Scottish Picnic Customs: Compare and Contrast

[artificer]

I'm here! I'm here!

Alright, picnics.

I actually can't remember if I've ever been a part of a traditional basket and bicycles in the park kind of picnic, but I've been on many a church-type picnic.

First of all, we are all assigned to bring some sort of food pot-luck style, and then we gather at a park or so and let the children run wild while we pretend to feed them (kids never want to eat when you want them to). The conversation varies in topic but will invariably turn to a recipe exchange of sorts, and then the theme of entertainment will also vary-- I've been to some where there was live musical entertainment, short skits, and even an auction of goods or services.

Also, there are a few picnicking rules that I always abide by:

1- It is absolutely imperative that you collect your desert as you collect your other food rather than go for desert later after it has all been picked over.

2- Eat only what you can identify, or what has been made by people you trust.

3- skip the salad (also a good rule for buffets)

Well, I don't know if that qualifies as being interesting, but there you go

ali,
couple these important bits of advice with a massive distrust of others 'cooking' and the picnic buffet (potluck) becomes the minefield it is for me.

I agree, BTW, with all your advice, implicitly. Never trust anything cold, or (gods forbid) with mayo. Go with what (and who) you know.

I won't admit to being a germophobe, but, frankly, food poisoning is no fun.
Trust in cheese and pickle (or maybe a cold cut sandwich). Fools will trust in the mayo+noodle salad.

BTW: *** on the desert

[ali8780]

ali,
couple these important bits of advice with a massive distrust of others 'cooking' and the picnic buffet (potluck) becomes the minefield it is for me.

I agree, BTW, with all your advice, implicitly. Never trust anything cold, or (gods forbid) with mayo. Go with what (and who) you know.

I won't admit to being a germophobe, but, frankly, food poisoning is no fun.
Trust in cheese and pickle (or maybe a cold cut sandwich). Fools will trust in the mayo+noodle salad.

BTW: *** on the desert

yeah, I have a whole slew of rules for buffets for that very reason. Mass-produced meat is always dangerous

[ThistleDown]

Talisker with water from the burn. Hard smoked Caithness cheese, oatcakes by Nairns if not from the kitchen, rich butter from Daviot dairy, thinly sliced roe deer tightly rolled in tubes, pickled onions, beets and little cuces, smokies, baps left over from breakfast, bite-bits of carrot and turnip and broccoli kept chilled in a flask of iced water, dollar pancakes, pinot gris, creme caramel, black tea. All slow food. Laughter and good conversation. Oh, yes, sunshine and a brisk breeze, of course. For two or four, over the Moray firth looking north.

[BoldHighlander]

Stop it Rex! It's almost bedtime here & your getting me hungry!!!

[Livingston]

Talisker with water from the burn. Hard smoked Caithness cheese, oatcakes by Nairns if not from the kitchen, rich butter from Daviot dairy, thinly sliced roe deer tightly rolled in tubes, pickled onions, beets and little cuces, smokies, baps left over from breakfast, bite-bits of carrot and turnip and broccoli kept chilled in a flask of iced water, dollar pancakes, pinot gris, creme caramel, black tea. All slow food. Laughter and good conversation. Oh, yes, sunshine and a brisk breeze, of course. For two or four, over the Moray firth looking north.

I minght not want to get past the Talisker. This does sound like the perfect picnic to me; Scotland, the highlands of Colorado, the desert of Arizona, the plains of Kansas or where ever you might be.

[ali8780]

Talisker with water from the burn. Hard smoked Caithness cheese, oatcakes by Nairns if not from the kitchen, rich butter from Daviot dairy, thinly sliced roe deer tightly rolled in tubes, pickled onions, beets and little cuces, smokies, baps left over from breakfast, bite-bits of carrot and turnip and broccoli kept chilled in a flask of iced water, dollar pancakes, pinot gris, creme caramel, black tea. All slow food. Laughter and good conversation. Oh, yes, sunshine and a brisk breeze, of course. For two or four, over the Moray firth looking north.

Honestly Rex, you do paint quite a picture I think I can feel the summer breeze come straight through my computer screen.

[ThistleDown]

Honestly Rex, you do paint quite a picture I think I can feel the summer breeze come straight through my computer screen.

I hope so, Ali, because that breeze and liberally-applied SsS is what makes the picnic possible.

Hmmmm, forgot the dog. Always a dog for a perfect picnic. Oh yes, and the smokies are from Loch Awe and the deer from over-by

[Bugbear]

Honestly Rex, you do paint quite a picture I think I can feel the summer breeze come straight through my computer screen.

That's the new forum software feature, Ali, it's so the Mods can reach through the screen and smack spammers and trolls with a rolled up newspaper. Someone probably just left it open.

I suppose you could take a batch of tamales on a picnic. We used to have those all the time when I was growing up.

[ThistleDown]

I suppose you could take a batch of tamales on a picnic. We used to have those all the time when I was growing up.

Tamales? I thought this thread was about picnics in Scotland? Are you trying to hijack your own thread, Ted? We don't know tamale from tilapia, but if you want to ask about curries or kielbasa we can probably provide lots of good Scots recipes.

[Bugbear]

Tamales? I thought this thread was about picnics in Scotland? Are you trying to hijack your own thread, Ted? We don't know tamale from tilapia, but if you want to ask about curries or kielbasa we can probably provide lots of good Scots recipes.

By all means, ThistleDown, do describe the Scottish picnic curries and kielbasa; it is compare and contrast.