PACKING LIGHT
Angela Casley creates picnic pastries and camping-friendly delights that are even better the day after
Take your picnic to a whole new level with Angela Casley’s delicious recipes
SUMMER QUICHE
Serves 6-8
It feels as if quiche has been around forever but the endless flavour combinations bring me back to it time and time again. One never gets tired of a savoury pastry encasing a delicious filling. Quiche is great the day after and perfect for transporting to a picnic.
400g short crust pastry
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
1 cup rocket
3 medium-size courgettes, sliced thinly
100g feta, crumbled
5 eggs
1 cup milk or cream
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ tsp salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup tasty cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes
1 handful rocket leaves
1. Set oven to 180C.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board. Line a 22cm quiche tin with pastry and cut off the excess around the edges. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Line the pastry with baking paper and rice. Bake blind for 20 minutes.
3. In the base of the cooked pastry arrange the spring onions, rocket and courgettes. Sprinkle the feta over them.
4. Whisk the eggs, milk, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the courgettes carefully and sprinkle with tasty cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until set. Remove and let the quiche rest for 20 minutes before serving.
6. Put the tomatoes and oil in a small ovenproof dish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until softened and juicy.
7. Serve the quiche warm, topped with the roasted tomatoes and rocket.
SCOTCH EGGS
Makes 8
Scotch eggs were always a part of our childhood picnics. With time, however, they disappeared from the menu and were replaced with home-made sausage rolls. Well, now they have made a comeback. The key to making scotch eggs is to use good quality sausages. Plus, they can be made well ahead of time.
8 eggs boiled for 4 minutes (if you like them soft) or 8 minutes (hard) 8 good quality sausages
½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped herbs (parsley, chives)
1 tsp salt, freshly ground pepper Flour for dusting
2 eggs, lightly whisked and seasoned 2 cups breadcrumbs
Oil for cooking
Chutney to serve
1. Boil the eggs to your liking. Cool and peel carefully to keep them whole.
2. Split the sausages and squeeze out all the meat into a large bowl. Add the curry powder, mustard, chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Combine well using your hands. Divide the mixture into eight.
3. Flatten one of the balls of sausage meat in the palm of your hand. Place an egg in the middle, then encase it with the meat, carefully sealing the edges together. Damp hands help with this process. Continue with the remainder of the eggs.
4. Dust in flour, then dip in the egg and breadcrumbs to cover the whole ball. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Fill a pot or deep-fryer to ¾ with flavourless oil. Bring it to 170C (when a bit of bread floats to the top it is ready). Place 2 or 3 scotch eggs in and cook for five minutes. If they brown too quickly the oil may be too hot.
6. The scotch eggs can be eaten warm, or cool; refrigerate until needed. Serve with your favourite chutney — mine is tamarillo.
MEDITERRANEAN FREEKEH SALAD
Serves 6
Freekeh is young green grains of wheat, cracked and toasted until deliciously nutty. It’s cooked in a similar way to rice but, of course, if you like it softer that’s fine too, just cook it for a little longer. I’ve added lemon juice and oil to the cooking pot, meaning no dressing is required as the freekeh absorbs the delicious flavours of both. Add fresh vegetables of your choice to make this simple salad. I’ve gone for a slightly Mediterranean feel.
1 cup freekeh
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
1 ½ cups boiling water
Pinch salt
½ red onion, chopped finely 200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ telegraph cucumber, cut into 1cm pieces
1 cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped mint
½ cup pomegranate seeds (optional) Extra half lemon
Freshly ground pepper
1. Combine freekeh, olive oil, lemon juice and boiling water in a pot. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove and cool. If you prefer it a little softer, cook for 5 more minutes. Cool.
2. Place the freekeh in a large bowl and add the salt, onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint and pomegranate seeds.
3. Squeeze over a little extra lemon and freshly ground pepper.