Ed Power makes a case for the Irish picnic, but without paper plates and plastic cutlery
Summer rituals do not come more harrowing than the great Irish picnic. The basic ingredients are familiar to everyone who has had a childhood - paper plates, rain, bickering. Sometimes there was even room for food, though usually lukewarm and mushy from the journey.
And everything seemed to taste of cardboard. Apart from the plastic cutlery, which tasted of the tea that had splashed everywhere as your father took that final bend too fast.
Picnicking appears to have become a declining tradition in recent years. With smart gastro-pubs beginning to outnumber potholes in some parts, who today would willingly settle for ham sandwiches al fresco, washed down with flat lemonade and cold coffee?
Perhaps we are wrong to write off the picnic with such relish. Should it finally go the way of Sunday roast or of fish on Friday, we will all of us be poorer off. Fine pubs and restaurants are at hand year round. The number of hazy summer afternoons perfect for outdoor dining is, however, depressingly finite.
For smokers, picnicking holds an additional attraction. Lighting-up at the picnic table is, at time of writing, entirely legitimate - unpopularity is about the only thing you risk . Simplicity is the key to a successful picnic, say Irish chefs who know the way to do it. Elaborate recipes you may forget about. In fact, cooking should if possible be left to a minimum. Cold meats and salads are a far wiser choice.
"Keep is simple and don't pack too much in," says Derry Clarke of l'Écrivain Restaurant in Dublin. "The experience should be as much about enjoying your surroundings as enjoying your food. So don't try too hard. If things are straightforward, it is that much more difficult for them to go wrong."
Pâté, salads and chutneys feature prominently in Clarke's must-have picnic list. Use real cutlery and avoid paper plates, which are cheap and nasty no matter how much you spend on them. Wines and champagnes must be selected with care, he adds. By all means treat yourself to a special vintage. But take care not to venture too far upmarket. You don't want the refreshments overwhelming the meal. This, after all, is meant to be a summer excursion , not a state banquet.
"Nice champagne, nice juices. That's the way to go. Cool and sparkling," he says.
Crusty breads, cheeses, tortillas and chocolate are among the recommendations of Denis Cotter of Cafe Paradiso, the acclaimed vegetarian restaurant in Cork. Pick a menu that suits your location, he says. A meal by the seaside will differ from one planned for a forest glade.
"A good bottle is very important," he says. "You want something sparkling, for the summer."
If you are the sort who enjoys preparing a meal almost as much as eating it, cold platters and salads may sound somewhat underwhelming. A convenient, inexpensive compromise is on hand in the form of baps and rolls.
Given the likelihood of conditions taking a turn for the soggy, crunchy foodstuffs are also recommended. Radishes, crisp spring onions, firm tomatoes - one defies the Irish summer to ruin any of them.
Be mindful of how much you food you need. Bring too much and you face the chore of bringing leftovers home. Eating outdoors tends to make people extra-hungry, and going short is easier than you might imagine.
The importance of food hygiene cannot be understated. Always wash your hands before tucking in. Avoid unpacking your feast until you are about to eat it. Letting it languish in the sun increases the risk of food poisoning and may attract insects.
An evocative location is, of course, the most vital ingredient of all.
