Bring back the PROPER PICNIC
Reports claim the very British tradition of the picnic is waning in popularity. We say that needs to change! If the word picnic conjures up a trip-too-far in the car, curling sandwiches and too many wasps, Lottie Covell’s blanket-top feast will make you reconsider. What better way to spend a warm summer’s day or evening than with a hamper of delectable things to eat??
WORDS: DAYNA MCALPINE.
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING LOTTIE COVELL PHOTOGRAPHS YUKI SUGIURA STYLIST DAVINA PERKINS
Beetroot and feta soda bread
PACK AND GO
Wrap the loaf first in baking paper, then in foil.
Beetroot and feta soda bread
MAKES 1 LOAF (ENOUGH FOR 6).
HANDS-ON TIME 30 MIN, OVEN TIME 30 MIN
So easy and quick to make, yet so good. This is the best bread I’ve baked in ages.
MAKE AHEAD
This is best eaten on the day it’s made but it will keep for up to 48 hours.
• 3 small beetroot (about 250g), peeled and coarsely grated
• 500g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 360ml buttermilk
• 200g feta, crumbled
• Fresh rosemary sprigs to decorate
1 Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the grated beetroot into a clean piece of muslin or a clean J-cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
2 Put the flour, bicarb and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour in the buttermilk and start to bring the ingredients together using a wooden spoon. When it has almost come together as a dough, tip it out onto a clean surface and start to knead in the grated beetroot and crumbled feta. Once combined, shape the dough into a ball and flatten slightly.
3 Dust a baking sheet with flour. Transfer the loaf to the baking sheet, then stud the outside with rosemary sprigs. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and cooked through. Allow the loaf to cool before slicing.
PER SERVING 430kcals, 8.2g fat (5.1g saturated), 16.1g protein, 70.6g carbs (6.6g sugars), 2.3g salt, 4.4g fibre
Globe artichokes with herby hollandaise
Globe artichokes with herby hollandaise
PACK AND GO
As the eggs in hollandaise are cooked it’s much more suited to a picnic than mayonnaise. Pack it in a sealed container in a cool bag with plenty of ice packs. Take the artichokes in a separate container (they don’t need to be cool).