PICNIC ACCESSORIES

PICNIC ACCESSORIES
Keep ants and other creepy-crawlies off your picnic food with a Chefmate collapsible food tent ($3.99, Target).
Sou vide, a French term for vacuum-packaging foods, is all the rage with top-flight restaurant chefs. But it's a practical idea for a picnic. Throw a 4-ounce bag of Barnier's Grab An O imported French olives into the picnic basket with cold cuts and cheese, and you have instant hors d'oeuvres. ($2.99, World Market)
Don't even think about gnawing the cap off a bottle of soda. Try Be Open instead. Slip the contraption over the neck of the bottle and pull up. ($9.99, World Market)
Airlines aren't the only ones who get to serve tiny-sized drinks. Mini bottles of French Champagne by Piper-Heidsieck or Pommery Pop ($9.99, World Market) are chic for picnics. If you're carting the basket for any distance it's a smart idea to keep the weight down; a full bottle is heavy.
Izze is fizzy. The flavored sparkling waters come in plenty of nifty flavors, but we vote for the newest -- pomegranate. Available in glass bottles or more picnic-friendly cans. ($2.99 for a four-pack, Target)
Looking for a serving bowl to add a splash to an outdoor gathering? Try this elegant two-tone bowl and salad servers by Guzzini. Made in Italy, the 8- and 12-inch bowls are constructed of durable, dishwasher-safe acrylic. ($6 small bowl; $12 small bowl, Target)
If the idea of toting a basket seems quaint, try a collapsible canvas picnic bag in red, lime, black or teal, equipped with cutting board, corkscrew and cutlery for two. BYOW. ($17, Garnet Hill)
A MOVABLE FEAST
CARRY ON: Don't have a picnic basket? No sweat. Use a farmer's market crate, a cardboard box or a paper bag. You could buy one of those cool new neoprene insulated carrying bags by Built NY ($14.99 at Bed, Bath & amp; Beyond). But if you don't have one, wrap Champagne or wine in aluminum foil then a picnic blanket.
KEEP IT COLD WITH PEAS: Don't have enough ice? Use a bag of frozen peas packed around your food. Frozen water bottles also work well and provide cool drinking water as they melt.
DON'T FORGET: It usually goes without saying that you don't want to forget the corkscrew, otherwise why would a Swiss army knife prove so indispensable! (Or, you can go for some of the good-quality wines that now come with the once-unthinkable screw cap.) A cutting board (either flexible plastic or wood). You might also want to pack baby wipes, an extra roll of paper towels, bags for garbage, sunscreen and bug spray.