Last weekend, I made a ‘fancy picnic’. I love picnics. Perhaps more the idea of picnics, as often the picnic itself can in reality be a squashed tuna sandwich and a banana… the problem is, gourmet picnic food is either hideously expensive (e.g. buying up the contents of a deli), or a lot of hassle, and indoors time cooking.
The expensive option is not much good as part of the appeal of picnics is to find entertainment in a simple, free, pleasure. And the second option not so good as picnics generally come on nice sunny days, so you hardly want to be exhausted and hot and stuck indoors.
To make it easier, I go for preparing ahead, and quick recipes.
The freezer is my friend – When I was making chicken pie the other week, I had extra filling left over, so made individual chicken pies, and they were a real treat at our picnic. I am going to look into making other little snack sized pies and tarts – good for picnics and lunchboxes.
When it comes to quick and easy recipes – a cream tea is brilliant, scones take hardly any time, and the jam is already made. But, a girl cannot live on cream teas alone. Apparantly.
So…for other ideas, I looked out for quick and easy but special food – and I made palmiers – a doddle to put together, it’s really just an assembly job, mine had basil and feta.(mostly because We have lots of basil in the greenhouse).
Whilst they were baking I made lemon thyme cous cous – based on this recipe – only as I had the lemon thyme and parsley growing, where it says ‘i/2 pack’ ‘ I used ‘some’. Very tasty. And while I was making that, himself knocked up a pot of tzatziki. Washed down with homemade elderflower cordial and sparkling water, and fresh fruit to follow.. very nice.
I think though, it is my duty to search out other recipes and ideas, and you can only really tell if they transport well, and generally work out, by picnicking. oh woe is me.
