Top 8 picnic essentials - Dining al fresco
WE don’t have to travel far to enjoy a picnic. A rug in the garden, a field, on a beach, at one of the superb public amenity parklands, makes it easy to create a special occasion and happy memories.
Food can be as easy as we want to make it, but avoid dairy produce and anything that will deteriorate in the heat. For this Top 8, I looked at what I always include, mainly from my storecupboard, so a decent picnic can be produced quickly at any sign of clear skies.
These basics mean that even if you don’t have meat or fish, you can have a feast. For something more substantial, there are delicious vegetable filled pastries, sausage rolls and patés in speciality food shops and delis.
A terrific range of sausages from top producers we have detailed in past Top 8s can be cooked at home and kept warm in foil. Salamis and cooked hams will last well, though in hot weather I prefer dried ham such as prosciutto/serrano.
Blend cooked broad beans or peas with parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice for an easy dip or mash/blend smoked fish, cream cheese or mayo with horseradish sauce. Cooked chicken with crisps and bread make a delicious combination.
Remember to bring water, ideally not in plastic, and avoid sweet, thirst-inducing drinks. As always, bring home your rubbish - biodegradable included.
This excellent Irish product in a sharing bag is what summers are made of. Any hint of fresh air and we get a craving for them, whatever the flavour.
They can be dipped, made into a sandwich, crushed and sprinkled on salads, or simply enjoyed as they are.
One of our Top 8 crisp brands, along with Keogh’s and Joe’s, Irish crisps are a good buy.
Lots of good ingredients – filtered rainwater, lemon juice, Kefir culture, organic sugar, so while we drink the gentle fizz we are rebalancing our gut bacteria. Win, win!
From the English Market and farmer’s markets stalls, in Quay Co-op stores and NeighbourFood in Cork.
In a reusable Kilner bottle which can be refilled at their stalls. Lots of good takeaway vegan treats there too.
There are plenty of olive options in supermarkets, with cans quite handy for large numbers.
I favour this garlic and herb flavoured mix, and place them in a bag to nibble on instead of sweeties. Good in sandwiches and salad mixes too.
From Cork’s English market and farmers’ market stalls countrywide. Good dried ham and salamis there too.
These delicious bagels are not boiled, but baked, so they are softer than usual.
Made with milk and topped with pomegranate molasses sprinkled with sesame seeds, they are tasty and don’t need butter.
Dip into a salad of tomato with feta or salty anchovies, olive oil or mayo.
They freeze well. This exciting Cork-based bakery’s new ideas are worth watching for at Cork’s Coal Quay Saturday market, O’Keeffe’s St Lukes and [url=
https://www.neighbourfood.ie/]NeighbourFood.ie[/url].
This mayo gives well-established Hellmann’s a good run for its money and supports Irish jobs to boot.
Use it instead of butter on bread, add to grated raw carrot and celeriac with a little mustard for a decent, toothsome salad which can be transported in a recycled carton or bag.
Put as much as you think you will need into a light container to save weight.
One of those products that lifts many salads, use these as finger food, in sandwiches, with fish or meat patés, chopped into mayo for extra bite.
These are pickled in vinegar with mustard seeds, salt, ground ginger and cinnamon. There are plenty of larger gherkins which serve the same purpose. Drain into a bag to save weight – they won’t dry out.
We can buy ready sliced vegetables, but really, it takes little to slice cucumber, carrot and red peppers lengthways for cheap and easy finger food.
Put in a bag or recycled carton, and use them for dipping into mayo, olive oil and crunchy salt, vegetable dips, or wrap some dried or baked ham around them for a more substantial bite.
This and other fruit cakes from our excellent bakeries are perfect for the end of the day when energy is lagging and a hit of dried fruit is just what we need.
Easy to make, check recipes online. This one has lightly spiced raisins and sultanas and is so moist it doesn’t need butter.
Slice ahead and rewrap for ease of serving. From Quay Co-Op – Sullivan’s Quay, Ballincollig and Carrigaline, Cork.