As the Easter holidays are upon us, I’m thinking about food that can be made at home and easily transported to a perfect picnic spot, beach, bach or beyond. The extra-long weekend is the perfect opportunity to have a little play in the kitchen, try a new recipe or two and then share the results with friends.
Courgettes that are char-grilled on the barbecue without oil have a fantastic sweet flavour. They are great served warm or cold as an antipasto to share or as a salad or side dish. I was given a huge marrow last week by my sister from Levin, something I hadn’t really eaten since I was a kid. If you can get your hands on some, use them instead of the courgettes.
Mint and courgette antipasto
I love pies, especially a rustic homemade one with real pastry. If you’re in a rush though, just grab some prerolled pastry from the supermarket. This version is a favourite of mine because you don’t need a pie dish or any sort of tin or mould, you don’t need to bake anything blind and there is no waiting around for the pastry to rest. You just roll it out, put the filling in, seal it and bake. I use chicken thighs for a better more meaty chicken flavour. Experiment with different fillings and combinations.
Tomato, chicken and bacon pie
“Can you bring something sweet?” How often do we hear this last-minute, stress-inducing, request the night before! Well, this indulgent, fancy, truffle-like, flourless cake is the answer. Of course, you won’t say anything over the phone other than “I’ll see what I can do”.
Flourless chocolate torte
