Summer is the season for picnics. But planning a picnic means that you need to find safe picnic foods. Food poisoning is not a fun summer pastime.

For reason of food safety, it's important to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold — or to select foods that require neither refrigeration nor heat.

Hot foods are really limited to picnics in your yard (where you can bring food from the oven or stove to the outdoor table or you can run an electrical wire to keep a slow cooker running) or to places that offer a grill. An insulated bag can help for short periods, but their effectiveness is limited.

At a picnic in the yard, cold foods can be handled by keeping the bowls in the refrigerator until the last minute. Even then, it's best not to leave a dish out for more than an hour, especially if the temperature is over 90 degrees.

For a picnic away from home, a freezer chest with ice packs can make transport safe and allow safe storage until it's time to put out the food. Putting the food in smaller containers allows you to serve the food a bit at a time, keeping the rest cool in the ice chest.

Apart from those basic, here are some things to keep in mind:

• You can select foods that require neither heat nor refrigeration. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, crackers, some cheeses, and cured sausages. (For the last two, you need refrigeration once the package is opened.) It also includes things like cookies and brownies.
• Make a big grean salad full of fresh veggies with lots of yummy toppings (toasted pumpkin seeds, croutons, chopped nuts, etc.). Mix a simple dressing of vinegar and oil just before serving.
• Any salad with a vinegar-based dressing (as opposed to one based in mayonnaise or cream) is your safer option. Instead of standard cole slaw, make an Asian-inspired slaw dressed with a mix of olive oil, celery seed, and rice wine viengar. Or a Middle Eastern salad of seeded cucumbers, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and mint in a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.
• Similarly, most grain-based salads travel well, have vinegar-based dressings, and taste their best at room temperature. Think salads of toasted cous cous, barley, or quinoa. 

What are your favorite picnic recipes?