans in motion. “When I have a picnic, I’m definitely
One of Lopez’s favorite sandwiches is smoked chicken salad (left). “We put different elements in to change it up.” Ingredients: hardwood smoked Gerber chicken with toasted pecans, dried cherries, fresh tarragon and house-made lemon garlic aioli on homemade Ohio wheat bread.