A tisket, a tasket

A picnic with a basket

By Kathy Gunst

Whenever I’m asked why I migrated to northern New England two decades ago, I usually launch into a reverie about the beauty of the landscape, the easy lifestyle, and the strong sense of tradition in this part of the country. But the truth: it was a summer picnic that convinced my husband and me to make the move.

In 1980, while on vacation in Southern Maine, a group of friends invited us on a day-long excursion to their favorite coastal island. The August sky was deep blue, and when we worked up the nerve to take our first dip in the Gulf of Maine the icy water felt a million daggers penetrating our skin. The food was equally memorable. Among the goodies packed into a oversized wicker basket were perfectly ripe peaches from a local orchard, a wheel of Maine-made cheese, crusty bread from a nearby bakery, lobster salad, pate, and a green salad from a local farm. There was also a thermos of fresh lemonade and some amazingly rich brownies.

Sitting on a rocky outcropping that day, enjoying good food, witty conversation and spectacular scenery we both had the same thought — it wouldn’t be a bad idea to leave the city to a place where we could repeat this experience often. Today, we still love to gather the state’s best food and head out to the beach, a mountain top, or a quiet patch of land to enjoy a meal outdoors. What follows is a sampling of spots where you can find the ingredients for a great picnic — and maybe a life-changing experience.

The Take-Away Café in Kittery offers a wide assortment of freshly made sandwiches, salads, breads, and desserts. For starters, grab a few Mufeletta’s (homemade focaccia bread topped with marinated vegetables) or slices of Strata (a quiche-like treat that is very portable). Try the fresh-roasted turkey sandwiches on anadama bread with cranberry mayonnaise, or the chicken curry wrap, or the roasted red pepper humus roll-up. The mesclun greens with gorgonzola, sun-dried cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette is a wonderful salad. Choose a nice bottle of wine, and for desert grab lemon-raspberry squares or caramelized lemon tart.

For the widest selection of picnic foods stop in at the Portland Public Market. Some of Maine’s most innovative food vendors have stalls set up at this European-style venue. Start at El Mirador, “The Mexican Deli,” for homemade chips and fabulous salsas (the cilantro-serrano salsa is particularly good). At Oishii you’ll find take-out sushi, and there’s a great selection of cheeses, bagels, and spreads at Horton’s. Pick up a loaf of dense, delicious bread from Borealis Bread and walk over to Maine’s Pantry to find locally made honey, jams, jellies, and chutneys. Red Wagon, whose motto is “Life’s a Picnic,” offers salads, gazpacho, and great looking take-out entrees, while Maine Harvest offers fresh fruit, vegetables, and local cider.

Picnic Shopping •Take-Away Café, 13 Hunter Avenue (across from Warren’s), Kittery, (207) 439-5999. •Portland Market, Cumberland Avenue and Preble Street, Portland, (207) 228-2006 or 228-2000. •Browne Trading Company, 262 Commercial Street, Portland, (207) 775-7560. •Sophia’s Bakery, 81 Market Street, Portland, (207) 879-1869. •Belfast Coop, 123 High Street, Belfast, (207) 338-2532. •Clayton’s, 189 Main Street, Yarmouth, (207) 846-1117. •French and Brawn, 1 Elm Street, Camden, (207) 236 3361.

To give your picnic an Italian flair try Sophia’s Bakery in Portland. Pack an antipasta of caponata (Sicilian eggplant relish) or Caprese (vine-ripened tomatoes with fresh mozzarella) or the Tuscan white bean salad. There are over 30 varieties of fresh-baked bread to choose from. The Umbrian, a dense yellow semolina bread, would be a great choice for wine and cheese, or the Pugliese, a crusty Italian peasant loaf, would be ideal for sandwiches. The Italian tuna sandwich is doused with lemon and olive oil, and no mayo, so you don’t have to worry about it spoiling in the hot sun. You may want to create an entire picnic based on Sophia’s desserts. The cannoli are unbeatable as are the Italian tortes, cookies, and pastries.

Next time you’re headed for a yacht (or a dinghy) and want to do it up big time, drop in to Browne’s Trading for a bottle of chilled champagne, caviar, ripe French Brie, and freshly baked bread. Choose between the smoked Scottish salmon, or locally smoked trout, and shrimp. For dessert try one of Jacque Torres’s (formerly of Le Cirque in N.Y. and now considered one of the country’s premier chocolate wizards) amazing coconut rum kisses, raspberry fruits, or “liquid caramels.”

Coop’s don’t tend to be too sexy — all those bins of bulk food. But the Belfast Coop is the place in mid-coast Maine to stop for a healthy and delicious food. There’s smoked fish from Ducktrap River Fish Farm in Lincolnville, breads and pastries from some of Maine’s finest bakeries, and an excellent selection of fresh sandwiches and salads like spicy peanut tofu , tomato-feta, and pad thai. The Belfast Coop offers wines, cheeses, and olives from around the world, and the produce and fruit is strictly organic and locally-grown whenever possible.

Clayton’s, housed in an old Masonic Temple in Yarmouth, has a reputation for great sandwiches: chicken salad with blue cheese and grapes; grilled pork tenderloin with a garlic-onion glaze; and the Greek wrap filled with calamata olives, sun dried tomato pesto, feta cheese, and grilled vegetables. The selection of salads changes daily, and there’s a good variety of wine and Maine-made foods, and bakery items including muffins, scones, cookies, brownies and sticky buns.

French and Brawn has been a Camden business since 1868. This old-fashioned store is the place to come for a taste of Ducktrap Smoked fish products, over 25 types of sandwiches and roll-ups, and delicious barbecue chickens — all ideal picnic food. You can pick up ice packs and Styrofoam coolers along with a cold bottle of wine, a crabmeat or lobster roll, and a pint of their award-winning chowder.

Now, where to? The beach, the mountains, lake or the backyard?