The ultimate picnic spread
The beach, the park, the woods – with recipes this good it's guaranteed to be a brilliant day out, wherever you choose to picnic.
What's best to take on a picnic? Bread, butter, cheese and a thermos full of tea are a good start, but a little basic.
Here are plenty of great ideas to make your outing extra special.
Bake your own bread
Why not bake a loaf of focaccia the morning you're due to set out? Infused with extra virgin olive oil and suited to a range of toppings including fresh herbs, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or anchovies, it's definitely more delicious than store-bought loaves. The Fabulous Baker Brothers top theirs with mushrooms, garlic and thyme.
Bacon and cheddar loaves
Alternatively, Paul Hollywood's bacon and cheddar loaves would also be a great pick for a picnic. Tear them apart and enjoy big chunks at a time, perhaps spread with a little butter.
You could also slice one up and use to scoop up coleslaw or hummus.
Take along a jar of chutney
Fresh bread is nice enough on its own, sure, but it might be a little dry. Chutney is the perfect remedy to spice things up. Try these runner bean and courgette or green tomato varieties, though you can make a chutney with pretty much any vegetables you like. Make a few and find out which your favourite is.
Pick up a pot of hummus
Hummus and breadsticks or crackers are a nice way to whet your appetite before getting stuck into the rest. These vivid hummus dips are devised to be grown at home, but you could just buy the ingredients. Comes in beetroot, carrot and broad bean varieties.
Don't forget the pork pies...
What else goes well with chutney (particularly onion)? You won't go far wrong with a pile of hot water crust pastry pork pies, as expertly produced by Sarah Pettegree of Bray's Cottage Pork Pies. Pies like this haven't been a national favourite for hundreds of years by accident.
...and the Scotch eggs
These Scotch eggs should please everyone. They're vegetarian but carnivores won't miss the meat. It has been replaced with a mixture of fleshy chestnut mushrooms and diced shallots, seasoned with thyme for an exceptionally fresh taste. Perfectly runny yolks and soft white egg make for a creamy mouthful.
You prefer meat?
If you want the traditional variety, we do have a meaty recipe for those who can't do without it. The trick to making a great Scotch egg is to extract the meat from really good quality sausages and use that to fill them. Deep-fry in very hot oil (be careful) until they're really crispy then let them cool.
More veggie savouries
It would be a decent idea to whip up a batch of these bulgar and lentil balls for your picnic. A traditional Turkish dish, they're small but filling – an effective use of space in your rucksack. They're also fairly light so won't weigh down on your stomach too much when you want to be relaxing.
Quiche slices
Quiche actually tastes better cold in my opinion, though feel free to tell me I'm wrong in the Comments. Quiche Lorraine is an absolute classic for a picnic spread. Nibble a slice at a time, preferably sitting directly in glorious sunlight. That makes everything taste better.
Tart it up
Vegetarians can use the Quiche Lorraine recipe and substitute bacon for broccoli if they like. Or they can make this pesto and tomato tart as an alternative. Use only the very sweetest, ripest, juciest tomatoes you can find in this feel good summer tart and take a pepper mill with you to grind fresh black pepper over the top.
Box up a salad
It's nice to have a bit of greenery on a picnic spread. This salad also supplies glorious shades of red and pink in the form of sweet strawberries and Bayonne ham (or another cured ham of your choice). Drizzle a light creamy dressing over the top, and don't forget to pack the forks!
Pack a snack
The most satisfying picnics are those you feel you've earned during your trek up the hill, through the countryside, or along the coast path. But you're bound to feel a little peckish on the way. To save your picnic from being devoured before you reach the ideal spot, bag up a few of these fruity granola bars to enjoy as you go along.
Something colourful and sweet
To round off your picnic, try these super easy vanilla cupcakes. Leave out the icing if you think it'll get crushed in your bag, but if you have some Tupperware containers of the right size, these will probably survive the trip. Airy and light, they supply a little burst of sugar to get you back on your feet after all that food!
A slice of cake
What better to enjoy at the end of your picnic than a slice of Victoria sponge? Crack open that Thermos and pour cups of tea all round and tuck in. Just make sure the container you're using to carry the cake is a tight enough fit that the cake layers won't slide or fall over.
No sweet tooth?
If you don't fancy having a sweet cake for your picnic, try a savoury one instead. This one is made with chickpea flour, plenty of tasty spices and herbs like turmeric, coriander seeds and mint, and is garnished with a layer of desiccated coconut. Serve each slice on its own lettuce leaf with a dollop of golden mango chutney.
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