Picnic (eBook)

Ryland Peters & Small (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025
144 Seiten
Ryland Peters & Small (Verlag)
978-1-78879-702-3 (ISBN)

Infos

A BRIGHT and BREEZY collection of TEMPTINGLY TRANSPORTABLE RECIPES for AL FRESCO EATING. There's nothing quite like eating outdoors in warm weather. Freedom from your usual dining routines, fresh air and a sense of easy living and relaxation just cannot be beaten. So spread out a blanket on the grass or sand, kick off your shoes and unpack delicious homemade foods to enjoy with family or friends. Summer is the ultimate season for picniking - whether it's a gathering with friends in the park; a relaxed brunch for two in the garden; a nighttime open air concert or an affordable lunch for a family day out. Picnic foods should of course always be colourful, tempting and delicious, but just as importantly, practical to transport, require minimum effort when unpacked; require as little as possible in the way of utensils and of course packaging waste and plastic use kept to a minimum. The ideas in the book feature recipes for sharing boards, pasta, rice and grain salads just requiring a fork, chilled soups, bite-sized snacks and treats, and refreshing drinks to enjoy in the sunshine. Whether you are packing a cool box for the car, hopping on your bicycle with a basket, or hitting the beach with a full hamper, you'll find all the recipe inspiration you need in this perfect collection of summer recipes.

Textauszug

Salads

Mexican panzanella

This takes many of the features of the classic Tuscan panzanella salad and adapts them by adding a chipotle-infused dressing, red kidney beans and plenty of fresh herbs.

2 large corn-on-the-cobs, leaves discarded

2 soft corn tortillas

350 g/12 oz. canned drained red kidney beans, rinsed

1 large red (bell) pepper, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 small red onion, roughly chopped

6 tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

100 g/3½ oz. radishes, sliced into rounds

1 large avocado, peeled, halved, stoned/pitted and cubed

2 handfuls of chopped fresh coriander/cilantro

2 handfuls of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Chipotle dressing

1 dried chipotle chilli/chile, or 1–2 teaspoons chipotle paste, to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

freshly squeezed juice of 1½ limes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4

To start the dressing, cover the dried chipotle chilli with just-boiled water in a small bowl and leave for 15 minutes to soften. Drain, cut the chilli open and discard the seeds, then finely chop the flesh.

Meanwhile, put the corn cobs in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, part-covered, for 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water, then drain again. Carefully slice the kernels off the cob and put in a serving bowl.

While the corn is cooking, lightly coat a frying pan/skillet with oil and toast the tortillas, one at a time, for 3 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp; they will crisp up further when cooled. Let cool.

Add the kidney beans, red pepper, onion, tomatoes, radishes, avocado and herbs to a transportable container. Break the corn tortillas into pieces and transfer to a separate container.

Finish making the dressing by combining the chopped chipotle, olive oil, lime juice, cumin and oregano, then season and pop into a small container.

When ready to serve, spoon enough of the dressing over the salad to coat and toss gently until combined. Break the corn tortillas into pieces and add to the salad.

Charred cannellini bean salad

Charring the cannellini beans changes their texture and flavour slightly, and for the better. Rosemary adds an earthy note and it’s all livened up with a tangy lemon and garlic dressing.

2 x 400-g/14-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

125 ml/½ cup extra virgin olive oil

a knob/pat of butter

leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 small garlic clove, crushed

freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 2 as a main; 4 as a side

Pat the drained and rinsed cannellini beans dry with paper towels (if you wish, do this the day before and leave in the fridge, uncovered – they need to be completely dry and this helps to achieve that).

Heat a heavy-based frying pan/skillet until almost smoking, then pour in half the olive oil and the butter. Once the butter has stopped foaming, carefully toss in the cannellini beans and give the pan a little shake to level them out; you may have to do this in batches if they don’t fit in one layer.

Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, scatter the rosemary over the top and do not move the beans. Just leave the beans over high heat for 2 minutes, without moving or stirring them. Once you notice they are charring or after the 2 minutes are up, tip the beans onto a flat plate or baking sheet and leave to cool. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container for your picnic.

Whisk together the remaining olive oil, the garlic, lemon juice and chopped parsley (if using) to make a dressing. Pack into a small container ready to drizzle over the salad just before serving.

Wild rocket, pomegranate & squash salad

Simple ingredients that pack a punch with flavour – that is what this salad is all about. A great one for vegetarians, too. The sweetness of the butternut squash works well with the heat from the chilli and spices, but pumpkin or roasted sweet potatoes also work well. You can buy pre-packed pomegranate seeds from many supermarkets in the fruit and vegetable aisle, but if you have to extract them from the fruit yourself, the juice that runs out makes a lovely addition to the dressing.

1 large butternut squash

1 tablespoon dried chilli flakes/hot red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons cumin seeds

200 g/7 oz. rocket/arugula

seeds from 1 large pomegranate (save the juice) or 150 g/5½ oz. pre-packed pomegranate seeds

a handful of fresh mint leaves, stalks removed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil, for drizzling

Balsamic dressing

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or leftover pomegranate juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

Serves 6

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Slice the butternut squash in half lengthways and discard all the seeds and stringy bits (leave the skin on). Slice the halves into long strips about 8 mm/3⁄8 inch thick. Arrange these on a baking sheet.

In a pestle and mortar, roughly grind the chilli flakes and spice seeds together, then sprinkle them evenly over the butternut squash. Drizzle a really good glug of olive oil over and season well with salt and pepper. Pop in the preheated oven and roast for 25–30 minutes until the edges are just browning and the squash is squishy and cooked but not dried out. Leave to cool.

Toss the rocket leaves, pomegranate seeds and mint leaves together. Transfer to a transportable container and arrange the squash on top.

To make the balsamic dressing, combine all the ingredients together in a jar and shake well to mix. Drizzle over the salad just before serving.

Salad jars

This recipe is about bringing a few different components together and, as you layer up the different elements, the different flavours complement each other. You can vary this recipe and bring in salad ideas of your own, too. The Charred Cannellini Bean Salad (see page 36) or Tabbouleh Salad with Feta (see page 52) would also work well. Use large, lidded jars and don’t forget the forks!

2 large beef/beefsteak tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. raw beetroot/beets, peeled and grated

2 large oranges, peeled and segmented

5 carrots, peeled and grated

90 g/3 oz. rocket/arugula

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cucumber salad

1 cucumber

430-g/15-oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, drained

6 sprigs of fresh dill

Herby quinoa

300 g/1½ cups quinoa

a handful of fresh basil

a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley

a small handful of fresh mint

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon capers, drained

150 g/5½ oz. feta

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 Kilner/Mason jars

Serves 6

Slice the tomatoes into slices 1 cm/½ inch thick. Discard the top and tail ends so you have even slices. Lay the slices flat on a large dish, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Leave to one side at room temperature until needed.

To make the cucumber salad, top and tail the cucumber and peel if it is thick skinned. Quarter it lengthways, then dice it. Transfer to a mixing bowl, along with the drained pineapple chunks and mix together. Roughly chop the dill leaves, discarding any tough stalks, and sprinkle over the salad. Season lightly with salt and pepper and give it a final mix.

For the herby quinoa, rinse the quinoa in a sieve/strainer under cold running water, then transfer to a saucepan. Cover the quinoa with the boiling water until it is just covered and set over medium heat. Cook for 15–20 minutes until the grains are tender, then drain well and let cool.

Add the herbs, garlic and capers to a food processor and chop on a pulse setting, but make sure you don’t purée the mixture. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and season, then pulse again until everything is combined. Crumble the feta over the cooled quinoa, pour over the dressing and mix.

You are now ready to build your jars. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons grated beetroot into the bottom of each jar, then lay about 3 segments of orange over the top. Next comes 2–3 tablespoons cucumber salad; gently press it down so it evens out. Place a slice of tomato into the jar (reserving the oil and lemon dressing from the tomato plate). Add 4–5 tablespoons quinoa salad next, followed by 2–3 tablespoons grated carrot, then a good handful of rocket and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds on top. Drizzle with the reserved olive oil and lemon dressing and seal the jar lids.

Lemon summer grain salad

Pouches of ready-cooked grains are so convenient. You could cook your own selection of grains, if you wish, but this makes the preparation more time-consuming.

2 courgettes/zucchini, thinly sliced lengthways

1 tablespoon za’atar

155 g/1 cup fresh peas

2 x 250-g/9-oz. pouches of...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 14.5.2025
• Verlagsort: London
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Essen / Trinken ► Themenkochbücher
• Schlagworte: easy outdoor food • family food • food for a picnic • food for summer • Outdoor Food • party food • picnic sandwiches • recipes for outdoors • recipes for picnics • Sandwiches • summer food
• ISBN-10: 1-78879-702-7 / 1788797027
• ISBN-13: 978-1-78879-702-3 / 9781788797023