hi chelsea!! i have a question about food. i am a grad student, trying to save money, and i HATE cooking. with a passion. you've mentioned that you do a lot of picnic like meals. what does that look like? do you feel like it's enough food? sorry for the extreme curiosity but it seems like a system that would work way better for me than worrying about cooking elaborate things : )
the main idea: picnic meals, when they’re done right, are an assemblage of various basic low-to-no-prep foods. like a big, delicious sampler plate. like you’re at a fancy restaurant and can afford one of those appetizer platters. example: last weekend i had cantaloupe, prosciutto, & a piece of sourdough with brie for dinner. you can size them to your preference (mine tend to be small since i get full really quickly but then get hungry again 30 minutes later).
here are some of my favorite components – assemble them to your liking, or just use them as individual snack suggestions :)
cheap!* refreshing! nutritious! (*it’s worth doing some investigatory labor to find out which grocery place near you has the cheapest fruit & veg.) some of my favorites:
apples. i am the Apple Queen. i’ve been eating 5 apples a week for the last 2 months, hand to god. they are crisp, satisfying, and if you put them in the fridge, they are cold and crunchy and wake you up when you’re sleepy.
Advanced Apples™. NOT for beginners. if you’re feeling really adventurous, cut that apple up into slices and pack a little tupperware of peanut butter. now there’s protein in this meal. amazing.
bananas. the original low-maintenance fruit. i was recently informed that the potassium in bananas will stop your eye from twitching, so, bonus.
cantaloupe or honeydew. you will age 17 years slicing the thing but then its bounty will sustain you & a family of 4 through the long prairie winter.
pomegranate seeds. technically they’re called arils. also require a bit more prep but once you’ve extracted, washed, & chilled them, they are a super refreshing snack. pom season is september - december so keep ya eyes peeled.
carrot sticks (+ hummus).
asparagus. veeery low prep. i coat mine with a little bit of olive oil and salt and then just roast them in a pan.
roasted vegetables. also low prep, heavier and good for the winter - just take whatever leftover vegetables are in the fridge/pantry, chop them up, coat lightly in olive oil + whatever seasoning you like, and then roast on 375 until they’re good 2 go. good leftover candidates: carrots, potatoes, squash, celery, onion, chickpeas.
cucumber. this is my go-to for when i’m not actually hungry but i want to be eating something crunchy & refreshing.
broccoli!! i almost forgot my favorite veg of all. steam it, put a little butter on it, boom. small delicious trees.
toast is the best food group, and i have been its devotee since childhood. since it’s extremely basic, it’s worth paying up for some nice fresh bread. if you do it well, it can be crazy satisfying.
+ brie. get some sourdough bread. put that bread in a skillet on the stove. don’t forget to flip it so both sides get toasty. put the brie near the burner to soften it a little, then spread it on. add jam if you’re feeling it - i like raspberry, strawberry, or guava.
+ avocado. self-explanatory. i just squeeze a bit of lemon into the avocado, mash it all up, spread it on, and then sprinkle a little salt on top.
+ rosemary butter. for a truly gourmet experience, get some fresh crusty bread, heat it up (oven > toaster, so it’s still a bit soft) and slather on some rosemary butter. sprinkle some sea salt on top.
tortellini. god’s gift to lazy cooks. i like mine with pesto, but you can live your life how you want. the best part: it’s even more delicious cold, so if even the microwave feels beyond you (or if you need to bring dinner or lunch somewhere there isn’t one) tortellini is a great choice.
salami/prosciutto. this can be more expensive depending on your taste, but keep an eye out for sales. consider wrapping the prosciutto around the cantelope chunks.
nuts. i like the mixes from trader joe’s.
if you’re feeling more energetic and are considering maybe actually cooking something, there are some recipes scattered around my food tag.
