How to make Eunice Power's perfect picnic and the recipes she uses every time

A picnic is many things to many people, says Eunice. Although we’ve come a long way since the summers of our youth when we feasted on bottles of warm orange or lemon cordial followed by the all-important custard creams, a picnic can be scaled up or down depending on what you fancy.

“It can be a matter of going to your local deli, picking up a few bits and pieces, and just heading off somewhere nice with a blanket, or it can be really planned,” says Eunice, who runs her own catering business in Dungarvan.

She is a planner at heart but firmly believes you shouldn’t make too much work for yourself because it can take the joy out of the experience. 

“The thing about picnics is that they should have an element of effortlessness about them.” She loves the relaxed ambience surrounding a meal in the great outdoors. 

There’s no running up and down to the kitchen. All the prep is done beforehand. If you’re forgotten something, that’s it.

Once you’ve settled yourself at your picnic spot, all the hard work is done and, as she points out, “it’s just a matter of opening boxes and helping yourself.” 

Although traditional picnic baskets look great, they are not always practical, so Eunice tends to carry food in a cool box. 

“The ice packs usually used for sports injuries are great because they’re malleable and can fit around food and bottles.” 

She says that it can be hard to get nice, pretty containers with lids on them, but she recently borrowed a tiffin box, which is a tiered Indian lunch box, from Paul Flynn of the Tannery. 

She says they’re great because you can use them as both storage containers and eating vessels, adding that a picnic can be as big or as small as you like.

Eunice goes swimming with a group of friends in the mornings and, on Sundays, each one takes a turn to make scones or some other treat to have with their coffee after their dip. Last time, she brought gooseberry friands and put the buns in the tiffin box, along with some Greek yoghurt in the bottom tier.

She also used the tiffin boxes for a picnic she made recently for a couple who were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Eunice had catered their wedding in Lismore Castle, and she took great joy in making their picnic for this milestone occasion.

Her menu inspiration came from their wedding meal. She made crab crème brulee for starter, followed by rare roast beef with bulgar wheat, kale and walnut salad. For dessert, she baked gooseberry friands, “which travel really well”, served with crème fraiche.

That picnic was a veritable feast, but Eunice says that one of her favourite go-to dishes is the gorgeous but easy combination of shredded roast chicken with orzo pasta, pesto, sundried tomatoes, parmesan and feta cheese.

She recommends buying thoughtfully, saying that toasted sourdough, hummus, sundried tomatoes and cheese are useful ingredients, while pate and pitta breads are easy to eat and a quiche with a green salad is really handy.

Eunice is passionate about the importance of buying locally and seasonally. “Covid has opened all our eyes into what we buy and how we buy.

“Berries and cherries are in season now. I was lucky to get a few punnets of cherries from Jamesons in Tourin House near Cappoquin. They were absolutely delicious with cheese or a little dark chocolate.” 

Eunice who has catered for the biggest sit-down dinner in Ireland — when 2,450 people enjoyed her food at an event in the 3Arena — says that she comes from a long line of good cooks. 

Her mother is her inspiration and her grandmother was also a culinary whizz. “I have her recipe book and her mother’s recipe book, so I’m kind of fourth generation of capable women who understood food.” 

She believes that good nutrition nourishes the soul as well as the body and that it’s crucial to look after yourself. “Eating outside is such a positive experience, every mouthful seems so precious.” 

Fresh air definitely stimulates our appetite, so if you’re planning a family picnic, Eunice recommends that you bring more food than you think you actually need. For her, little portable barbecues are a great investment. “You can’t beat sausages at a picnic, especially at the beach.

Keep everything simple and ensure that it can be eaten with a fork. You don’t want too much knife and fork action at a picnic. 

She recommends having a waterproof blanket to keep everyone nice and dry, preferably one that you’re not too precious about. 

“There’s no escaping grass stains and the odd spillage. And if you can, pack a few cushions to create some extra comfort and cushy seating.”

We’ve been doing a lot of zoom calls with our colleagues and now that restrictions have eased, a picnic is a good way to bond with them again in real life.

Eunice says simplicity is essential, as is making sure that everyone brings something to the picnic blanket, the “divide and conquer” approach. She recommends coronation chicken salad, or pasta with pesto, sundried tomatoes and lots of fresh mozzarella. “Lots of nice summer flavours.” 

Not everyone is comfortable cooking so put the non-chefs in charge of keeping the picnickers hydrated. 

“Fermented drinks such as Kombucha are a great alternative to soft drinks with the added benefit improving your gut health and mood.” 

Nuts are another happy food, according to Eunice. If you’re planning a more romantic occasion, she suggests some whole blanched almonds roasted with olive oil, Maldon sea salt and paprika as the perfect accompaniment to a chilled glass of rose.

Follow these with some nice crab or smoked salmon with brown bread. She says that there’s nothing like rare roast beef with a lovely salad for mains. Finish up with cheese and biscuits, and some ripe strawberries and a little pot of cream. 

The perfect ingredients for a memorable day out.

Crab salad

By:eunice Power Recipe

Important Right Main The Ingredient To Salad Piece Luxurious Is (crab) Is Rather Most Get The This A

Servings

4

Time Preparation

 10 mins

Time Total

 10 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• Crab 300g Meat

• Finely Very Chilli 1 Diced 

• A Few Of Ginger Pickled Finely Diced  Pieces

• Removed 2 Into Halved, Avocados, Chunks  And Stones Cut

• Of Chives, Of Leaves  Very Handful Finely A A Sliced Coriander Handful

• Tbsp mayonnaise A

• Juice One Of Lime 

method

1. Diced Stir Mix Finely Chilli, Finely And In Diced Pickled Mayonnaise, Largish The And Ginger Sliced A To Chives, Coriander Bine Bowl Finely Juice, Lime

2. Toast Pile With And And Serve Fold Onto Pepper Salt And Or Crab Season In Jars Plates The With And Avocado Into Taste

Beef with wilted kale, cracked wheat and roast walnuts

By:eunice Power Recipe

After Fillet In Use This This My Beef, Summer! Eye I Well Rested Thin But Favourite Cut Will Cooking Having Just Salad Of As Work Is Rib Strips

Servings

4

Time Preparation

 40 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Time Total

 50 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• Use Fillet Beef (if Of Steaks) 400g Using Beef, Of Rib

• Bulgar 150g Wheat 

• Seeded Chilli And Finely Chopped  1 De Red

• Peeled Sliced  And 4 Finely Shallots,

• Of 2 Cloves – And Sliced Peeled Ginger Finely Garlic Grated  1inch

• 400g Kale 

• Handful A Of Walnuts 

• 2 Hoisin Tbsp Sauce 

• 4 Teriyaki  Tbsp

• And For Pepper Salt Seasoning 

method

1. To Then Pan, Least Fillet Hot 8/10 Allow For The 180°c Minutes Minutes Transfer To Rest A Sides For Begin All 20 By For Rare The Beef Of Preheat At Beef In Oven Season On Oven The Sealing To

2. Whilst Cool Then Chop The Beef The Oven 7 In Golden, Oven To Is Sheet Toast Until The A Pop Walnuts Roughly In 5 Allow On For Minutes The And Baking

3. Wheat Over Bowl The Tender, Water The And Put A Heat Cook The For Minutes Wheat The With To Set Lid In Aside And Reduce Then A The Pan 20 Cover A Drain 15 Bulgur Heat A Pan Into Large A Off Simmer Excess Bulgur The With Is To When Bring Low Water Boil,

4. And Minutes Little Fry Stir Ginger Sauté And Shallot Garlic A Wheat Then So, Oil, 2 The Add Chilli, The For The In Bulgur Add Or To Olive

5. To Using A Of Any Encouraging Of Add Bulgur A The Kale Thick With Rid Colander, Off Spoon Put The Stir Of Excess An Then Minute Pan Shred Around To A Kale, A A To Until Spoon Wooden Sharp Give Then Then The Kale Stems, Wheat The Drain Water Squeeze When Kale, Water It Any The Boil, Water Remove Use Add Back About Knife Leaves For On Prepare The Wilts Wooden The Get The Boiling To A With

6. Season 2 Mix Sauce Teriyaki Of The And Pour And Ground Pepper Bulgur Then Of Kale, Tablespoons Salt 4 To With Hoisin Taste Over And Tablespoons Freshly

7. Walnuts Beef Platter, Salad Wheat On With And Place And Large The Chopped On Arrange Sprinkle Top, A Kale The Slice Then Bulgur Thinly

Gooseberry and elderflower friands

Gooseberry Zingy Are Are These The They Elderflower Summer Divine! Fantastically And Spell Together,

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Baking

ingredients

• Butter Melted 175g

• Ground 120g Almonds

• 6 Beaten  Lightly Whites Egg

• Sieved  – Sugar 180g Icing

• Plain Flour  60g

• Gooseberries And Topped Tailed  36

• 3 Cordial  Tbsp Elderflower

• A Almonds  Tbsp Flaked

method

1. Gooseberries Syrup First 5 Off The The To To Tender, Reserve, Down Preheat Cooking Poach Until Elderflower Strain In Liquid 180°c Oven Gently And Cool The About Allow The Minutes The Gooseberries

2. Butter, Half Ground And Flour Tin Mini Whites, Lightly Hole Butter Mix Sugar Icing Holes And Together The 12 Muffin Almonds, Egg Muffin The Fill

3. The On The Sprinkle Gooseberries Top Between Divide Flaked Almonds And Friands

4. Rack And Before 5 10 Cooling Tin Minutes On In The For From 15 Minutes Until Gently Or The A To Wire Bake Set Removing For So Allow Cool Tin

5. Each Little Cooking A Liquor With The Of One Brush

6. With Fraiche  Crème Serve