QUITE often, thanks to the weather, a British picnic isn't quite as idyllic as we imagine.
I'm sure we all remember sharing flasks of tea in the car by the sea when the rain comes on, or eating sandy sandwiches on a windswept British beach!
However, rain or shine, us Brits still love a picnic, and putting together a spread to share with friends and family, on the grass or on the sand, is full of optimism and always feels like a holiday.
To begin with, let's be honest; we're very rarely guaranteed good weather, so be prepared and take something that will warm everyone up, like soup.
Courgettes are in season in June and make a great pureed soup, sauté them in butter with onion and then boil with potatoes in a good stock, before liquidising and adding some fresh herbs and a spoon of crème fraiche. Just heat it up well before you go and take along to your picnic in a flask.
Try something other than sandwiches. You could make a courgette tart by filling a pastry case with layers of sliced courgettes, potatoes, tomatoes and cheese and covering with beaten eggs, or a frittata by sautéing courgettes with garlic and onion before adding beaten eggs. Bake the tart or the frittata in the oven until the eggs are cooked, and then let them cool before slicing.
Broad beans are also in season in June, and like courgettes you can growthem really successfully in your own garden.
Create a salad to have along with your tart or frittata by mixing raw, young and fresh beans with cubes of feta cheese or avocado. Broad beans go really well with lemony flavours, so try lemon thyme in your salad or just a lemony dressing.
For real simplicity, just throw a handful of broad beans in with salad leaves and a couple slices of lemon.
Picnicking should be a break from the structure of regular mealtimes and give everyone the chance to relax, even the chef.
So don't feel you have to prepare everything from scratch; a really well-chosen cheeseboard or platter of cold meats will go down really well. In The Treehouse we serve a lunch platter of ox tongue, pastrami and pressed beef, all from Turnbull's of Alnwick, with Ross's pickles and slices of fennel and raisin bread. It's simple but delicious, and I think simplicity is probably the key to a successful picnic.
If the picnic you're planning is a little more romantic and you'd like to make a special effort, try smoked salmon and serve it with a special savoury scone rather than bread. In The Treehouse we serve it with a horseradish scone and herb crème fraiche, and this would work really well at a picnic.
For a picnic pudding, cold slices of a tart or pie is perfect, so I'd follow the smoked salmon with slices of The Treehouse's Kirsch-soaked cherry and frangipan tart. In the restaurant we serve it with a delicious wild cherry ice cream, but for eating al fresco top with crème fraiche.
Gooseberries are also in season at this time of year and gooseberry pie is fantastic, add a glug of elderberry cordial to the gooseberries to make them even more delicious.
On Friday, June 15 from 11am to noon, I'm demonstrating picnic preparation at The Alnwick Garden. Come along to get a few more ideas.
On Saturday, June 23 we're holding a family picnic day, so bring your picnic to help us celebrate Playweek, a week of activity for the under-fives (June 18-23).
Picnicking is a fantastic way to get kids interested in trying things they wouldn't usually eat, by making a mealtime an adventure and something that the whole family can enjoy together.
Cherry and frangipan tart
340g plain flour
170g butter, diced
170g icing sugar
4 egg yolks
1 vanilla pod
For the frangipan 450g butter
450g caster sugar
8 eggs
450g ground almonds
85g plain flour
450g fresh cherries
To make the pastry: Grease a pastry case.
Sieve the flour and the icing sugar, and add the vanilla beans from the pod.
Rub in the butter until the mixture forms breadcrumbs, and then add the egg yolks.
Knead the pastry together, adding a splash of water if required.Wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest for an hour.
Roll the pastry out and line the pastry case, then bake blind until golden.
To make the frangipan: Cream the butter and the sugar together, and then whisk in the eggs. Add the flour and the ground almonds.
To make the tart: Fill the pastry case with the cherries, and cover with the frangipan filling.
Bake in the oven at 180°C until the filling has set.
Horseradish drop scones served with smoked salmon and herb creme fraiche.
600g plain flour
200g buckwheat flour
3tsp baking powder
4 eggs
800ml milk
1 1/2ts salt
8 dessert spoons creamed horseradish
Mix together all of the ingredients, and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a scone griddle.
