Picnics needn't be plebeian affairs, with paper plates, plastic utensils, charred hot dogs and bland potato salad. Dining out of doors can be an elegant affair, an occasion to remember. All it takes is a little imagination, a romantic or slightly exotic location, and some planning.

Consider the guests at Antrim 1844, a country inn in Taneytown, who climb aboard a horse-drawn carriage for a nostalgic journey to a nearby mill, where they find a meal spread out from an antique wicker picnic basket. They might dine on spicy lamb sausages with fruited mustard, roasted tenderloin with horseradish cream, three-onion tart with Gruyere cheese, oysters on the half shell, apples, pears and grapes, assorted cheeses such as brie and Stilton, French bread, and chocolate pate while lounging on an Oriental carpet borrowed from the Greek Revival mansion. "It's very casual with just that little touch of elegance," says Dorothy Mollett, who, with her husband Richard, owns the 14-room inn that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "We use real crystal, china and silver." And usually something is passed around in the carriage, perhaps lemonade or mulled wine.

Even if you have to use horsepower, rather than horse power, to get to a suitable spot for a picnic this summer, you can still pack plates and glasses and serve elegant dishes. And if you don't have a convenient mill nearby, try the grounds of Rock Run Mill in Susquehanna State Park, off Route 161 in Harford County. Or watch the boats go by from Downs Memorial Park, a waterfront park off Route 177 in Anne Arundel County.

And if alfresco eating isn't entertaining enough, how about stopping for a picnic on the way to a concert?

Patrons of Diversions, the Baltimore-based cultural-arts touring company, recently tucked into breast of chicken Normandy on mixed grains, grilled eggplant, roasted potatoes and onions, brioche with herbs and apple crostata while en route to Wolf Trap concert pavilion for a D-Day celebration featuring Jerry Vale, Jane Powell and Michael Feinstein, among other performers.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's annual series of outdoor summer concerts starts Sunday June 19 -- Father's Day, a perfect occasion for an outstanding meal for Dad. There are 11 concerts in the series, which lasts through early August. Seven are at Oregon Ridge off I-83 in Baltimore County. The Fourth of July is traditionally the most popular of the concerts. And speaking of the Fourth of July, it's traditional to picnic on the Mall in Washington that day, to listen to the National Symphony Orchestra, and to watch the fireworks.

Closer to home, you can picnic on the grounds of Boordy Vineyards, on Long Green Pike in Baltimore County, and sample Boordy wines.

If sitting on the ground to eat doesn't appeal to you, how about sitting on the water -- on a boat, that is, sailing out of the city.

Aboard the schooner Nighthawk, based in Fells Point, guests munch fried chicken, fresh vegetables with dips, several varieties of salad and upscale cookies while testing the vagaries of wind and tide beyond Fort McHenry, or slipping into the Inner Harbor with its elegant skyline view and bustle of activity. "It's smooth sailing" when the Nighthawk cruises on the Patapsco River, says Capt. Martin Weiss. With cruises at different times of the day, he says, "You can eat sailing under the moon and stars and the sunshine."

And if all that travel is too much trouble, why not pretend you've gone on a journey to a romantic spot?

Imagine, for instance, you're in the hills of Fiesole, five miles north of Florence, Italy, a landscape celebrated by artists for thousands of years. You're sitting in a garden with friends, watching the sun set while drinking a superior Brunello di Montalcino and eating a salad of arugula, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, roast pork loin Florentine-style, white beans with tomatoes, garlic and sage, and baked pears in wine sauce with pine nuts.

To help make the Italian experience real, take some tips from Craig Pyes, whose new book "Picnics of Tuscany" (Simon & Schuster, $14) offers a selection of eight menus, chosen to highlight a particular spot in the central Italian province whose crown jewel is Florence.

"All who take this journey will find Tuscany has much to offer in cooking techniques and fine food," he writes in the introduction. "World-class wines and olive oils; fruits and vegetables tenderly grown on small farms; Chianina beef, the best in Italy, transformed into a sizzling Bistecca alla Fiorentina; abundant wild game; fish from inland waters, and seafood from the Tyrrhenian Sea." Tourists who are going no farther than the nearest lawn chair can still sample the culinary delights of the Italian hillsides. And watch exactly the same sunset.

Sound appealing? Pick a destination and start planning. Whether you expect to picnic in the back yard or aboard a friend's boat, it's not a lot more trouble to prepare an elegant, adventuresome menu than a so-so one. It's especially easy if you choose things that can be made ahead, or if you delegate, having each guest or set of guests bring part of the meal. Pack dishes in boxes with tissue paper or paper towels, and take along plastic bags to stow trash until you can get to a proper receptacle.

Here are some recipes that can help turn a plain old picnic into alfresco dining with panache.

The recipes for Lamb Sausages, Three-Onion Tart and Chocolate Pate are from Chef Sharon Ashburn at Antrim 1844.

Spicy Lamb Sausages

Serves 15

3 pounds lamb leg meat, fat included

2 cups full-bodied red wine

1/2 cup sliced onion

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

2 chipotle peppers (see note)

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon juniper berries

Cut meat into 1-inch cubes. The ratio of meat to fat should be approximately 2 to 1. If is isn't, add pork back fat until the proper ratio is reached.

Combine all ingredients in a glass bowl and marinate for 48 hours in refrigerator. Remove bay leaves and put all ingredients through meat grinder with large-hole disk. Mix well and cook a small amount of the sausage mixture to check seasonings. Correct seasonings. Form into patties or use hog-casing to form links. Before serving, grill or fry until cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature, with fruited mustard.

NOTE: Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos; they're available at gourmet shops and specialty stores canned or dried.

Fruited Mustard

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup preserves, any flavor, preferably homemade

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Whisk together. Store for months in refrigerator.

Three-Onion Tart

Serves 8

3 leeks, white part only, washed and thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced sweet white onion, such as Vidalia

1/4 cup chopped garlic (a member of the onion family)

4 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

2 yolks

2 cups cream

salt and pepper to taste

pinch freshly ground nutmeg

1 cup grated Gruyere cheese

9-inch pie shell, partially baked

Cook leeks, onions and garlic in melted butter over medium heat 20 minutes, or until cooked through and tender. Remove and cool.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together eggs, yolks, cream and seasonings. Place leek mixture in bottom of pie crust and add egg mixture to 1/2 inch of top. Spread Gruyere cheese evenly over top. Bake at for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set and lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: You can also make the tarts in mini-tart crusts, or press crust into mini-muffin tins.

Chocolate Pate

Serves 12

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces.

1 cup ground toasted almonds

zest of one orange

1 ounce Grand Marnier liquor

1 cup dried fruits (apricots, peaches, cherries, currants or a mixture of all)

1 cup toasted whole nuts (such as hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts or a mixture of all)

Bring cream and butter to boil in medium saucepan. Turn off heat and stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in rest of ingredients in order given. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and turn mixture into it. Chill overnight.

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Here are two recipes from Mr. Pyes' "Picnics of Tuscany."

Roast Loin of Pork, Florentine Style

Serves 4

1 pork loin roast, about 3 pounds

2 cloves of garlic

1 sprig fresh rosemary

4 leaves fresh sage

salt and ground pepper to taste (divided use)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut away excess fat from pork loin and clean the meat. Finely chop together the garlic, rosemary and sage. Reserve a generous pinch of rosemary and sage. Add salt and pepper and mix. With a sharp knife, make several deep incisions in the meat and stuff them with the chopped herbs and spices. Coat the outside of the roast with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and reserved rosemary and sage.

Place the meat in a small roasting pan filled with about an inch of water. Roast uncovered for 1 to 2 hours, basting occasionally. The roast is cooked when the juices run clear when the roast is pierced with a fork.

Remove the roast to a plate, allow it to cool, then wrap in aluminum foil to keep it moist. Store in refrigerator.

White Beans, Tomatoes Garlic and Sage

Serves 4

3/4 pound dry white beans

salt to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

5 leaves fresh sage, chopped

coarsely ground pepper, to taste

4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or one large can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped)

The night before the picnic, place the beans in cold water to cover, to soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans and put them in a large pot with fresh water to cover. (Do not add salt.) Simmer the beans for 1 to 2 hours, testing for tenderness.

Add water as needed. Add salt to taste when the beans are just tender, and continue cooking for 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet and add garlic, sage and pepper; saute until the garlic begins to change color. Drain the beans and add them to the hot skillet. Stir in tomatoes, and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve at room temperature.