Vegetable-wise, Boulud likes to serve sturdy salads that benefit from a bit of marinating, or at least won’t suffer if they sit out: a haricot vert and roasted beet salad with goat cheese, pecans, and a red wine vinaigrette fit the bill nicely, as did a pile of verdant English peas and poached carrots mounted on top of a bright pea pesto. Boulud is insistent about setting out condiments. “I always bring small bottles of olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and some harissa, so people can add spice if they want,” he says. We drank cold rosé, natch (“If you can picnic by a river or stream and chill your wine in it, do,” says Boulud) and tore off hunks of crusty baguette to mop up the chicken juices.
I mean, can you even believe that apricot tart?!
Alex Lau
After the last of lunch had been nibbled and cleared, it was time for dessert. The chef clarified that, under normal picnicking circumstances, one person shouldn’t be responsible for bringing all the food; delegation is key. “Tell one friend to bring cheese, and tell another to just bring a beautiful stone fruit tart, since stone fruit is beautiful in the early summer.” Boulud’s friends sound great. His team had assembled a beautiful puff pastry tart with ripe, juicy apricots that tasted like summer sunshine, and we had a trio of fromage—a nutty comté, a satisfyingly funky wedge of Fourme d’Ambert, and a rich, runny wheel that we had to chase in the heat—to snack on afterwards. Fruit, too, is a picnic-must for the chef. “Quality fruit, whatever looks good, is what a summer picnic is all about,” he says. “You want to pick things that are ripe but not too juicy. Peaches are delicious, but what a mess!”
Delirious after such an indulgent feast, I couldn’t help but recall a bit of advice Boulud had mentioned when we first talked about this whole thing: “If you’re only two people having a romantic picnic, you want to not bring too much food. Keep it light, in case you want to roll in the grass afterwards.” Judging by the spread he had laid out for the two of us, I think it’s pretty safe to say that the chef’s feelings towards yours truly were pretty unambiguous. Oh well. It was quite a nice afternoon, regardless.