Picnic food

Picnic recipes

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  Pan Bagnat

  Pan Bagnat (or 'wet bread') is a Provençal recipe originally from Nice. Essentially it is a hollowed out baguette filled with a selection of Niçoise salad ingredients. It's a very portable way of taking food on a picnic, best made the night before and can be sliced when ready to serve.

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  Picnic Pasties with Beef, Tomato and Sage

  These little beauties are a complete mini meal, perfect for car journeys or the beach. Based on the original Spanish dish of empanadas (a stuffed pastry), they are mini shortcrust pasties filled with a ready-made Bolognese sauce mixed with a butternut squash.

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  Crab and Coriander Tartlets

  These mini tartlets give a real taste of the summer using fresh dressed crab from the service counter, with a hint of lime and some fresh coriander they are superb for a picnic with a difference. Just serve with some soft batch bread and a bag of ready-washed salad leaves.

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  Couscous Salad with Flame Grilled Peppers

  This salad provides a great low fat alternative to sandwiches and by simply serving with some cooked cold meats and crusty bread you have a complete meal. It can also be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock to cook the couscous.

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  Hot-Smoked Trout Pâté with Wholegrain Toast

  Trout pâté uses hot-smoked fish for extra flavour and is so simple to make. It can be made a day in advance and is delicious on oatcakes, crusty bread or with pitta bread.

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  Cheesy Picnic Bread with Pepperoni and Tomatoes

  Another alternative to soggy sandwiches are these filled baguettes. The recipe uses a pack of bread mix, made up and filled with pepperoni, (or try Parma or Serrano ham), mozzarella and tomatoes, it's then baked. Wrap it in foil while still warm and take on your picnic with plenty of dips and some Little Gem lettuce hearts.

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  Scotch Eggs

  Scotch eggs are a perfect portable picnic food and really worth the effort of making, and once you have you will bound to be asked to make them again! Try making mini ones using ready cooked quails eggs as an alternative.

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  Chocolate Fridge Cake

  Every picnic bag deserves a sweet treat and this is the ultimate. It's a heavenly mix of melted chocolate, crushed ginger biscuits and dried fruit, topped with more chocolate and smarties. Keep it in the fridge until the last minute, then pack in your bag with plenty of ice packs, but I guarantee you won't be bringing any home.

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  Orange Drizzle Cake

  A variation of the classic lemon variety these soft fruity sponges with their crunchy sugary topping are just divine. Made in mini loaf or muffin tins they're also so easy to serve and can be made one to two days before your picnic. Just keep in an airtight tin until ready to eat.

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  Meringues

  This is a basic meringue recipe that can be used to make lots of mini meringue shells. Just follow the recipe, but make double the amount of smaller meringues. Pop them in the picnic bag with a big tub of clotted cream and a mountain of soft berries. Best of all they be made several days before you need them and just keep in an airtight tin.