Perfect picnics

Soups
Cold soups are perfect picnic fare. Make a batch of gazpacho, borscht or vichyssoise and keep it chilled in a large Thermos. You can even keep soup in mind for dessert: Poach ripe peaches for a few minutes in a sugar syrup (with a few sprigs of lemon verbena, perhaps), skin them and purée with some of the poaching liquid and a little splash of white wine or Champagne. Plain fruit is always a treat too, though fresh strawberries sliced and tossed with minced mint and a drizzle of brandy add panache to the picnic.

Snacks
Cured meats (salami, coppa, prosciutto), cheeses, crackers, bread, olives and nuts are all great picnic accoutrements, enough to make a light meal themselves or to embellish other courses in a more substantial meal. (Beard wrote, “Picnic appetites are usually stupendous — be sure that you have oceans of food.”)

Other ideas
You can avoid advance prep entirely with an effortless menu that trumps even Grace Kelly’s: a quick stop at the grocery store for rotisserie chicken, a baguette, some cheese and a crisp, cool white wine or rosé.

Temperature control is the key consideration for picnic planning. Not only does the right temperature keep food at peak quality, but it’s also crucial for food safety, particularly anything that includes eggs, mayonnaise, dairy and other easily perishable ingredients. An ice chest equipped with frozen gel packs is a classic solution, but today you can find a variety of thermal bags, picnic backpacks, even a Williams-Sonoma monogrammed picnic tote with all your picnic needs, down to miniature salt and pepper shakers. Stores today carry fancy picnic blankets, thermal wine totes and folding picnic tables, all in the name of making the most of picnic outings.

With Memorial Day already upon us, we begin making that mental shift to a summertime state of mind. Toss an old blanket in the trunk, slip a corkscrew and bottle opener into your glove compartment, and you’ll be ready for even an impromptu picnic this season. Leave Cary and Grace in the dust.

Food writer Cynthia Nims is author of such books as “The Best Places Northwest Desserts Cookbook” and “Stone Fruit.” Her latest book, “Salmon,” is being published this month.