Summer Day Picnics
August in the MRV is for dunking in the numerous swimming holes, hiking the local peaks, tubing down the Mad River, golfing, soaring, fishing, frisbee golfing, and in general spending as much time as possible outdoors. You’re likely to work up an appetite with all that activity, and the last thing you want is to cut your outdoor time short to come inside to eat. What you need, my friend, is a picnic.
We checked in with a few local providers for their recommendations on what makes an ideal picnic. Order from them directly or use their ideas to inspire your own.
Mad River Taste Place Picnic: An Epicure’s Delight
When you step inside the Mad River Taste Place, make sure to pick up a shopping basket, as you’ll need more than two hands to corral the picnic provisions you’ll find there. There are crackers of every variety, a revolving selection of baked goods, and a mile-wide refrigerated display case featuring the finest of cheese offerings from Vermont and beyond. Mary Tuthill, Taste Place manager extraordinaire, and her assistant Jordan will happily help to direct your cheese selection, and if you’re lucky, Josh’s charcuterie will be on offer. If you anticipate needing some liquid sustenance on your picnic, walk into the refrigerated room for craft beers and hard ciders galore. Fill your basket with picnic provisions with the assurance that anything sold in The Taste Place is vetted and judged to be among the best Vermont has to offer.
For inspiration, here’s Mary’s ideal picnic: A wheel of Brie, a baguette, fruit jam, and pork rillettes. Add fresh fruit of the season and smoked nuts for some good crunch. Beverages should be bubbly–ideally from the Champagne region.😊To bring it all home: chocolate cupcakes.
Knoll Farm Picnic: Sheep and a View
If you’re looking for spectacular mountain views, open fields, a tree-shaded walking path, chickens, and yes, sheep, then look no farther than Knoll Farm. Call or reserve one of their inventive picnics for two. You’ll get a woven basket filled to the brim with delicious goods sourced directly from the farm or gathered from local small food producers. The Knoll Farm picnic options include:
The Omnivore:
homemade or Red Hen bread
fresh herbed goat cheese
VT sharp aged cheddar
Cured salami from Vermont Salumi
homemade spread (pesto, chutney or jam)
fresh organic fruit and veggies in season
homemade dessert
The Vegetarian:
homemade bread
fresh local goat cheese
local hard cheeses
hummus and pickled veggies
homemade chutney or pesto
fresh organic fruit and veggies in season
homemade dessert of the day
The Full Romantic (our favorite, naturally 😍):
homemade bread
goat cheese round
another local cheese
Vermont cured salami
fresh or pickled veggies
our chutney or jam
fruit in season
dark chocolate
homemade cookies
flower bouquet
The Hunter-Gatherer Picnic: A Do-It Yourselfers Delight If you’re inclined to create your own picnic basket, head to the Warren Store for a take-out sandwich. Try the #6. While we’re talking numbered sandwiches, local grocery Mehuron’s has upped their sandwich game big time. Try their #33 and the BLT. Canteen Creemee also makes a mean sandwich—try their banh mi. Throw in some fruit and a cookie or two and you are picnic ready. Don’t forget the ice packs. August in Vermont is hot!
While summer in Vermont is idyllic, it is also fleeting. Ditto the bounty of the season. Enjoy it all while it lasts.
Photo credit: Knoll Farm