On a recent balmy summer evening in a suburban California park, David Baron challenged himself to keep a budget yet still treat a group of veteran picnickers to a menu made up of homemade quinoa and cucumber salads, a cheese platter and tasty build-your-own deli-meatloaf sandwiches.

"Doing this is cheaper than dining out," said Baron, a public affairs consultant who has been picnicking with a group of neighbors and friends for nearly a decade. "This year, somehow I've been tasked with preparing dinner for everybody.

"I like to cook and my wife volunteered me. I gave myself a budget of $10 a person. I wanted to see what I could do."

As summer rushes toward fall, the time is still right to assemble a moveable feast of your own. Celebrating this last hurrah of summer is as easy as ordering a bucket of takeout chicken, picking up a few deli items, or plumbing your own recipe files for cool salads and portable sandwiches.

For the past nine years, Baron and his picnic party have occupied the same central patch of grass in San Diego's Trolley Barn. Their table laden with edibles has become such a landmark that the suggestion one year to move into the shade was nixed because "nobody would be able to find us," said Baron.

The word picnic originated from the French pique nique, which first appeared in the late 17th century. It referred to an indoor feast to which each guest brought a dish — what we would now consider a potluck. Guests were further charged with providing some form of entertainment.

Picnics came to America and moved to the great outdoors in the early 1800s. They were a means of entertaining for all income brackets.

"I don't know when it moved outdoors, but part of it has to do with hot weather and having groups where there were too many people to be held inside," said Arlyn Hackett, food historian and Food section columnist. "Remember, air conditioning is a recent phenomenon."

Supping in parks or other public places stayed in vogue until after World War II, when people retreated to their patios or backyards, Hackett said.

"The evolution of the backyard grill . . . took its toll on picnics, especially among middle-income and wealthier families," he said. "They were less likely to go to the park or somewhere else for the big picnic. They would do it in their backyard instead."

The most elaborate picnic Hackett has ever participated in was at the Hollywood Bowl where, by tradition, summer concertgoers try to outdo each other with elaborate feasts. Silver candelabras, starched linens, fine china, catered cuisine, even waiters to serve, are de rigueur, he said.

Included here are a couple of Hackett's picnic favorites. His unusual potato salad does double duty as a hot side dish one night that can be transformed into a creamy cold salad the next day.

But, when it gets down to brass tacks, what does Hackett consider the most essential ingredient to picnic success?

"Ice!"

ROASTED VEGETABLE MEATLOAF WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large zucchini, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced

5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (divided use)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

1/2 pound ground pork

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated romano or parmesan cheese

1 cup ketchup (divided use)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Yields 6 servings.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add zucchini, peppers, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and herbs. Add meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and cooled vegetables and mix until just combined.

Mold meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes.l bowl. Brush mixture over entire loaf. Bake meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 497 calories, 24 g fat, 32 g carbohydrates, 40 g protein, 173 mg cholesterol, 1,047 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber.

— Adapted from Bobby Flay, Food Network.

ROASTED TOMATOES

1 pint basket red cherry tomatoes

1 pint basket yellow pear tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 big cloves garlic, sliced paper thin

Salt and pepper to taste

Handful of fresh basil, sliced into ribbons

Rinse tomatoes and pat dry. Place in a baking pan and toss with olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Tomatoes should start to shrivel but not burst.

Remove from oven and let cool. Mix in basil. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, drain off excess oil and liquid.

Per serving: 62 calories, 5 g fat, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 199 mg sodium, 1.4 g dietary fiber.

— From David Baron.

CUCUMBER SALAD

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces

4 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 red onion, minced

Yields 12 servings.

In a bowl, combine sugar, water, vinegar and salt. Refrigerate overnight. 1 to 2 hours before serving, add cucumber, parsley flakes and onion to the dressing and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 53 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 196 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber.

— Adapted from "California Kosher" by Women's League of Adat and Ari El Synagogue, Wimmer Cookbooks

SUMMER-FRUIT SANGRIA

2 ripe plums, pitted and cut into wedges

1 large Gala apple, cored and cut into 1/8-inch wedges

1 navel orange, thinly sliced crosswise, larger slices halved

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) raspberries

1 cup raspberry-flavored vodka

2 bottles dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc, chilled

1/4 cup superfine sugar

Yields 6 servings.

Combine plums, apple, orange, raspberries and vodka in a nonreactive bowl. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 hours. Combine wine and sugar in a pitcher, and stir until sugar dissolves. Add fruit mixture, and stir gently to combine. Serve over ice.

— Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, August 2008)

TWO-DAY POTATO SALAD

8 cups red or yellow potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 rib celery, diced

1 carrot, diced

DAY 1 DRESSING

1/4 cup red wine

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

DAY 2 DRESSING

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt or mayonnaise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Yields 8 servings.

Place potatoes and onion in a steamer basket. Pour enough water into the pot to make a depth of 1/2 inch. Steam vegetables, covered, for 8 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the Day 1 Dressing ingredients. Transfer hot potatoes and onion to a large bowl and mix with the Day 1 Dressing, bell pepper, celery and carrot. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The next day, whisk together the Day 2 Dressing and mix with the leftover potato salad. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 250 calories, 7 g fat, 5 g protein, 39 g carbohydrates, 0.2 mg cholesterol, 444 mg sodium, 3.5 g dietary fiber.

— Arlyn Hackett

ARLYN'S PICNIC BLUEBERRY BARS

Crumb Mixture:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups uncooked old-fashioned oatmeal

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Filling:

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Yields 8 servings.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8x11-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or rub generously with oil.

To make Crumb Mixture, mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in oatmeal, brown sugar and nuts, and mix well. Add oils and stir until mixture is crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of mixture. Press remainder into bottom of baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine blueberries and sugar in a saucepan and cook at medium heat for 2 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch into cold water and orange juice. Add cornstarch mixture and zest to blueberries. Stirring constantly, cook until thickened, about 45 seconds. Pour blueberry mixture over partially baked crumb crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top and gently press into blueberry filling. Bake until top is golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack before slicing.

Per serving: 256 calories, 13 g fat, 3 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 76 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber.

— From Arlyn Hackett

Caroline Dipping writes about food for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Contact her at caroline.dipping@uniontrib.com.

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