Pack the perfect picnic recipes

Spring is finally here, and with the warmer weather luring us all outside, it's time to start talking picnics! But ditch the cold tortellini salad. Jeremy Jackson's new book "Good Day For A Picnic: Simple Food That Travels Well" is ready to inspire us to make some delicious alternatives.

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Little Meatballs with Cherries
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground lamb or veal
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying
1 pound pitted sour cherries
Sugar
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pita bread

Mix the meat, spices, salt and pepper with your hands until smooth. Form the meat into marble-size balls (or larger) and fry them over medium heat in a thin layer of oil, turning them to make sure they brown all over.

In a large pan, heat the cherries over medium-high heat, adding sugar or lemon juice to taste. Once the cherries have released their juices, mash them a bit with a fork or potato masher. Add the meatballs and simmer them until they're cooked through and the cherry juice has thickened a bit. If the juice becomes too thick before the meatballs are cooked, add water and continue cooking.

For a picnic, serve the meatballs and cherries with, on, or in pita bread at room temperature or cold (Jeremy likes to scoop up the meatballs with the bread). They can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. For dining at home, or a backyard picnic, the meatballs are also good warm (with warm pitas, too.)

Raspberry Lemonade
Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients
2 cups (about 10 ounces) raspberries, rinsed
8 cups water
Juice of 4 lemons
1/2 cup sugar, or to taste

Mash the raspberries in a medium-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, until all the pulp has passed through, leaving the seeds. Combine the raspberry pulp with 8 cups water and the remaining ingredients. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add more sugar or lemon juice, if desired.

Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 days. Stir before serving.