Fill your picnic basket with these delectable – and portable – treats to take your outdoor eating to the next level this summer
Asparagus and chive tart recipe
Meat-eaters and veggies alike will be delighted by this delicious and easy-to-make picnic essential. Serves 4-6.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
160g cream cheese
40g vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese, finely grated
20 fine asparagus spears, trimmed and woody ends discarded
A handful of chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chive flowers to garnish (optional)
For the yogurt pastry
200g plain flour plus extra for dusting
100g cold butter, cubed
45g Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of cold water (optional)
METHOD
Start by making the pastry. Place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the yogurt and stir until a dough starts to form. If it’s looking a little dry, add a tablespoon or two of cold water to help bring the pastry together in a ball. Place it on a lightly floured surface and knead gently for a minute, or until smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
Roll the pastry into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface until it’s roughly 20 × 30cm. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Beat 1 egg in a bowl. Add both cheeses, season with salt and pepper and beat until well mixed. Spread evenly over the pastry, leaving a 2cm border all round the edges. Arrange the asparagus and chives on top.
Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and brush it around the pastry border. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the asparagus is beginning to char. Cool for 15 minutes, then garnish with chive flowers (if using) and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Clever with Veg by Camilla Stephens
Mediterranean potato salad recipe
An exciting blend of spices gives this ever-popular picnic and barbecue dish a fresh new twist. Serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
6 pinches of Just Spices Mediterranean Vegetable Allrounder
1kg new potatoes
250g cherry tomatoes
2tbsp olive oil
1 red onion
50g Kalamata olives
2 pinches of salt
For the dressing:
2 sprigs of basil
1tbsp of mustard
1tsp maple syrup
¼ lemon, juiced
1tsp white wine vinegar
6tbsp neutral oil
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Preheat the oven to fan 200°C.
Cook the potatoes in salted water until done. Let them cool down, then peel and cut into quarters.
Wash the cherry tomatoes, cut in half and mix in a bowl with the olive oil and salt. Place on a roasting tray lined with baking paper or in a small ovenproof dish, cut-side up, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
For the dressing, wash the basil, pick off the leaves and place in a tall container. Add the mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper and neutral oil and blend with a blender until smooth and creamy. Add a little soy milk if the consistency of the dressing is too firm.
Peel the onion, halve it and slice finely. Mix the potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes and olives with the dressing and season with the Mediterranean Vegetable Allrounder.
Recipe courtesy of justspices.co.uk
Strawberry and raspberry ripple Eton Mess recipe
Almost too pretty to eat, these gorgeous individual desserts have the taste of summer in every bite. Serves 6.
Make the meringues and fruit puree the day before, then layer with whipped cream and extra fruit in recycled jam jars just before your picnic.
INGREDIENTS
225g strawberries, hulled
100g raspberries
For the meringues
2 egg whites
100g caster sugar
To finish
300ml double cream
200g 0.1 per cent fat fromage frais
225g strawberries, hulled, roughly chopped
50g raspberries
Preheat the oven to 110oC (225oF), Gas Mark ¼. Line a large baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
Puree the strawberries and raspberries in a liquidiser or food processor then press through a sieve.
Whisk the egg whites in a large clean dry bowl until they form stiff moist looking peaks and you feel confident that if the bowl was turned upside down the egg whites wouldn’t fall out. Gradually whisk in the sugar a teaspoonful at a time then continue whisking for a minute or two until really thick and glossy.
Add 2 tablespoons of the berry puree then very briefly mix until marbled. Spoon into a large piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm (¾ inch) plain piping tube, pipe small rounds on to the lined baking sheet. Bake for 11/4-11/2 hours or until the meringues may be easily lifted off the paper. Leave to cool.
To serve, lightly whip the cream until it forms soft swirls then fold in the fromage frais. Crumble the meringues then layer in jam jars or plastic containers with the remaining berry puree and diced strawberries. Decorate with the raspberries. Add the lids and keep in the fridge until ready to serve or transport to a picnic in a cool bag with a frozen ice block to keep them cold. Serve within 1½ hours or the meringues tend to lose their crunch.
Recipe courtesy of lovefreshberries.co.uk
