Let’s go outside

Sun’s out, salads out – and any of these easy-to-carry recipes, made to simply grab and go. Blankets at the ready!

Grab your blanket and set the scene for these perfect picnic recipes

Picnics should require as little effort as possible – they’re meant to be long and languid, lazy and luxurious. That’s the thinking with these recipes – simple things you can make in advance, carry easily, serve with no fuss. A tart that can be eaten by hand, a bread that has its own sandwich filling baked inside. A salad whose dressing can be poured on at home and won’t spoil on the journey. It’s a feeling, a dappled lightness of touch, of mood. A sense of calm, and enjoyment of the moment.

FIG, BRIE AND PORK CROSTATA

This tart is pretty solid – the melted brie and honey keep the filling together so it’s easily transportable. Think of the figs as a blob of DIY chutney, meaning you can eat it one-handed, sat in a park. For a table option, serve with green salad, new potatoes and dollop of mayonnaise.

SERVES: 8-10 PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 1 hour

500g shortcrust pastry

1 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, finely chopped

Leaves from one rosemary sprig 900g pork sausage meat

4 figs

50g brie, cubed

1 tbsp runny honey

Milk

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºc/gas mark 4. Roll the pastry out to around 1mm thick and use it to line a 30cm fluted tin with a removable base, trimming the edges and pricking the bottom with a fork. Keep the leftover pastry covered in clingfilm in the fridge for the time being.

2 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the chopped leek and rosemary leaves. Sautée for five minutes, until soft but not coloured, then tip into a large bowl with the sausage meat and one teaspoon of salt. Mix together well, then spoon this into the pastry case.

3 Wash the figs and slice them thinly, around 2-3mm, discarding the ends that are just peel. Dot the slices around the top of the pie, then add little cubes of the brie between them. Drizzle the honey lightly over the top.

4 Roll out the leftover pastry and cut it into strips, laying them in both directions across the top of the filling to create a criss-cross lattice. Brush with a little milk.

5 Put the tart in the oven for 30 minutes before reducing the temperature to 160ºc/gas mark 3, and cooking for another 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before slicing to serve.