As the snow is falling and covering the trees and roads, the wind picks up and we are reminded that it is still winter and we have at least a month of this to endure. I start to think of warmer days that are coming in a few months and I imagine having a picnic with the sun warming my skin. I get a smile on my face and cannot wait to have that first picnic of the season. I wonder what kind of food and wine will fill my picnic basket. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

I have my picnic basket ready for the first picnic of the year. My picnic basket already comes with napkins, wine glasses, wine opener, cheese board, cheese knife, salt and pepper shakers as well as a table cloth. I know I will take a nice bottle of wine, some snacks to munch on and some light recipes to enjoy while relaxing by the river. Let’s see, I know I will be enjoying some type of cheese and I must confess the Horseradish/Wasabi cheese that someone turned me onto this year is great with Triscuits and red wine. However, I always love the cheeses with blueberries or cranberries in it. I will also make and take some herb pecans that are great for snacking on. Herbed deviled eggs with 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley, ½ tsp minced fresh thyme added to the yolk mixture and then garnished with parsley is also a must. The salad that I take will either be a Tabouli Salad or the Black Eyed Pea salad that I ran across the recipe for this winter. They both would be great and I won’t have to worry about mayonnaise going bad.

To round off my picnic feast, I will take some sandwiches that are simple, such as goat cheese and herb or turkey, cranberry and brie on some good bread. To tell you the truth I won’t even need a dessert because I will be so full on the goodies that I packed in my picnic basket that I won’t have room for anything else.

The wine I take on my picnic will be a Cameron Hughes wine that again someone turned me onto over the winter. It will probably be a good Pinot Noir lot since I have many different lots in my cellar just waiting to be tried. Even though the winter has been cold I have learned about many new things that I know I will enjoy on my picnics and will carry in my picnic baskets for summers to come. Come on warm weather!!!