grand picnic

[ancientbuchanan]

That's it, really.

I have to do three separate occasions, four people each time. Evening. England, so not reliably warm. Food has to be ready by 1 pm, eating 8 ish, transported by car. No fridges it heaters the other end. And can't have sloppy puddings.

Last year I did

Asparagus, quails eggs
Poached salmon on vedgeree with green salad
Treacle tart/ Apple tart with cream ( Mr Sainsbury, patissier)
Coffee.

It may not be grand to you, but it is to me!

So I can't do that again, at any rate for the same people.

What can I do? V bored by idea. And have v limited time to shop or cook. And I'm not a good cook.

Coffee will remain. But the rest?

Sushi?

Sorry, just realised you intend to cook the food yourself, so sushi wasn't the most pragmatic idea. Asparagus tart; layered pie; chicken breasts in tarragon or other flavour; little parcels of fish, meat or veg (use shop-bought filo pastry) ... I've run out of ideas, ask me when I'm hungry!

You could create a hot meal - casserole type thing - by slow baking. You start it off on the hob, then wrap the pot up in loads of insulation and it carries on cooking. One of the experts on here will know the proper term for it! Usually done in special earthenware pots, but you can pack a slow cooker pot in loft insulation for the same effect.

Gosh, that sounds amazing. Have to try it out first. Hot food, yes!

:) Glad you liked it! I forgot what the method's called: it's hot-box cooking. Pots that retain heat work best - earthenware, clay or pyroflam. I've done it by wrapping a casserole in newspapers before now, but to keep cooking for 8 hours I think you should follow the recommended method with cardboard boxes and insulation. Hope you'll let us know how your trial run turns out!

It's the haybox. But I've never used it. Always wanted to since I read a children's book called The Children who lived in a Barn.

Now to create one...

Aha! Thanks! Have fun :)

Google "wonderbag" - they do same thing as haybox but less messy. Brilliant invention

Also, I suggest a picnic pie of some sort. BBC good food/Olive have some great recipes, which are simple to make but look quite impressive when cut.

Also how about a spanakopita? Spinach and ricotta in film. Again, simple to make and is delicious cold.

Other things I do for picnics are:
*Chicken drumsticks with various seasonings & ends wrapped in foil for less mess

• meat or veggie terrine cut into thick slices and served with crusty bread and pickles
• sticky cocktail sausages cooked in honey and hoisin (google recipes)
• puff pastry spread with pizza fillings (tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni etc) then rolled up and sliced and baked to make 'pinwheel' puffs

I love summer!!

Actually, making your own sushi rolls is pretty easy, and you can do non fish centres (chicken and avocado, duck with teriyaki sauce, beef and horseradish) or something like smoked salmon and asparagus. Always very popular I find, and people think they are way harder to do than they are.

Slices of really good layered pie

Quails egg scotch eggs

Tiny scones with clotted cream and jam

Mmmm

Will Google wonderbag. The idea of toting the sort of edifices I googled yesterday, with loft insulation or hay sticking into evening dress filled me with desire for a surreal jack vettriano.

Did quails eggs last year. Is spanokopitta hard?

I do salmon pinwheels sometimes...

Love scones but some people will have had them for tea.

I basically have about 2 hours to throw it together.

How about G&T jellies, or champagne jelly? Easy to make ahead and tidy

Is spanokopitta hard?

Not really.

Here

these roasted vegetable filled focaccia are really good.

Pan Bagnat.. cut the top off a crusty round loaf and hollow out, fill with yummy things , squish. wrap and slice.. take napkins

Italian Version

Salmon and watercress version

Classic French version

OOH Laska42 That's what I was thinking about.

I've made them before a day a head.

I like that Wonderbag, ancient :) It's particularly nice that you're really buying two, and one goes to an African family in need. You're right, they'd be a whole lot easier to manage than a homemade box!

Loving all the other ideas, too.