Spring Picnic, Part 4 - Easy Lemonade

Oh my gosh, I never realised how easy it was to make your own lemonade and boy was this yummy and refreshing! I found the following recipe on good old BBC Good Food but made a few changes as per suggestions made by reviewers. With just unwaxed lemons, caster sugar and water (I mixed still and sparkling), its unbelievably easy though I think I would try making it with less sugar next time. It will definitely be gracing my table this summer!

Have a good weekend everyone.

Catherine x

Spring Picnic, Part 3 - Sausage Rolls

For my picnic contribution, I decided to make sausage rolls but with a slight difference. I found a recipe for Summer Sausage Rolls on BBC Good Food, and after reading the many positive reviews, decided to give them a go - These have chicken, smoked bacon and sundried tomatoes in and they tasted great. The only changes I made was to use dried herbs instead of fresh basil and I did turn them over 5/10minutes before the end. I did find it quite hard to tell if they were cooked because the tomatoes gives the meat a pink colour, so they were in the oven longer that it states on the recipe…but I will definitely be making these again, they were tasty with great flavour and overall, rather easy.

Catherine x

Spring Picnic, Part 2 - A Frittata Offering

With a love of all things Italian, I couldn't resist making 'La Fritatta’ for my picnic offering. The variations are endless and they’re ridiculously easy and quick to make. Perfect for the cook who is short of time...and ingredients! Fortunately, I had just enough ingredients left in the fridge and cupboard to whip up a favourite recipe which has graced my family table many times; Mediterranean Tuna & Vegetable Frittata.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 courgette / sliced
1 red pepper / sliced
1 Spanish onion / chopped
1tsp herbs de prevance
200g tin tuna in brine / drained
4 eggs
3 tbsp milk
50g mature cheddar cheese / grated

Heat half the oil in a saucepan and add the courgette, red pepper and onion. Sautee over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft. Stir through the dried herbs and tuna chunks. Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan and when hot, transfer the vegetable and tuna mix over. Lightly beat your eggs with the milk and a little salt and pepper and pour over the sauteed ingredients, when the egg mixture starts to set, remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the frittata and place the pan under a pre-heated grill until cooked through and golden in colour. Invert onto a plate and serve hot or cold.

Being a rather un-organised cook though, I hadn't allowed enough time for the frittata to cool completely before having to wrap it up in foil for transportation. The result: A somewhat soggy-centered frittata. It delivered on taste at least...!

Charlotte x

Spring Picnic, Part 1 - A Picnic Loaf

The sandwich; a lunchtime staple for so many but I often wondered if the robust yet simple snack was really worthy of a Great British Picnic! With problematic soggy fillings and uneaten dry crusts, i was delighted to discover an exciting alternative - picnic loaves!

Start by choosing your bread. I went for a French boule but the varieties are truly endless, rye bread, sour dough, poppy seed and nut varieties or even sweet bread! If feeling brave or a clever bread maker like Charlotte you could make your own from scratch! I would advise using a loaf which is fresh, has a firm crust and is an even shape to make life easier.

The first step is to make the lid. Cut into the bread leaving a 1.5-2cm outer edge all the way around. Lift off the lid carefully and remove excess bread stuck to it. Then hollow out the inside. A spoon or your fingers works well to do this to the edges but remember to maintain the integrity of the outside and underneath crust as this will support your many fillings. With the excess bread you can blitz to breadcrumbs to use in other dishes or cut into cubes and bake with good quality olive oil and herbs to create delicious croutons for salads!

Next comes fillings. Again endless possibilities here. This time I went for egg mayonnaise on the base followed by alternate layers of ham, garlic sausage, cheese and finally a top layer of roasted med veg. Delicious!
In the past I have used sauces between the layers such as mustard mayonnaise or pesto. Take care with foods that release water - cucumber and mushrooms or avocados which discolour.

Next press down firmly each layer and make sure each layer of tasty filings reaches the edges. Some recipes say to weight down the loaf for a time before applying the lid and wrapping firmly in cling film or foil but I don't find this necessary. Fill well and evenly and a sharp knife cuts through the layers allowing everyone to enjoy the fantastic sandwich!

Carly x