Spread out for a picnic

Do people still go on picnics? I hope so, though I worry that the advent of food trucks, coffee carts, and even humble takeaway vans is eating into the joys of true picnic preparation.

We went on a lot of picnics when I was a child, and I remember the thrill of unpacking the basket to find that Mum had made a bacon and egg pie (the ultimate luxury).

I think my early picnic training has stood me in good stead ever since, whether creating impromptu portable feasts with friends when I was a student or driving around France with a cheese knife and a jar of mustard in the car, ready for any picnic emergency.

There’s no doubt about it, any outdoors adventure – particularly one that involves walking to a destination with grumbling adults or recalcitrant children – is greatly improved by the prospect of something good to eat when you get there.

Make sure you pack a Thermos for tea or coffee, a bag for the rubbish, and something sweet to help those with tired legs.

Serves 8-10 Preparation time:

20 minutes Cooking time:

15 minutes

This is inspired by the hefty slabs of tortilla sandwiches you sometimes see in tapas bars. It can be made in advance and stuffed into Turkish bread with spicy chutney and salad for a sustaining picnic spread.

8 eggs

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 spring onions (white parts only), sliced lengthways

2 red peppers, seeds and stalks discarded, cut into thin strips

250-300g haloumi, cut into 1cm slices

Salt and pepper

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and put a small baking dish (like a brownie pan, measuring about 20cm x 30cm) in to heat up.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Set a small frying pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of the oil, followed by the spring onions and peppers. Cook for five minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the peppers are beginning to soften. Remove from the heat.

Carefully remove the hot tin from the oven and add the remaining oil. Spread the peppers and spring onions over the tin and top with the sliced haloumi. Pour the whisked eggs over the top and season generously with salt and pepper. Return the tin to the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the frittata has risen, and is golden and cooked through.

Set aside to cool slightly before eating. If you’re taking this on a picnic, it can be made in advance, transferred to a covered container and stored in the fridge for up to a day before eating.

To make this more substantial, split a loaf of Turkish bread horizontally. Spread both sides with spicy tomato chutney and scatter over handfuls of rocket leaves.

Lay the frittata on top (cutting to fit) and season well with salt and pepper. Place the second half of the bread on top and press down gently.

Slice into portions and wrap tightly. Store somewhere cool en route to the picnic.

Preparation time:

20 minutes (plus

2 hours chilling time) Cooking time: nil

This is a version of a recipe actor Martin Clunes once shared in a newspaper. It made me look at him in a new light.

I’m not sure where the name comes from but I can assure you it does not reflect the taste of these delectable treats.

One of these is the perfect pickme-up after a long walk or a dip in the sea, especially with a restorative cup of tea.

180g gingernut biscuits (about 14 biscuits)

1 cup pretzels

225g good quality dark chocolate (such as Whittaker’s 72 per cent cacao)

225g butter

2 eggs

2 tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon rum or brandy (optional)

cup crystallised ginger, roughly chopped

1 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped

Line a brownie pan measuring about 20cm x 30cm with baking paper and set aside.

Put the gingernuts and pretzels in a thick plastic bag and seal tightly. Bash the bag with a rolling pin until the biscuits are broken but not pulverised into dust. Set aside. Melt the butter and chocolate together over very low heat. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together, then add the rum or brandy. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir to mix, then add the smashed biscuits and pretzels, ginger and walnuts.

Mix well and tip into the prepared tin. Smooth the top and leave in the fridge for at least two hours to set.

Cut into bars or squares and store in a covered container in the fridge.

More of Lucy’s recipes at thekitchenmaid.com. To see what she’s cooking on a daily basis, find her on Instagram or Facebook.