It’s the time of year when everyone’s watching for days warm enough for outdoor dining. If you have your picnic gear—blanket, utensils, glasses—pre-assembled, you can quickly take advantage of an unexpectedly warm evening or bright sunny weekend without undue fuss.

Now, if you don’t feel like cooking at all, you can make a meal of artisanal crackers, local cheeses, fruit pastes or chutneys, a crisp apple, some olives and marcona almonds plus great bread and wine. Remember to pack a small cutting board and a good knife.

Or just throw together an uncomplicated menu, such as a yummy salad, cold roasted chicken (super-easy if you get one from the deli!) plus the requisite bread and wine. Tuck in fresh fruit and/or a few sea salt-topped caramels for dessert, and you’re ready to go. And don’t forget to slip in plenty of ice packs!

Of course you want to have a repertoire of recipes designed to travel and intended to be eaten chilled or at "room temp," that is, slightly tempered from their ice-cold storage temperatures. Foods which will be eaten chilled should generally be seasoned a bit more highly than food which will be served hot. Big flavors are especially good to meld into seasonal salads, and a pasta version is always a sure bet.

My Curried Orzo Spinach Salad, with fresh leafy spinach, pungent cilantro, exotic pistachios and sweet-tart apricots, is a fine partner to grilled lamb or salmon as well as the aforementioned chicken. This pasta salad is at its best when tossed together an hour or two in advance and is still tasty up to 24 hours later, but I wouldn't make it farther ahead than that. The secrets to delicious pasta salads are bold flavors, correctly cooked pasta, and combining the ingredients just early enough to let the flavors "marry."

And here’s a chef’s tip to increase the "elegance" factor when picnicking: wrap your herb garnishes in wet paper towels then in plastic, tuck them into the cooler and garnish your dish on-site.

Happy sunny weather outdoor dining!

Makes 8 - 12 servings

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. hot sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/3 cup sour cream or yogurt

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 pound (about 2 cups) dry orzo pasta

3 packed cups baby spinach, cleaned or large leaves cut in 1/2-inch pieces

2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1 large yellow bell pepper, diced small

1 large red bell pepper, diced small

1/2 cup tiny-diced red onions

3/4 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup small-diced dried apricots

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, curry powder, hot sauce, garlic, sour cream/yogurt, oil, and black pepper. Reserve.

Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package directions or until al dente. Drain but do not rinse. While pasta is still fairly warm, toss it with the reserved dressing. Let mixture totally cool, then toss in remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate if made ahead. Salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance.