Nothing beats a picnic…

A change in season brings an adjustment to the culinary fetishes of many of us - from traditional Sunday roasts to sizzling BBQ’s, hearty stews to succulent salads, gooey sticky toffee puddings to  juicy strawberries, and of course, come Summer nothing beats a good old English picnic.

A perfectly idyllic tradition, emerging in the 19^th century when the English declared the weather too nice (yes believe it or not, this can happen!) to eat inside and decided to move the meal outdoors. 

An idyllic which has since been expressed in the works of artists such as Monet and Thomas Cole, demonstrated in the wonderful novels by Jane Austin, sung along to in musicals like The Sound of Music and divulged by poets such as Betjeman with his notorious Subaltern Love Song, which caused women everywhere to fantasize about the ‘perfect date’ (for any men ready this, take note!).

This open-air feast is enjoyed by families, friends and lovers across Britain and in particular, the Cotswolds; there are plenty of occasions in which to fill up the picnic basket. 

From watching the cricket at Cheltenham Festival, the polo in Cirencester and open air concerts at Westonburt Arboretum to a fun afternoon spent with the children and their teddy bears, (one of my fondest memories as a child), or an exciting excursion into the glorious surroundings of the Cotswold countryside, there is definitely some fun to be had!

Picnics should consist of hassle-free food, something you can whip straight out the basket and pop into your mouth. 

A hamper basket is never complete without the traditional culinary culprits – a large pork pie accompanied with a jar of chutney, a selection of generously filled sandwiches as well as quiches, strawberries and cake, washed down with a glass of champagne or homemade cloudy lemonade always goes down a treat. 

However, amongst these traditional classics, I like to create something new to bring to the rug and with the summer delivering a whole new ambiance of refreshing seasonal flavours to our pallet, I have cooked up just that. 

The combinations and flavours in this recipe are influenced by those found in kitchens all over Greece – a cuisine I love to embrace this time of year.

The beauty of the recipe is its perfect not only for picnics but also served at as a canapé or a light lunch or supper.

Courgette, Mint and Feta Baklava

Makes 24 squares

Ingredients

4 courgettes, grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

350g Greek feta, roughly chopped

Bunch of mint, roughly chopped

1 lemon, juiced

500g filo pastry

Olive oil

Salt/Pepper

 Method

Preheat oven to 180’C

Put the grated courgette into a clean tea-towel, tightly wrap and squeeze all excess liquid out

Mix garlic, feta, and lemon juice together and then add the courgette
Season with salt and pepper

Brush the tin with oil as well as a sheet of filo, place oil side down on tin, repeating with 9 further sheets. Ensure to overlap, covering the base of the tin leaving surplus hanging over

Spoon half the mixture on top and then add another 10 layers of oiled pastry

Add the rest of the mixture before finishing off with the remaining oiled pastry, ensuring you have oiled the top sheet

Bake in the oven for 20-25minutes until the pastry is golden

Cut into mouth sized squares and serve warm or cold with a dollop of Tzatziki or houmous

The Credits: www.bloghomesense.com, www.unmissable.com, www.murdockman.com, mydeco.com, guardian.co.uk, hellomagazine.com