In the Shade of an Old Oak Tree July 24 2024

child enjoying heath's cheese straws at perfect southern picnic

By Elizabeth Ritchie Sherrill

The perfect Southern summer picnic

July in North Carolina is known for things like much-anticipated family beach trips, concerts on the lawn and watermelon festivals, but present for all of those is July’s sizzling temps. With heat indices peaking above 110 degrees, it is no wonder we are focusing on the finer aspects of the season. Enter the perfect summer picnic.

Meant to cool off, refresh and re-energize, a good Southern summer picnic is hard to skip out on. For us, a few key ingredients are a favorite blanket, a happy view, a sweet, ice-cold refreshment and crowd-pleasing finger foods. The only heat we want at our picnic is the comforting spice of Heath’s Cheese Straws, which hold up just fine when stored away on a hot summer day. When it comes to what to pack for a picnic, it’s hard to flop as long as you keep it cool and inviting. Icy watermelon and a family corn salad recipe? Iced tea (sweet, of course) and pimento cheese benders? Chicken salad and a cold can of Cherry Lemon Sundrop?

the perfect picnic heath's cheese straws with sun drop and robert's chicken salad

For the Ritchie-Alm family behind Ritchie Hill Bakery, one of our favorite local items has always been Robert’s Chicken Salad. It was a family must-have for beach weeks back when we walked down a much quieter Lumina Avenue and picked some up from Robert’s Grocery in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Now located in most Harris Teeter and Food Lion stores, we can thankfully grab some off-island to enjoy all summer long.

For me personally, Cherry Lemon Sundrop will always be the special treat I anticipated when traveling from Chapel Hill to Concord to visit my grandmother. To this day, my parents buy a 12-pack to bring home with me to the coast and I stretch them out to last as long as possible. So when it comes to planning your perfect summer picnic, find an old oak tree to sit under and pack the basket with as many favorite things as you can. Maybe a couple items that add nostalgia, and try a little something new and soak up the best of the season.

Happy Summering!!