Lidded Basket With Check Lining

Mini Salmon Tartlets

Recipes and Reviews

Add something new to your picnic basket this Summer with these mini salmon tartlets. Perfect for picnics , these pocket-sized snacks are delicious on-the-go , as well as alfresco dining in the garden. The buttery pastry is filled with lightly cooked salmon and fresh dill to create a bitesize favourite that the family with love.

Ingredients

• 250g savoury shortcrust pastry
• Two free range eggs , beaten
• 150ml milk
• Two salmon fillets , cooked (pre bought or cooked for 20 minutes)
• A handful of fresh dill , finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to season

• 12 hole cupcake tray , baking beans , baking paper , measuring jug

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Meanwhile , beat together your eggs and milk in the measuring jug. Add seasoning and chopped dill.

3. Add flakes of the cooked salmon to your tart cases. Fill up the cases with the egg and milk mix. Finish with extra black pepper or dill , if you wish.

4. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Allow to cool before adding to your picnic feast!

Strawberry and Lavender Gin

Not Just the 3 of Us

We love our picnics in the Not Just The 3 of Us household and I’ve always secretly hankered after something a bit more stylish and sophisticated than our usual plastic picnic set and carrier bag scenario. There is nothing worse than rolling up to the races and sitting next to the family with the full works and not a plastic knife and fork in sight! With our theme being quintessentially British – Strawberry & Lavender Gin , we chose food befitting of our menu. I even my managed to work in a little taster of my home grown Chives.

Ingredients

• 400ml Gin
• 250g Strawberries
• 100g Caster Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Dried Lavender
• 1/4 of a Vanilla Pod

Instructions

1. Find yourself a wide rimmed (at least wide enough to get a Strawberry in!) 1 litre or so bottle or jar with a lid.

2. Cut the Strawberries in half and put them in the jar.

3. Cut the 1/4 of a Vanilla Pod in half lengthways and add that to the jar too (not the end of the world if you don't use the Vanilla , this can be left out if preferred).

4. Drop in the sugar and Lavender and top up with the Gin. Give it a stir and put the lid on.

5. Now the wait! Leave it somewhere dark and warmish for two weeks , giving it a little shake every day (don't forget – this helps to dissolve the sugar).

6. Finally , strain it through a sieve , or a coffee filter , or just a piece of kitchen roll and bottle it. Good to go.

Spoilt for choice with the wonderful selection on offer , I narrowed my selection down by practicality , number of covers and good quality tableware. My choice was the Coast 4 Person Picnic Basket because I loved the nautical style of this hamper and given that we spend a fair amount of time on Cornish beaches , this blue and white stripe fitted the bill perfectly.

The things that I particularly love about this hamper is that the equipment is really smart , the wine glasses are glass and not plastic and the plates are ceramic. Couple this with the smart white handled stainless steel knives and forks and the picnic is looking good.

The glasses are secured individually inside the basket with a strap. Not only does this keep the glasses in place but it also stops them knocking against each other during transit. The plates are also secured with a strap. This leaves ample space inside for some picnic food. Key to a Not Just The 3 of Us successful picnic is condiments and so the addition of a salt and pepper pot was a real draw here.

Chimichurri Chicken Sandwich

Seasons in Colour

Chimichurri chicken sandwich delight , an all time favourite with the family. Well , the grown ups love it and we first got introduced to it at that gorgeous Argentinian restaurant Gaucho in South Ken.
The ingredient that makes the whole dish here is the chimichurri sauce , a pesto-like sauce of Argentinian origin. It's a cold sauce , meaning you don't need to cook it and has very few ingredients.

There are two versions to it - the green one (that Gaucho serves together with its steaks) and which is mainly crushed parsley mixed with oregano and onions in olive oil (never , EVER use vegetable oil); and the red one which has peppers to it and which I'll show you here (but don't tell the kid I put peppers in , because he doesn't like them... *laughing emoji here*).

About the Basket:

The things that I particularly love about this hamper is that the equipment is really smart , the wine glasses are glass and not plastic and the plates are ceramic. Couple this with the smart white handled stainless steel knives and forks and the picnic is looking good.

The glasses are secured individually inside the basket with a strap. Not only does this keep the glasses in place but it also stops them knocking against each other during transit. The plates are also secured with a strap. This leaves ample space inside for some picnic food. Key to a Not Just The 3 of Us successful picnic is condiments and so the addition of a salt and pepper pot was a real draw here.

Raw Mango and White Chocolate Cheesecake in a jar

Mind your Meal

Ingredients

• 150g Walnuts
• 2tbsp Coconut oil , melted
• 3 ½tbsp Honey
• Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon

• 450g Fresh Mango (about 1 and a half)
• 200g Cream cheese
• 180g White chocolate
• 2tbsp Honey
• Finely grated citrus zest

Instructions

1. Using a blender , crush the walnuts , add honey , coconut oil , nutmeg and cinnamon. Equally divide the base mixture into the jars and press well. Refrigerate.

2. Melt the chocolate over double boiler. Let it cool down a bit and mix with the cheese and citrus zest.

3. Divide equally in two separate bowls. Use the mixture from one of the bowls to add second layer in the jars. Refrigerate again.

4. Purée the mango , add honey and citrus zest and use two thirds of the mixture to combine with the rest of the white chocolate mixture. Add it as a next layer in the jars.

5. Refrigerate again for about 30 minutes and then top up the jars with the rest of the mango puree.

6. Decorate with some walnuts and coconut flakes.

Strawberry Tarts

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These sweet treats are ideal for whipping up before a summer picnic , they are beautifully bright , incredibly tasty and easy to eat wherever you are. They are the perfect addition as they’re quick and easy to make , but look effortlessly beautiful as part of a picnic. Pair with raspberry lemonade or a glass of chilled prosecco with a slice of strawberry in if you’re feeling fancy.

Ingredients

• 350g plain flour
• A pinch of salt
• 125g unsalted butter (flattened out in between two sheets of greaseproof paper to 1cm thick , chilled in the fridge)
• 125g caster sugar
• 2 free-range eggs , whole and 1 egg , yolk only
• 1 egg , yolk only , beaten for egg-wash

• 500ml full fat milk
• 2 vanilla pods , seeds removed and pods retained
• 6 free-range eggs , yolks only
• 120g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour

• 400g strawberries (or any other fruit you fancy!)

• 4 tbsp clear apricot jam
• 50g icing sugar

Instructions

1. For the sweet pastry , preheat the oven to 190C/350F/Gas 5.

2. Lightly grease and flour 12 x 8cm/3¼in loose bottomed tins.

3. Stir the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flattened butter straight from the fridge into the flour and rub in the mixture.

4. Add the sugar , mix together the eggs and egg yolk , and to the mixture. Gently mix with a dough scraper , or spatula , until the dough comes together in a ball.

5. Lightly flour a work surface , tip the pastry ball out onto it , and knead until you have a smooth soft dough. Shape the pastry into a square , to make it easier to roll out.

6. Place the dough the fridge to chill for an hour minimum , preferably overnight.

7. Remove the pastry from the fridge and lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the pastry 2-3mm thick and line the 12 tins , leaving an overhang of pastry. Place some greaseproof paper over the top and fill with baking beans. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

8. Once chilled , place the pastry tart cases on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Lift out the paper and beans , brush with beaten egg yolk , and place back in the oven for 8 minutes.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Then trim the edges and lift out onto a cooling rack.

10. For the crème patissière , place the milk , vanilla seeds and pods into a large saucepan and warm though.

11. Place the eggs , sugar and flour in a large mixing bowl and whisk until the colour changes and becomes pale. Gradually add the warm milk and vanilla to the egg mixture , whisk together , then return the mixture to the pan. Cook on a low heat until it the mixture thickens , then pour into a clean bowl. Place a circle of greaseproof paper on the mixture , to stop a skin forming.

12. To make up the fruit tarts , spoon the crème patissière in a piping bag , and pipe into the pastry cases. Top the tarts with the strawberries.

13. Put the apricot jam and 1-2 tablespoons of water in a small sauce pan and warm it through , so it loosens up and becomes more liquid. Lightly brush the fruit to glaze.

14. To serve , place the tarts on a cake stand and dust with icing sugar.