Those snow days came in clutch but we’re over winter now. It’s Spring. The snow melted off our yards and the sun’s rays have gotten a little stronger. Grass and sunshine – the first elements needed to kick off your first picnic of the season.
That’s enough to get you outside. Now you need a blanket to sit on and a basket for all your culinary goods. Picnics are all about refreshing, chilled sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. The classic trio seems to be sandwiches, potato salad, and lemonade. They’re meant to satisfy your taste buds while refreshing you under the heat. It’s been done before, though. All of this has! So we want to give you a new guide to the perfect picnic – Philly style.
Here are three classic foods you’d find in any other picnic basket but with the twist that makes our city, well… Our city. Don’t worry, they’re all able to be made in the comforts of your dorm room!
Phillies Phruit Salad – Fruit salad is easy to make. You can buy pre-cut fruits and simply combine them in a large bowl or cut the fruit into little cubes yourself. We’re adding a Philadelphia spin by honoring our beloved home baseball team, the Phillies. We’re doing so by only using red fruits. Get strawberries, cherries, watermelon, raspberries, apples, pomegranates, and any other festive, red fruits from our local Acme on City Ave.
Italian Hoagie – This sandwich is a Philadelphia masterpiece. You have your meats, cheese, seasoning, lettuce, pepper spread. It’s essentially an antipasto between buns. Skip PB&J’s for your Philly picnic and get yourself the ingredients to make an Italian hoagie. Here is a full recipe to follow. Psst – there’s a Wawa down the street if you’re feeling lazy.
Dilly Dilly Potato Salad – Dilly Philly! Hey Super Bowl Champs. Will we ever get tired of hearing that? Nope. This recipe calls for boiled potatoes, so if you don’t have a stove, you can use the one in your common area. It won’t take long. Here’s a full recipe. What gives it the full Philly experience is the dilly dill pickles and the dilly dill. This potato salad has great flavor for a refreshing picnic side.
Now that you have your food prepared and tucked away neatly in a wicker basket, where do you go? There are nice grassy patches around the library if you don’t have a car on campus. This is a nice spot to gather with friends, because you’re bound to attract more friends on their daily commute to class. On a nice day, there are never enough seats anyway, so people will be jealous of your blanket idea. If you want another ideal but more quiet picnic spot, the Merion side of campus is loaded with secluded areas. Depending on the day, your best bets would be along Lapsley Lane or near the baseball fields. If you do have a car on campus, there are scenic areas dispersed all over Philadelphia. The Belmont Plateau is one of my favorite spots for photos or just to enjoy on a nice day. I also plan on making it my picnic go-to this Spring. It’s a quiet, grassy spread of land with a perfect view of the skyline.
If you don’t feel like making this delicious picnic grub or don’t have the time to travel anywhere, you can still enjoy Campion al fresco! Eating outside under the sunshine will make any day a better one. Grab your friends and enjoy the spring weather!
