Delaney Mes: A basket full of goodies (+recipes)

Herald on Sunday·

18 Oct, 2014 06:00 PM3 mins to read

Photo / Michael Craig

The best picnics involve shade, sunshine and home-made treats.

When I lived in Wellington, the idea of having a picnic was always more a dream than a reality. On the days when that notorious wind died down though, there were some perfect locations for picnic feasting. It's such a great way to eat - prepare something simple in advance, pack it up in a picnic basket or a wooden crate, throw in some tasty drinks and plenty of snacks, and go for it.

Finding a location is important. You need shelter and shade, but also enough sunshine. Having a decent blanket or throw to cover the ground is also key, as are plenty of napkins and paper towels. Insect repellent is a bonus to have in your picnic kit, although I don't recommend spraying it anywhere near the food.

Picnic food doesn't have to be boring, nor does it have to be pre-packaged things bought from the supermarket.

A little forward planning and a bit of time in the kitchen can mean delicious, impressive results. These recipes go well all together but also would work equally well on their own for lunch.

I started making this stuffed bread a few years ago, and regularly change what goes inside. It's an easy dough to start with if you're not a bread maker and you might surprise yourself with the results.

It's always nice to have a little something sweet after eating, and if you don't have time for baking your favourite sweet treat, a fruit salad loaded with whatever's fresh at the market is perfect, especially berries.

I've been known to pack a small chopping board and a small sharp knife to a picnic to make this fresh while we're all sitting around. But it's an easy one to pre-prepare at home, too. A splash of orange blossom water and some fresh mint make this so much more than a standard fruit salad, but be careful.

I learned the hard way that you only need a tiny bit of the heavily perfumed orange blossom. If you're feeling extra fancy, serve some meringues and cream on the side.

The frittata, like the bread, is something you can play around with. It lends itself well to a few different veges going in. The seeds on top give it a nice crunch, and it's always good these days to have a gluten-free option if catering for a crowd. It's also the kind of recipe you could whip up after dinner for lunch the next day.

There's plenty of asparagus this week too; it's my favourite time of year when it's in season and I find myself eating it all the time. If I'm not roasting or grilling it, I'm steaming it, but also sneaking it into as many recipes as possible.

In the chicken salad, it's great alongside some other spring greens and goes so well in with the chicken in the salad, especially with the almonds, too.

So with a bit of forward planning, and some time in the kitchen, picnics can be delicious fun. Just keep an eye on the weather forecast.