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

Power Recipe By:eunice

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

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

• 300g Meat Crab

• 1 Very Chilli Diced  Finely

• A Of Pickled Ginger Diced  Pieces Finely Few

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

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

• A Tbsp mayonnaise

• Lime  Juice Of One

method

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

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

Beef with wilted kale, cracked wheat and roast walnuts

Recipe Power By:eunice

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

Servings

4

Time Preparation

 40 mins

Time Cooking

 10 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

ingredients

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

• Bulgar 150g Wheat 

• Finely And Chilli 1 Chopped  Red De Seeded

• 4 And Finely Shallots, Peeled Sliced 

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

• Kale  400g

• Of A Handful Walnuts 

• Tbsp Hoisin 2 Sauce 

• Teriyaki  4 Tbsp

• Pepper For Seasoning  And Salt

method

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gooseberry and elderflower friands

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

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Time Cooking

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Baking

ingredients

• 175g Butter Melted

• Almonds Ground 120g

• Lightly Beaten  Egg Whites 6

• Sugar 180g Icing – Sieved 

• Plain 60g Flour 

• And 36 Gooseberries Tailed  Topped

• Elderflower Cordial  3 Tbsp

• A Tbsp Flaked Almonds 

method

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

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

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

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

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

6. Crème Fraiche  With Serve