DIY Recipes: The Perfect Cannabis-Infused Picnic Spread

The weather’s heating up, and we can finally spend some time outdoors. This means hikes, barbecues, pool parties and of course, picnics.

If you’re headed outside, you probably want to bring something to eat. And what better way to enjoy the great outdoors than with a cannabis-infused picnic feast.

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We’ve put together a menu of quick, easy and delicious dishes to make for your next outing. For picnics, we recommend bringing a mix of lightly infused and noninfused foods. When the munchies from your cannabis edibles hit, you’ll want plenty of noninfused bites to snack on.

The last thing you want to do is overindulge on edibles and go past your limit—that would be a recipe for an edible disaster.

So, get ready to pack up your picnic basket and grab a blanket to spread out on the grass. Here’s our menu for an unforgettable cannabis-infused picnic.

RELATED: CONSUMING CANNABIS EDIBLES TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

Cannabis-Infused Caprese Bites

Our first recipe is an easy finger food that’s sure to please: cannabis-infused caprese bites. You can put these mozzarella, tomato and basil skewers together in a snap. And they’re so easy to snack on in a picnic setting. All you need are the ingredients and some wooden skewers.

Ingredients for Cannabis-Infused Caprese Bites

• 10 small fresh mozzarella balls
• 2 tbsp cannabis-infused olive oil*
• 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
• 20 cherry tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 fresh basil leaves

Equipment:

• 10 wooden skewers

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Caprese Bites

1. Mix your infused olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Roll your mozzarella balls around in the mixture so they’re coated.
3. Assemble the skewers by piercing one mozzarella ball, two cherry tomatoes and one fresh basil leaf on each skewer.
4. Once you assemble the skewers, drizzle balsamic glaze over them.
5. Enjoy immediately or pack them up for your picnic later in the day.

Strawberry-Pesto Pasta Salad

What picnic is complete without a delicious pasta salad? Our next portable suggestion isn’t your average macaroni salad. It’s full of fresh flavors and unexpected combinations. Even though you can throw this together quickly, it tastes like a gourmet meal.

Ingredients for Strawberry-Pesto Pasta Salad

• 3 cups dry pasta, cooked al dente and drained (short shapes like penne, farfalle or macaroni work best)
• 3/4 cup pesto* (your choice to go with homemade or store-bought)
• 2 cups strawberries, sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup walnuts, crushed
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, shaved

*Adding cannabis oil is optional as it is with all of these recipes.

How to Make Strawberry-Pesto Salad

1. Thoroughly mix pasta, pesto sauce, strawberries, shaved Parmesan and avocado together in a large bowl.
2. Top with crushed walnuts and Parmesan before serving.

Marijuana-Infused Lemonade

You’ll definitely want something to drink when you’re out in the sun, and what could be more perfect for a picnic than a cannabis-infused lemonade? It’s easy to make—and infuse—this cold, sweet and tart, summertime classic.

I leave the ingredient amounts open in this recipe since it’s so simple to alter to your tastes. You can adjust how sweet or tart you’d like the lemonade by adding more or less syrup or lemon juice.

Ingredients for Marijuana-Infused Lemonade

• Cannabis-infused simple syrup to taste*
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
• Water

How to Make Marijuana-Infused Lemonade

1. Mix water and cannabis-infused simple syrup in a large pot on low heat until mixed thoroughly.
2. Remove from heat and add in lemon juice.
3. Stir until well mixed and then put in refrigerator to cool overnight.

Ham, Hummus, & Veggie Sandwich

For the main dish, sandwiches are an easy option with so much variety. I like this ham, hummus and veggie sandwich when I picnic. You can take out the ham, if you’d like to make this a vegetarian sandwich, and then customize it with your favorite veggies. The result is a hearty, filling sandwich packed with fresh flavors and a satisfying crunch.

Ingredients for Ham, Hummus & Veggie Sandwich

• Sliced bread
• Thinly sliced deli ham
• Hummus
• Sprouts
• Cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Carrots, thinly sliced
• Bell peppers, thinly sliced
• Mayonnaise

How to Make Ham, Hummus & Veggie Sandwich

1. To make this sandwich, spread mayonnaise over one piece of sliced bread and add ham.
2. Add a thin layer of hummus, then top with sprouts and sliced cucumbers.
3. Add another thin layer of hummus and layer on the other veggies.
4. Spread one more layer of hummus on a second slice of bread and top the sandwich.

Cannabis-Infused Watermelon Fruit Salad

When it comes to dessert, nothing fits a picnic better than a fresh fruit salad can. This cannabis- infused take on the original works great with just about any fruit you’d like, but for this recipe we’ve included:

• Watermelon
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Green grapes

The secret to the recipe is the cannabis-infused honey and lime juice. Drizzle this mixture over your fruit salad to infuse it with cannabis and a pop of extra flavor.

Ingredients for Cannabis-Infused Watermelon Fruit Salad

• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp cannabis-infused honey*
• Watermelon, cubed
• Strawberries, cored & sliced
• Blueberries
• Green grapes

How to Make Cannabis-Infused Watermelon Fruit Salad

1. Mix fruit together in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cannabis-infused honey with lime juice.
3. Drizzle the honey and lime juice mixture over the fruit salad and toss thoroughly.

*Everyone’s different when it comes to the amount of cannabis they can tolerate. So, use your best judgment on dosing based on your previous experiences with edibles. If you have a lower tolerance to cannabis, use a lower dose in your picnic recipes. And as always, start low and go slow.

Photo credit: Mostovyi Sergii Igorevich/Shutterstock.com

If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 index of articles. And if you have questions about cannabis, ask them and our community will answer.