Atlanta

It's another perfect day for a picnic.

Cox News Service photos (ENLARGE)

Whether elaborately planned or impromptu, the simple act of packing a meal and eating it somewhere else somehow makes the food taste that much better and the occasion feel more special. Below right, Mediterranean Couscous (recipe on Page D3).

I admit to being a minor fanatic of this fading form of entertainment. Whether elaborately planned or impromptu, the simple act of packing a meal and eating it somewhere else somehow makes the food taste that much better and the occasion feel more special.

Plus, you get the pleasure of feeding your friends without having to clean your home.

I own not one but three picnic-carrying devices: a traditional flat-top basket, a fancy backpack with service for four (including a corkscrew and little plastic wine glasses) and a soft-sided cooler with a shoulder strap — perfect for feeding the masses. All come in handy, all summer long.

So, what constitutes a picnic? If you have packed food for more than one person and plan to eat it somewhere other than an office break room or a moving vehicle, then you are on a picnic.

Tomatoes Stuffed With Avocado and Smoked Salmon

1 ripe avocado

Juice of ½ lemon

1¼ teaspoons nonpareil capers (the smaller the better), drained

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill

2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped

Salt to taste

12 large cherry tomatoes (or 6 romas)

Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and mash the avocado flesh, leaving a few small chunks. Stir in the capers, dill and salmon. Season to taste with salt.

Cut the tops off the cherry tomatoes (or cut the roma tomatoes in half lengthwise). Using a serrated spoon, or a knife and a small spoon, scoop out the core and seeds and discard. Fill the tomato shells with the avocado mixture. Chill until serving time. Makes 4 servings.

Tip: To keep the tomatoes upright in a plastic storage container during travel, pack them on a bed of fresh dill leaves.

Mediterranean Couscous

Israeli, or pearl, couscous is larger than regular couscous, about the size of BB pellets. It is carried in many specialty and international stores, but if you can't find it, you can substitute 2 cups cooked regular couscous —- just follow the directions on the package to prepare it.

1 cup dried Israeli couscous

10 kalamata olives, chopped

1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, with liquid

1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup foil-packed julienne sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or asiago cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain. Meanwhile, in a 1-quart plastic storage container, combine the olives, artichoke hearts and liquid, bell pepper, onion, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add the cooked couscous and stir to combine. Fold in the grated cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 servings.

Frances Huber's Potato Salad

Recipe from Sue Lynch of Fayetteville, Ga., whose 90-year-old mother, Frances Huber, makes this potato salad

Butter and pimento make this potato salad special. Save yourself some pain by letting the potatoes cool to lukewarm before handling them — and then melting the butter before adding to the potatoes.

8 russet potatoes

1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped

1 sweet pickle, finely chopped (or 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish)

1/4 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 to 2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard (optional)

Salt to taste

Paprika to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil; add the potatoes,

unpeeled, and cook until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them into small cubes. Transfer to a large bowl or plastic storage container. Add the butter and stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature.

When cooled, add the hard-cooked eggs, pickle or relish, onion, celery to taste and pimentos. Stir in mayonnaise, vinegar and mustard, if desired. Season to taste with salt (no pepper). Sprinkle the top with paprika. Chill until serving time. Makes 12 servings.

Grandma Sarah's Slaw

Recipe from Amy Karen Wallas of Atlanta, whose grandmother Sarah Burgen Ackerman, makes this slaw

This slaw tends to get better with age. Its peak happens around the three-day mark or so — the marinating is key to a tasty, seasoned slaw. Tip: To speed up the time for preparation, you can use 2 pounds of preshredded cabbage and carrot mixture, then just hand chop and add in the green pepper and onion.

1 head (about 2 pounds) green cabbage

1 Vidalia onion

3 carrots

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cored

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Halve and core the cabbage. Cut into eighths. Place 2 wedges in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until finely chopped. Repeat with remaining wedges.

Transfer cabbage to a large bowl. Peel and quarter the onion. Place in the same processor bowl and pulse until finely diced. Add onion to bowl of cabbage.

Remove blade attachment and insert grating attachment. Grate carrots and add to cabbage mixture. Finely chop bell pepper by hand. Add to cabbage mixture; set aside.

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar and salt; stir until the solids are dissolved. Pour dressing over vegetables and allow slaw to marinate for at least 24 hours. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days. Makes 15 servings.