What to take to a posh picnic: 5 delicious alfresco recipes everyone will love

When the weather is good and those sun gods are shining down on us, there’s nothing better than transporting mealtimes to the great outdoors.

We love to host alfresco. It’s a much more leisurely, easy-going way to entertain and eat, and it means there’s not a stack of washing up waiting for you in the kitchen. Setting up your outdoor feast doesn’t have to be time-consuming, and you can easily transform those traditional soggy sarnies into something much more special. What’s more, you can team up with friends to share the load.

Here, we show you how to combine some easily transportable picnic recipes – think herby bread scrolls, zingy raspberry cordial for adding to whatever chilled fizz you fancy, a super-crunchy salad, a cheesy dip, and a gorgeously simple blueberry and orange bake. You could also complement with some tasty, healthy picnic snacks from the supermarket for extra ease.

And of course, no picnic is complete without a little style inspiration. Whether you prefer breezy dresses or laid-back separates, our what to wear to a picnic ideas will help you look as good as your spread tastes.

Don’t forget to pack the picnic blanket and some ice for the drinks, and you’ll be getting those relaxed feel-good vibes all summer long.

1. Spinach and mozzarella scrolls

Our simple shortcut here is to use bought pizza dough, and once it’s shaped and proved, it creates a fluffy bread-like bake. Our scrolls are filled with a mix of mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh basil and pine nuts for a really moreish bite. Vary to suit your taste. It’s easier than you think to create the scroll effect using a cake tin to keep everything neat.

If your cake tin is quite deep, the buns might not brown very well. You can sit the base on top of a smaller cake tin to raise the level of the base. Proving bought pizza dough creates a fluffy bread-like bake.

• Makes 16 rolls
• Prep 20 mins, plus proving | Cook 50-60 mins
• Per roll: 194 cals, 8g fat, 4g sat fat, 23g carbs
• You will need: 23cm cake tin, fully lined with baking paper

Ingredients

• 4 frozen sourdough pizza dough balls, defrosted (we used Northern Dough Co)
• 40g butter, melted
• For the filling:
• 240g bag spinach, blanched, excess water squeezed and roughly chopped
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 3tbsp cream cheese Good grating nutmeg
• 1tsp garlic granules
• 30g pack basil, chopped
• 2tbsp toasted pine nuts, chopped
• 125g ball mozzarella, chopped
• 5tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Method

• 1 Combine the filling ingredients; season.
• 2 Working one at a time, roll out each dough ball to 22x20cm. Divide the filling between each, spreading evenly.
• 3 From the short end, roll up loosely (filling on the inside); cut into 4 equal pieces. Transfer to the tin, cut side up. Leave a little room for them to rise. Cover with cling film; set aside in a warm place to prove for 1 hr or until the dough feels springy and has risen.
• 4 Heat the oven to 170C Fan. Brush the scrolls generously with melted butter and bake for 50-60 mins until golden brown. Cover with a tea towel while they cool to keep them soft and fluffy, or immediately wrap while warm to take on your picnic.

2. Antipasti platter

Select some of your favourite cured meats and deli buys such as olives, cornichons, artichokes and tomatoes to help make your spread look rather splendid. We’ve made a delicious creamy dip to go with the crunchy crudites seasoned with our secret ingredient seasoning – Worcestershire sauce.

Keep crudites in a sealed container in the fridge, then pack them in a cool box with a handful of ice cubes to keep them crunchy.

• Serves 4-6
• Ready in 15 mins
• Per serving (based on 6): 338 cals, 26g fat, 15g sat fat, 7g carbs

Ingredients

• For the cheese dip:
• 300g soft goat’s cheese
• 8tbsp soured cream
• 1tsp white wine vinegar
• 1tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1tbsp freshly snipped chives
• 200g cured meats, various
• 100g radishes, trimmed
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut into batons
• 100g sugar snap peas
• 1 green chicory, leaves separated
• To serve:
• Breadsticks, crackers, cornichons, pickled onions, green olives, artichokes, slow-roast or sunblush tomatoes

Method

• 1 For the dip, blend together the goat’s cheese and soured cream until just combined. Stir in the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and chives, and season. Put in a small container or jar and chill.
• 2 At the picnic, assemble the meats, crudités and cheese dip on a board and dig in.

3. Waldorf salad riff

Apple, celery, and juicy red grapes, tossed with a crunchy style of lettuce, avoid sad, limp salad leaf alternatives at your next picnic. The star ingredients here are the roasted walnuts - crunchy, sweet, and completely addictive. The mustardy/tarragon dressing is so much better than shop-bought. Next time, drizzle the mustardy tarragon dressing over roasted veg and chickpeas.

If you’re a fan of blue cheese, that would also work a treat in this salad, or go for cubes of smoked cheese.

• Serves 4
• Prep 15 mins | Cook 10 mins
• Per serving: 460 cals, 36g fat, 8g sat fat, 27g carbs

Ingredients

• 1tbsp each chopped tarragon, flat-leaf parsley and chives
• 100g walnuts
• 1tbsp dark brown soft sugar
• 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 apples, cored and finely sliced 1tbsp lemon juice
• 3 celery sticks, finely sliced
• 1 small head Romaine or baby gem lettuce, shredded
• 250g red grapes, halved or quartered if big
• For the dressing:
• 4tbsp mayonnaise
• 4tbsp crème fraiche
• 1tsp English mustard
• 1tsp apple cider vinegar Squeeze lemon juice

Method

• 1 Heat the oven to 180C fan. Put the walnuts on a lined baking tray, and toss with the sugar, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Roast for 10 mins. Cool then pack in a small container.
• 2 Toss the apples in a squeeze of lemon juice to stop them going brown, then mix with the celery, lettuce and grapes. Pack in a sealed salad container.
• 3 In a jar, mix the dressing ingredients with 1-2tbsp cold water. Pack everything up separately and, at the picnic, toss everything together, drizzle over the dressing and top with the walnuts.

4. Orange drizzle loaf with blueberries

This cake is so simple to make and has the lightest and fudgiest texture. You’ll be the talk of the picnic. We’ve gone for a combo of orange zest and blueberries, but you could easily swap for lemon and raspberry.

We’ve served the buttercream separately, so it’s easier to pack the cake to take on your picnic - if you prefer, pipe or spoon on the buttercream at home. If you have any leftovers, they will keep well for a few days in a tin somewhere cool.

• Serves 8
• Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hr
• Per serving: 637 cals, 34g fat, 21g sat fat, 82g carbs
• You will need: 2lb/900g loaf tin, fully lined Skewer or cocktail stick

Ingredients

• 200g caster sugar
• 200g salted butter, softened
• 200g self-raising flour
• 150g natural yogurt
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• ½tsp cinnamon
• 100g blueberries, plus extra to serve
• For the drizzle:
• Juice 2 oranges
• 50g sugar
• For the butter icing:
• 100g salted butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• Finely grated zest
• ½ orange (save the juice for the drizzle)

Method

• 1 Heat the oven to 160C fan. Using an electric mixer, mix the sugar, butter, flour, yogurt, eggs and cinnamon until combined. Fold in 75g blueberries.
• 2 Spoon the mixture into the tin, then poke in the remaining 25g blueberries. Bake for 50 mins to 1 hr, or until a skewer comes out clean.
• 3 For the drizzle, mix the orange juice with the sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer to poke holes in the top, then drizzle the orange juice mixture over the top. Put the cake – leaving it in its tin – on a wire rack to cool.
• 4 Once the cake is cool, slice, then wrap well in baking paper tied with string. Make the buttercream by beating the butter and icing sugar with the orange zest until smooth and whipped. Spoon into a container or jar and pack with the loaf cake. Serve slices spread with the icing and extra blueberries.

5. Raspberry spritz

Our fruity homemade cordial works well with sparkling water, fizz, or added to a G&T. For more of a cocktail feel, garnish yours with ice if you have some handy, and why not add some fresh mint or basil. If you can make this recipe ahead and it will keep it chilled in a sealed bottle for up to 1 week.

• Makes about 300ml
• Prep 5 mins | Cook 10 mins, plus cooling
• You will need: Sterilised bottle with leakproof cap

Ingredients

• 300g raspberries,
• 300g caster sugar,
• 1tbsp white wine vinegar

Method

• 1 Combine all ingredients in a pan. Cook on low, mashing with a fork, for 8 mins or until syrupy.
• 2 Sieve, discard the seeds then rinse the sieve. Mix the raspberry pulp with 300ml water, then sieve again to remove any seeds. Pour the mixture into the pan, stir well and boil for 1 min. Pour into the bottle and seal.