Strawberries, Sunshine and the Art of a Good Picnic

There is something about this stretch of summer that pulls us outdoors and onto the grass. The tennis is on, the evenings are long, and punnets of British strawberries are stacked high at every market stall. Few foods carry a season quite so completely.

A picnic is one of the simplest pleasures there is, and one of the easiest to build around food that leaves you feeling steady rather than sluggish. It doesn't take much planning. Mostly it takes a little thought about what goes in the basket, and a willingness to slow down once you're there.

The humble strawberry

British strawberries are at their best from roughly late spring through to the end of summer, which is why they feel so tied to this particular fortnight. Eaten close to home and in season, they tend to taste of more, too.

Beyond the flavour, they earn their place. A handful counts as one of your five a day, and strawberries are a good source of vitamin C, which contributes to the normal function of the immune system. They are mostly water, gently sweet, and high in fibre for their size, so they satisfy without the heaviness of a richer pudding. Served simply, with a little yoghurt or a few flakes of dark chocolate, they need very little help.

Eaten in season and close to home, a strawberry needs very little done to it. That is rather the point of summer food.

Building a picnic that feels good

The trick to a picnic that carries you through the afternoon is balance. A basket that is all bread, crisps and sweet things tends to give a quick lift and an early slump. A little protein and something green alongside the carbohydrate makes for steadier energy and a longer, calmer afternoon.

You might think in threes: something to anchor it, such as a bean or lentil salad, some good cheese, or a few boiled eggs; something fresh and colourful, like tomatoes, cucumber or a bag of leaves; and something to finish, which is where the strawberries come in. Add a jug of water or a homemade iced tea and you have a spread that feels generous without asking much of you afterwards.

None of this needs to be elaborate. Some of the best picnics are assembled rather than cooked, laid out on a cloth and shared straight from the tubs. The aim is food that tastes of summer and lets you stay a while longer on the grass.

Keeping it cool and kind in the heat

When it's genuinely warm, a little care keeps everything pleasant. Perishable things like dairy, cooked meats and eggs are happiest kept cold, so a cool bag with a couple of ice packs is worth the small effort. Find some shade for both the food and yourselves, and keep water close by. Warm afternoons ask more of us than we notice, and thirst has a way of arriving late.

It could be worth thinking of the drinks the same way you think of the food: something that refreshes rather than weighs you down. A large bottle of water, a flask of iced herbal tea, or a jug of something citrusy and lightly sparkling all keep the afternoon feeling easy. If a glass of something stronger is part of the day, a glass of water alongside it goes a long way in the sun.

Wherever you are this fortnight, on the sofa or spread out on the grass, the season is doing most of the work. A little balance in the basket is all it really asks of you.