You've got the music and the mood. Now you need the food.
Outdoor concerts and theatrical productions are good occasions for a picnic — or a few munchies at least. Come early, stake your spot, and dine al fresco while you're waiting.
Some may wonder, why bother? They've apparently never attended Douglas Spotted Eagle's concert at the Tooele Art Festival, trying to keep their mouths from watering while the family in front of them assembles Navajo tacos with all the fixings. Or observed a family at the Ed Kenley Amphitheater in Layton that gears meals to the performance — barbecued ribs and baked beans for Glen Campbell; grapes with fine cheeses for the Utah Symphony. Or felt the romance in the air while watching a young couple feed each other bites of strawberries.
"It's amazing to go to these concerts up at Deer Valley with our simple hoagie sandwiches and potato chips and look over and see these people setting up tables with their china and wine glasses and feasting on exotic foods," said Joy Sundloff of Kaysville.
She could be talking about Faye Malnar of Park City or Diane Nelson of Farmington, who are part of a group that brings potluck nibblers to share at Deer Valley concerts.
"We've just taken a little bit of everything, it's so fun," said Malnar. "Everybody brings something, and we just set it up and enjoy. We've taken simple things like chips and salsa, or gone all out with knives and forks, (and) casseroles. We've even done birthday cakes if it's someone's birthday. Everybody brings their own paper plates and utensils, and we have some plastic wine glasses."
Charlene Nelson, who oversees Layton city's concerts, says she's seen everything from boxes of pizza to full-fledged dinners. On-site dining has become so popular that this year the Old Sainte Rose restaurant will cater picnic box lunches at the amphitheater.
"People wanted more food items instead of candy and soda pop," she said. "We're looking into all kinds of options, such as maybe setting up tables outside in the park."
True, just about every outdoor venue has concession stands, with offerings varying from hot dogs to sushi.
"But when you bring your own, you can get the things you like," said Cidnie Sundloff of Salt Lake City, who often stops at a deli for sandwiches and salads on the way to a concert.
Also, depending on what you take, you can save money as well as time waiting in line at the concession stand. For example, Deer Valley's gourmet picnic baskets are $29 for a one-person basket; Snowbird's picnic baskets start at $15 per person.
Here are some tips for bringing your own concert cuisine:
Find out if the venue allows patrons to bring their own food. At last year's Oldies Fest at Franklin Covey Field, concert-goers had to leave behind their coolers, baskets, even candy bars.
Thanksgiving Point only allows food purchased there into the gardens where the concerts take place. "We have concessions in the gardens, and we have wonderful fields and grassy areas outside (of the gardens) where people can sit and have their picnics," said Paul Eddington, a spokesman for Thanksgiving Point. "But we don't have people taking in their own food because of the mess."
Snowbird doesn't allow coolers or glass containers, said Mikel Trapp, the resort's managing director of food and beverage. Both the Sandy and Layton amphitheaters allow patrons to bring food but not alcohol. Deer Valley sanctions coolers and picnic baskets but not glass containers. Coolers, baskets and beverages are all OK at Red Butte Garden.
Arrive early to give yourself time to set up and eat before the concert. "All our shows are at 8 p.m., and the gates open by 7, so you can have dinner, enjoy the atmosphere and be ready for the show," said Tara Sharp of the Sandy City Ampitheater.
Limit yourself to what can be carried in one trip. The fun is gone if you've got to walk 10 blocks back to the parking lot to get the lawn chairs, basket, blankets and coolers. This is not the time to drag out all the glass casserole dishes. Light and unbreakable containers work best.
Cynthia Lyman of Red Butte Garden advises bringing a cooler with wheels, because it's easy to transport and handy to sit on while waiting to get into the concert.
Choose items that taste good served at room temperature if you don't want to fuss with coolers. But perishable food shouldn't be left at room temperature longer than two hours. By then, harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning rapidly multiply. If your travel, waiting and eating time exceeds this, you'll need a cooler to keep meats and salads cold or an insulated container to keep hot foods hot. (USDA guidelines say cold foods should be kept at or below 40 degrees; hot food should be kept above 140 degrees).
Get double duty from your cooler space. Fill empty plastic sports drink bottles half full of water and freeze to use as ice. At your destination, top off the sports bottles with water or a drink to sip through the concert.
Choose foods that will hold up well. Aunt Alice's crumb cake will likely be just crumbs if it's toted very far, and a gelatin salad could become soupy. Cookies are a more stable dessert.
Avoid anything that will become drippy, limpy and wimpy.
Consider foods you can balance easily sitting on a blanket. Sandwiches are an obvious choice; but either avoid moist fillings that will make the bread soggy, or choose dense, hearty breads. Wraps are another good option, if assembled so the filling is well-enclosed.
Trapp, of Snowbird, suggests serving cold chicken that you can hold in a napkin and eat with your fingers. "The lighter the load, the better," he said.
Cheese and grapes are a popular pair. Pre-slice the cheese (and any other items that require cutting), suggests Trapp, "so you don't have to deal with it at your destination."
Other items that pair well with various cheeses include pears, apples, cherries, figs, apricots, dates, roasted red peppers, plum tomatoes, olives, pecans, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts. The American Dairy Association suggests pairing strong-flavored cheeses with dark breads like pumpernickel, and fruit or nut breads with blue cheese.
While you've got a captive audience, it's a good time to sneak in healthful foods. Baby carrots, celery sticks and strawberries are all portable.
Be considerate of nearby concertgoers. Avoid hard-boiled eggs, sardines and other odorous foods.
Bring a grocery bag or a garbage bag to stash the trash. Layton has a "you pack it in, you pack it out" policy on garbage, but most places will have trash cans on the premises.
Keep your picnic basket stocked with plates, cups, napkins and utensils, so when you take off on a picnic, it's a matter of just adding the food, said Teresa Hunsaker of Utah State University Extension in Weber County. And you don't necessarily need a fancy picnic basket. She has seen laundry baskets, wooden bushel baskets, and even a carpenter's carrier with condiments stored in the compartments. Many new coolers and insulated bags are on the market to make summer picnics easier than ever.
Picnic check list
Napkins
Plates
Cups
Plastic knives, forks and spoons
Serving utensils
Can opener
Salt and pepper shakers
Garbage bag
SUMMER SUB SANDWICH
1 loaf (1 pound) unsliced French bread
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened (you may use chive-flavored if desired)
8 slices fully cooked ham or turkey (or a combination)
6 slices favorite cheese
1 4-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 tomato, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
Cut the loaf of bread in half horizontally. Spread bottom half with cream cheese; layer with ham, cheese and mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and peppers. Cut in four or five serving-size pieces, but don't cut completely through bottom layer of bread, so that the loaf stays intact. Wrap in plastic and transport in a cooler. To serve, either use a knife or tug a little to tear bottom layer of bread apart. Serves 4 to 5.
PINEAPPLE SHRIMP DIP
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Morton Nature
seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 can shrimp
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix together and serve on crackers. Better if made ahead and refrigerated overnight. — Diane Nelson, Farmington
MEDITERRANEAN WRAP SANDWICH
1 (8-ounce) softened cream cheese
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 (10-ounce) package or jar of roasted sweet red pepper strips, drained
1/8 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
4 (10-inch) plain or flavored flour tortillas
8 ounces salami
4 romaine lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, olives, 1/2 cup roasted sweet pepper strips and dried oregano; blend thoroughly. Spread 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture evenly over flour tortilla. Top each with 1/4 of the salami, lettuce and red pepper strips. Roll up tightly; sealing edge with a small amount of cream cheese. Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Before serving, cut sandwich at an angle into four pieces. Serves 4. — Peloponnese Mediterranean Specialties
BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD COOKIES
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Place a 9-inch metal pie pan in the freezer to chill. Combine the butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a food processor and process for 20 seconds or until smooth. Add flour and cornstarch. Pulse until the mixture forms a dough. Press dough evenly over the bottom of the chilled pie pan. Sprinkle almonds and press lightly into the dough. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until chilled.
Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool several minutes. Cut warm shortbread into 8 wedges. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. — "Always In Season," Junior League of Salt Lake City
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