Moveable feast: The best bites for picnic
LEAD the pack with perfect picnic eats and treats.
Serve fruity Pimm’s jam jar jellies with honeycomb
Styling by Victoria Gray
Photographs by Winfried Heinze
Pimm’s jam jar jellies with honeycomb
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes plus 6 hours to set
Cooking time: 10 minutes
8 gelatine sheets
300ml (10½fl oz) apple juice
2x500ml (17½fl oz) cans Pimm’s and lemonade
2 tbsps elderflower cordial
Juice of 2 limes
½ cucumber
200g (7oz) strawberries
200g (7oz) raspberries
100g (3½oz) blueberries
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
1½ tbsps golden syrup
1½ tsps bicarbonate of soda
Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for 5 minutes.
Bring the apple juice to a simmer. Remove the gelatine from the water and squeeze off any excess liquid. Whisk into the apple juice until fully dissolved and remove from the heat.
Add the Pimm’s and lemonade, elderflower and lime juice.
Fill 4 jam jars up to ¾ with the Pimm’s jelly liquid. Place the jars flat in the fridge and chill for 1 hour.
Deseed the cucumber and dice into ½cm (¼in) cubes. Remove the tops of the strawberries and halve.
After an hour chilling, evenly share the cucumber, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries between the jam jars, saving a few for the top of the jelly.
Line a medium-sized baking tray with parchment.
Place the sugar and syrup in a frying pan then put on a high heat for 2 minutes until it has fully dissolved and is lightly golden. Take it off the heat, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda and immediately pour it on to the parchment-lined baking tray.
Allow the honeycomb to cool completely then break into pieces. Put the pieces on top of the jelly along with the extra berries.
Salted caramel popcorn slices
Serves: 16
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1 tbsp vegetable oil
40g (1½oz) popcorn kernels
60g (2oz) butter
60g (2oz) golden caster sugar
2 tbsps honey
150g (5¼oz) hazelnuts
150g (5¼oz) macadamia nuts
150g (5¼oz) dried blueberries
1x397g (14oz) tin of caramel
170g (6oz) butter
1 tsp flaky salt
200g (7oz) milk chocolate
Put the oil in a large pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Add the popcorn and put a lid on straight away. Shake well for 2 minutes until all the popcorn has popped. Remove from the heat and tip into a big bowl.
In the same pan, place 60g (2oz) of butter, sugar, honey and nuts. Place over a gentle heat until all the sugar has dissolved and it’s lightly browning. Stir in the blueberries, tip into the popcorn and mix well.
Line a 20x32cm (7¾x12½in) or similar baking tray with baking paper. Place the popcorn mixture on the baking tray then press down firmly and evenly using a slightly wet hand or another piece of baking paper.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat a small saucepan with the caramel, 170g (6oz) of butter and 1 tsp salt over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally. Let it bubble for 5-10 minutes until it’s fully combined and has a rich caramel colour.
Allow the salted caramel to cool a little then pour evenly over the popcorn mixture and allow to cool fully.
Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Evenly pour the melted chocolate over the salted caramel.
Chill and slice into the desired portion sizes.
Duck egg and pancetta filo muffins are a savoury treat (left)
Duck egg and pancetta filo muffins
Serves: 12
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
150g (5¼oz) melted butter, plus extra for the muffin tin
6 filo 48x25cm (19x9¾in) sheets
300g (10½oz) asparagus
320g (11¼oz) smoked pancetta
200g (7oz) Gruyère cheese
4 duck eggs
600ml (1 pint) double cream
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 2½ and lightly butter a 12-muffin tin.
Cut the filo sheets down the middle lengthways then into 4 across. This will give you 8 even pieces of filo.
Put 1 sheet in the muffin tin and gently push down into the base. Using a pastry brush, lightly butter and repeat with 3 more sheets. Repeat this process for the remaining holes.
Bake for 5 minutes until just browning then remove.
Remove the stalky stems from the base of the asparagus then slice into ½cm (¼in) pieces.
Over a high heat, place a heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Sauté the pancetta until golden brown. At the last minute, sauté the asparagus lightly for 30 seconds and drain on a plate with kitchen paper.
Grate the Gruyère. Evenly divide the pancetta, asparagus and Gruyère between the 12 filo baskets.
In a jug, beat together the eggs and cream then season. Pour the egg mixture into all the filo baskets.
Bake for 10 minutes until just set.
Lemon and watercress houmous with veggie crisps
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
1 beetroot, scrubbed
1 sweet potato, peeled
2 tbsps vegetable oil
Flaky salt
3 carrots, peeled
2 parsnips, peeled
200g (7oz) watercress
2x400g (14oz) tins cooked chickpeas
1 garlic clove, peeled
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
90ml (3½oz) extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 2½ and line a large baking tray with parchment.
Using a mandolin, finely slice the beetroot and sweet potato. Using a tea towel, dab any excess moisture off the vegetables and toss in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Spread out evenly on baking trays, sprinkle with flaky salt and bake for 10 minutes on a low shelf.
Check that they are not colouring too quickly and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. If they are, turn the oven down to as low as possible. You may need to cook the crisps in batches. Remove from the oven and put on cooling racks.
In a long motion, peel strips off the carrots and parsnips, turning as you peel. When you get to the cores, stop peeling and discard. Toss in 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Spread out evenly on baking trays, sprinkle with salt and bake for 10 minutes on a low shelf.
Check that they are not colouring too quickly and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. If they are, turn the oven down as low as possible. You may need to cook the crisps in batches. Remove from the oven and put on cooling racks.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Put the watercress in the pan for 5 seconds then drain and cool under cold water. When cold, squeeze the excess water out of the watercress.
Drain the tins of chickpeas, retaining 60ml (2oz) of the juice.
Place the chickpeas, garlic, salt, watercress, lemon zest and juice in a food processor then blend. Slowly blend the olive oil and chickpea juice until smooth and green.
Serve delicious beetroot purée and marinated feta in Kilner jars
Beetroot purée and marinated feta
Kilner jar salad
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
100g (3½oz) feta cheese
5 tbsps olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cooked beetroots
25ml (1fl oz) apple juice
1 cucumber
300g (10½oz) cherry tomatoes
A small bunch of mint
200g (7oz) pickled walnuts
100g (3½oz) mixed salad leaves
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Crumble the feta into large pieces and marinate in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lemon juice.
Blend the beetroot and apple juice in a food processor until smooth.
Divide the purée evenly between 4 Kilner jars.
Peel and deseed the cucumber then dice into 1cm (½in) cubes. Halve the cherry tomatoes and mix with the cucumber, mint and walnuts.
Divide evenly between the Kilner jars. Top each jar with the marinated feta and mixed salad leaves.
Whisk together the vinegar, crushed garlic and mustard. Slowly pour in the rest of the olive oil, whisking constantly until light and creamy.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad leaves.
Recipes written by home economist Dominic Hoile