Picnics, Parks and Posh Food

Posted by Laura on Jul 7, 2011 in News | 1 comment

It’s picnic season and picnics mean one thing – food. I, being super organised and a bit of a show-off, like to make food for picnics from scratch (the same for BBQs!)
Rustle up some retro magic with these delectable picnic recipes that are quite simple – but look a lot fancier than they are:

Salad

I think with salads, the more ingredients the better… At the moment, I like a base of iceberg lettuce, to keep it crisp and fresh, top with some strips of grilled chicken. I also like pomegranate seeds as a topping, and some kind of cheese e.g. goats cheese, torn buffalo mozzarella or grilled halloumi, finish with a balsamic vinegar dressing and a squeeze of lime juice, plus some toasted pine nuts.

Prawn Swirls

Take a flat wrap; add some small cold prawns, and some mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon juice, some black pepper, and fresh rocket. Roll tightly into a tube, and then cut into chunky slices.

Asparagus

Cook in butter, then wrap strips of Parma ham around, and serve with a hollandaise sauce dip.

Sweet Potato Salad

Boil until soft, and then toss with salt, butter, black pepper, fresh shredded mint, and a sprinkling of chilli. Drizzle sour cream on top.

Pimm’s Ice-Lollies

These are simple and look great. Get a few strawberries (one per lolly). Stick the lolly stick into the strawberry, and put into mould. Then fill up the surrounding moulds with the Pimms and lemonade and some shredded mint for good measure. Then freeze.

Mental Sponge Cake with Summer Berries

Mental – because it looks amazing and professional, but is basically just 4 sponges layered with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Definitely bake the sponges a day before making, to make sure they are stable and more workable, so it doesn’t all fall apart when being stacked!

So now you have the food, don’t forget these essentials, for a lovely day in the park:

• Something to lie on – a rug or blanket, plus large pillows for comfort.
• Cutlery and plates and a bottle opener/corkscrew, plus plate.
• A portable radio.
• Jam jars with tea lights in (I like to bring these to light when it gets dusky.)
• Napkins! (An essential often forgotten)
• A cold box full of ice and drinks, and perishable food.