You’ll need more than just a picnic basket this summer. These picnic ideas will help make you the master outdoor eater.

Now that warmer weather is upon us (and if it’s not, it’s just around the corner), you should only have one thing on your brain: it’s picnic season! Because warmer days means eating outdoors, and as we all know, there’s nothing better. But you don’t want to be a mediocre picnicker now do you? You want to be well known for your spreads and your outdoors hospitality. Which is why when planning your outdoor eating adventures, you what to be sure you master these six picnic ideas that go beyond the basket.

1. Master the art of small food

A glorious picnic isn’t about cramming one big main dish into your picnic basket – it’s about many small dishes that make for an interesting plate. In fact, the perfect picnic food is really just an assortment of food. This is helpful as smaller dishes – like salads and spreads – are easier to pack, which is helpful if your picnic requires walking or bicycling (and it probably should).

Another note on picnic food: it doesn’t all have to be prepared in advance. That’s right, drag your camp stove along and boil water for coffee. Or make a vinaigrette and stash in a small glass bottle until it’s time to serve your salad. The key with picnic food is to break down the food into manageable parts, so pre-wash, pre-cut, and make sure all your stuff is ready to go so that it’s easy to put together when the time comes.

2. Master the art of getting there

Driving to a picnic? Not as cool as hiking in to a remote beach or biking to a park now is it? Turns out, picnics are about more than the food – if you have to work a little to get there, the reward will be much sweeter.

3. Master the art of reusable, durable, sealable containers

You want to pack your food in stuff that won’t break and won’t leak. This is key, particularly when you are eating outdoors. Reusable containers that do double duty can be good as well. For example, I am a fan of the Innate MC2. It’s a stainless steel base with a food grade silicone top, that can fold out into a bowl.

The same goes for drinks. If you want to serve mixed drinks, make them ahead of time and bring in a reusable water bottle (but be sure it’s one that seals well). Or if you want to do some cocktail mixing on site, prep the individual ingredients you may need ahead of time, like a simple syrup, garnishes, etc.

4. Master the art of the perfect cutlery, plates and drinking vessels

The days of paper plates and plastic forks are over. Not only are disposable items like this bad for the environment, but nobody enjoys the process of eating with them. Just like with your food containers, you want real, reusable stuff. So you’re not eating with your fingers, bamboo cutlery sets are great – like the ones by To Go Ware which are housed in a pouch made from recycled PET – or if you want to simplify, opt for a utensil that can do double duty, like the titanium spork from Snowpeak.

When it comes to drinking, you could just pass around your reusable water bottle, but no one feels special about that. If wine is in order, water bottle maker Lifefactory just came out with a new set of picnic-friendly wine glasses, perfect for outdoor drinking. You’re serving pints of IPA? Try a stainless steel pint glass from Klean Kanteen.

You can also simply invest in a picnic basket that has it all; just make sure you don’t overload it so that it’s too heavy to carry.

5. Master the art of “setting the table”

If you’re eating on the ground, you’re not really setting the table, but don’t let that stop you for doing your best to lay out a good spread. This is easiest when you have a tablecloth or a small blanket. For smaller picnics a tea towel can work great as well, giving you a clean space to put out your food. Your cloth of choice may also serve as a watermelon sling, helpful for carrying the bulky, yet tasty, summer delight.

6. Master the art of clean up

Clean up is easiest if you bring along an extra bag for dirty dishes. Or if your picnicking in more remote places, you can always invest in an outdoor cleaning kit. Most importantly: leave no picnic trace. Make sure that the picnickers that follow you will have just as nice of a time as you did.

Related on EcoSalon

10 Picnic Foods to Impress Your Friends

The Killer Picnic, 10 Rules for Successfully Eating Outside: Foodie Underground

The Beauty of Eating Outdoors

Image: Alex Lang

The post 6 Picnic Ideas to Master the Art of Eating Outdoors appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnIt’s always time for a picnic; here are 10 rules for successful outdoor eating.

Late summer means an earlier sunset, which means that, if you’re like me and trying to eat outside at every possible moment of your existence (no, really), you have to be a little more speedy when it comes to your picnic planning.

It was a regular Wednesday evening. Middle of the week, the air a little balmy, and being tired from a few too many things on the to-do list meant that there was only one dinner option: climb to the top of a hill on a bicycle and have a picnic. I believe in the culinary cyclist rules after all, and fresh air and dinner al fresco is a good solution to any mid-week lull.

The beauty of the impromptu picnic is that it’s just that: unplanned and spontaneous. Of course, more elaborate picnics are always worth the effort. Just ask the Portland Picnic Society – yes, that is really a thing – who organize monthly picnic extravaganzas, complete with location scouting and deviled eggs.

“But Anna…” you say, “isn’t summer almost over?”

Yes, yes it is.

Picnics can happen any time of the year. And as such, there are some key rules for impromptu picnicking. Consider this your guide to late summer/early fall enjoyment.

1. Serve Real Food

We have already discussed the delights of eating outdoors, and how if you are outdoors, there’s no excuse not to eat real food. Ok, ok, you may buy a bag of sweet potato chips, but for the love of god, make your own tapenade.

2. If You Are Serving Real Food, Bring Real Plates

Even if you are biking to your picnic destination, bring plates. Hint: there is no better protection than being wrapped in a picnic blanket.

3. Serve a Special Drink

Bubbles, homemade kombucha, or an infused cocktail; whatever it is, just make sure you bring it.

4. Designate a “Picnic Tablecloth”

It doesn’t have to be an actual tablecloth, a tea towel will work, but you and your bread crumbs will be happy you have it.

5. Invest in a Swiss Army Knife

Seriously, you should never be eating outside without one.

6. Have a Small Wooden Cutting Board

Whether you are serving cheese or slicing something, a small wooden board comes in very handy and it packs well.

7. Always Bring Dark Chocolate

Actually, this is just a good life policy in general. And if you accidentally let your chocolate sit in the sun for too long and it melts, use it as a spread on crackers or cookies (trust me, speaking from life experience here).

8. Remember the Trash Bag

The most often forgotten item and the most appreciated, post picnic mess.

9. Premix

That salad would be better put together at home, trust me. Unless of course you’re just adding a sprinkling of herbs for a final touch. But seriously, keep your outdoor eating low hassle.

10. Invite Your Friends

Everyone likes going to a picnic, whether it’s on a late summer evening or on a snowy winter hike. Eating outdoors is for any season, so have at it.

Related on EcoSalon:

10 Picnic Foods to Impress Your Friends

The Beauty of Eating Outdoors

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Anna Brones

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ColumnFood, friends and manual labor.

“We need to make another picnic table.”

When you live in an apartment building, it’s not really the bucolic setting of a country house with a beautiful backyard, but even a communal outdoor space that has a few garbage bins in the corner can be turned into an outdoor oasis for entertaining. Two summers ago my fellow apartment dweller Dave made a picnic table. It held up for about a season before sitting on it turned into an extreme sport, taking considerable grace when standing up and sitting down so as not to suddenly tip the entire thing over. Despite our best efforts to simply have it as the “serving table,” we quickly learned that if a picnic table graces your backyard, people will try to sit on it.

It needed a replacement.

Dave was good enough to get $20 worth of reclaimed lumber from the Rebuilding Center and construct a frame, so come Sunday all I had to do was hold a couple of boards in place and drill in all of the screws. I made a pair of jean shorts for the occasion. If you’re going to be making your own picnic table just a few hours before hosting your dinner party, it’s only appropriate.

This is no fancy picnic table. The thing isn’t even sanded, which makes the potential of splinters just part of the meal. But much like simple food can often taste better than its more complex version, a handmade picnic table becomes part of the experience, a reminder that using our hands to build something is a worthwhile activity that most don’t save time for.

We finished it with 45 minutes to spare and I went to invent an almond and fig tart concoction for dessert.

This summer we have in fact mastered our guide to entertaining:

1. Email friends that they should bring over a side dish and/or drink on a certain day and time.

2. Put a salmon/lobster/marinated meat/asparagus/corn on the grill.

3. Make a couple of side dishes and a moderately fancy dessert with seasonal berries.

4. Drink a glass of sparkling water and walk around the backyard of the apartment building barefoot while waiting for guests to show up.

This is no frills dining, where mason jars abound and good food somehow just appears. How else does one explain a spread that includes Marcona almonds, kale salad, corn on the cob with chili lime garlic butter and cotija, watermelon with lime and walnut salad, heirloom tomatoes with basil and a few slices of pecorina and spicy mango salsa?

I overheard someone say, “When Brones sends an email inviting you to a barbecue, you know you should say yes.” Although I’d like to take credit for throwing the kind of affairs that people want to attend, the central component is bringing together people that want to take time to celebrate good food, whether they make it themselves or not.

Sometimes we focus so much on what the food is – Is it organic? Is it local? Did you know the butcher? I am off dairy, is there milk in that? – that we get distracted from enjoying the full process. Making something with our hands, bringing it to share with a group of friends. These are basic things, and all things that no matter where you are on the foodie scale, you need. We need sustenance and we need community, which is why the two things seamlessly go hand in hand.

Backyard dinner parties are reminders of what is important in life: good food and friends. They don’t have to be complicated to be successful. They don’t have to require long shopping lists and days of preparation. You can simply be barefoot, bring a dish, and trust in the fact that sometimes serendipity is the best recipe for enjoying a late summer evening.

Watermelon Basil Salad with Lime and Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a large seedless watermelon cut into small cubes
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl and serve,

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

The post Foodie Underground: No One Picnics Alone appeared first on EcoSalon.

Tis the season for picknicking-whip up one of our team’s 10 must eat dishes.

With record high temperatures soaring around the world, there’s no better time to keep the cool outdoors—under a tree and on a grassy knoll. And, foodie or not, the principles behind ecopsychology say there’s no better way to reconnect and nurture relationships than out in the fresh air. Breaking bread together with brie (or sticky chocolate cake), makes the whole picnicking affair that much more meaningful.

So, grab a blanket and try one (or  all 10) of our favorite picnic recipes—a compilation of our team’s favorites and enough to make a complete menu.

Snacks & Appetizers:

• Fruits & Nuts
• Brie & Bread
• Picnic-side Guacamole

Main dishes:

• Quinoa Salad
• Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn
• Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Desserts:

• Sticky Chocolate Cake
• Nutella Donut Muffins
• Strawberry Shortcake

Drink:

• Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

1. Fruits and nuts

For our shelter writer, K. Emily Bond—who sometimes seeks refuge under trees—fruits and nuts are a staple picnic snack. While it may sound sinfully simple, we know that sometimes it’s the simple things that make life so much sweeter. All it takes is 5-minutes in your kitchen, and you have a delicious medley of homemade trail mix. We love this “Not Your College Boyfriend’s Trail Mix” from our archives.

2. Brie & Bread

If you’re anything like Behind the Label columnist Jessica Marati, whose picnic mantra is “take knife, dip in Brie, slather on baguette,” you’ll love this grab & go solution. It’s literally that simple.

Directions:

• Pick up your favorite brie & local, freshly baked bread
• Grab a knife and voila, enjoy!

3. Picnic-side Guacamole

Crowd pleasers like me, (your Vegan This columnist and fashion writer) will agree, there’s nothing like fresh, made-on-site guacamole to get a picnic party started. My boyfriend and I love this dish because it’s so versatile (avocados are your canvas), so fresh (see everyone’s eyes light up as you whip this up before their eyes), healthy (packed full of heart- and skin- healthy fatty acids and vitamins) and easy to tote (just pre-chop your garnishes, grab a few avocados and a to-go container, and you’re out the door).

Ingredients:

• Ripe avocados (as many as you need depending on the number of people you’re serving—to be safe, plan on 1 avocado per person)
• 1/2 onion
• 1 handful cilantro leaves
• 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon, or so, salt
• 1 bag organic tortilla chips or crackers of your choice

Other:

• To-go container
• Serrated knife

Note: Adjust the lime, salt and garnish amounts according to taste and the number of people you’re serving

Directions:

Pre-chop the onion, cilantro leaves and bell pepper. Put in a to-go container large enough to hold the finished guacamole (this will also serve as your mixing bowl). Squeeze the lime and sprinkle the salt over the veggies and mix together. When you arrive at your picnic spot, simply cut your avocados open, remove the seeds and scoop out the fruit. Add to your veggie, lime and salt mix and mash together until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Grab some chips or crackers and enjoy!

4. Quinoa Salad

Life, according to Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones, is all the better when quinoa is involved. “Quinoa salads are my go to summer meals. They’re easy to make and easy to pack, which means that if you make a big batch one day you have leftovers for a few more. They’re also the perfect picnic item, light enough that they feel like summer food, dense enough that you’re full after eating them. As a base I tend to do a mixture of red and white quinoa, greens and some type of vinaigrette. Then you simply add in whatever you have laying around the kitchen. Nuts, vegetables, fruit… whatever you’re in the mood for. But the Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad is one that I can’t live without, so if you’re in need of a recipe, start there.”

5. Smokey Jicama Salad with Kale and Corn 

One of our resident raw foodies and trendy fashion columnists, Johanna Björk, packs her picnics with a healthy punch.
“This cold salad is super easy to make, which makes it perfect for an impromptu summer picnic. It also doesn’t get soggy easily, which means it can keep for a while in that picnic basket, even if you didn’t bring a cooler. The jicama is fresh, somewhat sweet and crunchy, the kale is hearty and nutritious, the fresh herbs are so summery delicious, and the chipotle gives it a bit of a kick. It also just happens to go really well with a cold beer.”

Ingredients:

• 1/2-1 jicama (depending on how large it is), thinly sliced or grated
• 6 leaves kale, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cups corn (leave out if you want it to be 100% raw)
• 1 large handful mint leaves
, olive oil, 
hemp seeds
, chipotle chili powder
, sea salt

Directions:

Mix the jicama, kale, corn and mint leaves together. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and chipotle chili powder and mix well. Finish with a sprinkle of hemp seeds.

6. Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Fashion and food really go hand-in-hand, and Rowena Ritchie, our west coast fashion editor, proves it with this dish from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

“Goop’s cold soba noodle salad is my go-to pot luck recipe because it’s so easy to make. I generally have soba noodles, mirin, soy, and sesame oil in my cupboards, so I just have to grab some scallions and cilantro. My meat-eating friends seem to love it as a side, and if it’s the only vegan dish at the party, it makes for a full and nutritious meal for me! If you can get hold of Eden Shake’s Furikake, I highly recommend using it—it’s full of protein, vitamins A, B & C and calcium and it tastes great. And, I’ve always found the recipes on goop to be top knotch. Gwyneth Paltrow is known for both loving food and for being health conscious.”

7. Sticky Chocolate Cake

There’s nothing like a fika-style picnic to elevate the mood. Just take it from our Swedish chef and artist extraordinaire Johanna Kindvall. And, if you tend to picnic with a core group of friends, this sweet delight will never get old—change it up with a splash of rum, a dash of mint or even some licorice or cardamom.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs (or one large duck egg)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona)
• 1 teaspoon salt (less if using salted butter)
• 1 cup freshly milled almonds (or almond flour)
• 4 oz butter
• mint leaves (optional)
• powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

Whisk eggs and brown sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the milled almonds, cocoa powder and salt. Add the butter and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 9” spring form.

Bake the cake in the oven at 350 F for about 15 minutes. The cake should just be set on top and sticky inside. Let the cake cool down. Decorate with some fresh mint leaves and/or powdered sugar. Serve it plain or with whipped heavy cream.

Note: if you want to spice up the cake I suggest the following flavors: rum, cognac, mint, licorice or cardamom. Just add the flavor to the batter before baking.

8. Nutella Donut Muffins

If you’re picnicking with sensitive foodies like me (think vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and more), then this delicious, easy to pack recipe is the perfect picnic companion. All you need is a re-usable container to carry these in, and you’re sweet-tooth ready.

For the donut muffins:

• 1 ¾ cup flour – follow the following gluten-free flour blend:
  • ¾ cup sorghum flour
  • ¼ cup sweet rice flour
  • 3/8 cup white rice flour
  • ¼ tapioca flour
  • 1/8 cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup oil (I used cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg substituted (I blended 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 3 tablespoons water)
•  ¾ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Nutella (I made this homemade, vegan version)

For the coating:

• 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease a muffin tray with vegan butter or coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, and add in the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, egg-substitute and non-dairy milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir only until fully combined.

Follow these instructions to whip up your Nutella hazelnut spread.

Place 2 tablespoons of the muffin donut batter into your prepared muffin tins. Add 1 teaspoon of Nutella and cover with approximately 2 more tablespoons of batter until the muffin tins are ¾ full.
Bake for 18-22 minutes. (Mine were perfectly done after exactly 18 minutes).

Prepare your coating by melting your vegan butter in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar.

While the muffins are still warm, shake them out of the pan on to a cooling rack.
Dip your muffin donuts into your melted vegan butter and then into your cinnamon sugar mixture.
Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes. These are perfect when warm and still wonderful when cool (up to 3 days—especially if making these gluten free). Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if storing longer.

Note: These would also be delicious filled with your favorite homemade jam, in lieu of the Nutella, or simply plain, filling-free.

9. Strawberry Shortcake

For an authentic taste of summer, strawberry shortcake embodies it all. Earlier this summer, I packed all the parts of this dish (biscuits, strawberries and cream) and assembled it on-site at a friends-of-EcoSalon picnic. I love this version, adapted from Martha Stewart, for its freshness and simplicity. Vegan, gluten-free or not, you’ll fall fast for this fresh delight.

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ pounds (6 cups) strawberries—rinsed, hulled and quartered (For the fullest flavor, I recommend using local and fresh strawberries.)
• 1 ¼ cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups gluten free flour blend
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1/2 cup potato starch flour, minus 2 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 ½ sticks) unsalted vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used Earth Balance coconut butter)
• 2 cups coconut cream (I used So Delicious coconut creamer, blended with approximately 3 tablespoons of dissolved agar-agar to thicken)
• 2 egg substitutes (I blended 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss the prepared strawberries with ¾ cup sugar. (I suggest starting with ½ cup and tasting to see if more sweetness is needed.) Let sit to bring out the juices.

In a food processor, pulse together your gluten free flour blend. Add the baking powder, ½ cup sugar and the salt, and pulse until combined. Add the cold butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles course meal with some pea size bits of butter remaining (pulse approximately 10-12 times).

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cream (before the agar agar has been added to thicken) and the egg substitute. Pour over the flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form (pulse approximately 20-30 times).

Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough into the cup, invert and tap out on to a lightly buttered or parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat to form 6-8 biscuits.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Beat the remaining 1 ½ cups cream, with the prepared agar-agar mixture, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy (Note, this will not form peaks like a traditional heavy whipping cream, however, I assure you the taste and texture will not leave you craving cream.)

Slice the biscuits horizontally with a serrated knife. Spoon the strawberries and their liquid over the bottom of each biscuit just before serving. Spoon your whipped cream over the strawberries, and top with the other biscuit half.

10. Honey Ginger Sparkling Lemonade with Rosemary

Amy DuFault, EcoSalon’s Editor-in-Chief says, “I am always the last one to leave the party because I won’t stop talking. This lemonade from our lovely Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones is a sure cure for talker’s mouth. You can spend an entire picnic having good conversations and the ginger and honey make it so that your voice never breaks. Oh, and that you are of course refreshed. That’s important.”

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup water
• Juice of 7 Meyer lemons
• 1/2 cup minced ginger
• 6-10 full rosemary stalks
• 1.25 liter bottle of sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Optional:
• Your liquor of choice. We recommend bourbon or vodka.

Directions:

To make simple syrup, place honey, water and two rosemary stalks in a saucepan and warm over medium heat while constantly stirring until honey is completely dissolved. Add in ginger. Leave on heat for a 2-3 more minutes, regularly stirring, to increase rosemary flavor. Let sit for 30-60 minutes to cool down. Note: for a stronger rosemary flavor, muddle the rosemary first and let the simple syrup sit for longer.

Strain simple syrup into a pitcher and add in lemon juice, top off with ice cubes and sparkling water.

Garnish with rosemary and serve in mason jars.

Images: Paul and Christa, Rich Anderson, Pink Mochi, Jennifer Barckley, Anna Brones, Johanna Bjork, Goop, Jennifer Barckley, Amy DuFault

The post EcoSalon Team Picks: 10 Picnic Foods to Impress Your Friends appeared first on EcoSalon.

Picnic anyone? This summer, load up on eco-friendly bamboo cutlery instead of the “naughty-but-light” plastic stuff.

These lightweight, reusable and chic bamboo forks, spoons and knives are made from organic bamboo, care of the company Core Bamboo. Because bamboo grows like grass – as in really fast – it is one of the most efficient materials on the planet. Plus, it’s 16 percent stronger than maple and 33 percent lighter than oak, meaning this cutlery is both strong and lithe.

A 12-piece bamboo cutlery set costs $36 and contains four place settings.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: Bamboo Wood Cutlery appeared first on EcoSalon.

Boxsal cardboard picnic box complete with compostable eating tools.

The Boxsal Today’s Date Box ($25) is an afternoon date of conscious whimsy. The cardboard container is creatively designed to host the perfect picnic ingredients and comes stocked with compostable trays, bowls, cups, and utensils. All this afternoon romance is wrapped up in a cardboard paint-by-numbers canvas to cap your edible date with artistic sparks.

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com.

The post Lustables: Boxsal Picnic appeared first on EcoSalon.

Summer is the era of casual picnics and easy, light impromptu meals. Be ready for those glorious impromptu meals with these picnic picks that are easy and light on mother earth. With such a delicious gathering of commodities, your eyes will be as satisfied as your stomach.

Indulge in the illusion of luxurious silverware with this Picnic Cutlery Set ($5 per set). Enjoy your clean conscious after scraping your Biodegradable Plate clean because these sugar cane fiber creations are completely compostable, biodegradable, and affordable (starting at $5.50 for a pack of 10).

Not to be outdone by your plates, the biodegradable Wasara Tumbler is a mixture of sugar cane fiber, bamboo, and reed pulp; these lovely little vessels can deliver hot or cold liquid to thirsty lips ($10 for a pack of six). The Buckley Organic Blanket (starting at $59.95) provides a soft place to rest while you savor picnic wares – plus, no one will notice if you spill a little mustard or drop a deviled egg. 

And finally, a gaggle of bugs you actually invited to the blanket, each Beetle Napkin provides ample absorbent cotton ($27 for a set of four).

Now head over to the Food and Recipes section and peruse scrumptious culinary delights to pack up for the picnic – and don’t forget the bug spray.

The post Picnic Picks appeared first on EcoSalon.

My environmental cop husband gripes that everything portable that touches our girls’ mouths is made of plastic, from yogurt tubes and Vitamin Water bottles to the spoons I throw in their vinyl lunch boxes.

But recently he turned me on to cutlery made of corn starch, biodegradable spoons, forks and knives that are even wrapped in compostable bags made from corn starch or paper bags made from recycled cotton fibers.

The sets of eco-friendly picnicware are available by the case (250 packs of assorted utensils) for around $36 at WorldCentric. Smaller packs are available as well (50 for $2.75).

These work well for moms packing hot soups or pasta in metal to-go bowls. Plastic ware should not be exposed to heat. But the corn starch alternative doesn’t release the toxic chemicals. And with some Verterra plates and bowls, you really can’t go anything but green these days.

Image: onico

The post Corny Cutlery appeared first on EcoSalon.

When you think of eco friendly plates and bowls, what comes to mind? Pale, pasty, meek little things, that melt at the slightest hint of heat, and never mind going anywhere near an oven. And have you tried to actually compost or biodegrade one?

Generally there’s a disconnect between the green dream and the reality, since they often require special conditions/facilities to properly do the job, and even then, they take a fair amount of time.

What to do?

Verterra seems to have gone down the list of how to make the best possible green plates, bowls and platters, and done it all. They make them from palm leaves. Fallen palm leaves. They pay their workers a living wage. They use only steam and chilling to make them, tempering them, which makes them super sturdy. The middle layer of leaves is sappy, replacing the usual binder (aka glue) used on other green plates to give them form.

Since they’re made only from leaves and steam, they compost and biodegrade fast, as you’d expect. And Verterra have had that officially verified. It’s official, they rule the school when it comes to speediness on this front. This one quote says it best, ” VerTerra dinnerware breaks down 150% above the standard in 2/3 the time. ”

In a road test of my own, I ate chili, spaghetti, and other messy meals in one of their bowls. Yes, they’re washable and reusable. Several times! They came through just fine, ready for more. And as you can see from the pictures, they’re quite easy on the eyes, looking almost like wood.

Their new Signature line really ups aesthetics, nicely curved, modern looking, with small touches like a line around the edge. Apparently they’re on to something as I’ve been told they’re already back-ordered into March! Get on the list now so you can get this lovely compostable dinnerware yourself.

This is a guest post by Paul Smith of GreenSmithConsulting. Follow him on Twitter.

Images: Theodore Samuels

The post Guest Post: Paul Smith of GreenSmithConsulting on Verterra: Leaves of Sustainable Style appeared first on EcoSalon.