Greatest pot-luck and picnic recipes

If there’s a secret to a straightforward and stress-free social gathering, it’s for everybody to pitch in and do their bit. Not solely does this technique save time and money, it additionally provides a enjoyable, shocking issue to the occasion. So what are you able to make when requested to convey a plate?

Recipe author and nation prepare dinner Sophie Hansen’s new assortment of seasonal recipes goals to reply that query. What Can I Carry consists of concepts for just about any event, from household feeds to pot-luck picnics, and tenting journeys to large paddock events.

The frequent thread is forgiving and beneficiant recipes which can be actually moveable and completely satisfied to take a seat out at room temperatures for some time.

Listed below are 4 simple, reasonably priced recipes to make to your subsequent get collectively.

Baked pearled barley with all of the early autumn vegies

This recipe does a couple of issues nicely: firstly, it makes use of a heap of the attractive greens in season round early autumn (suppose zucchini, tomato, corn and eggplant). Subsequent, it feeds a load of individuals in a single tasty bundle. And, lastly, it’s by no means arduous to throw collectively and doesn’t thoughts being unnoticed at room temperature for some time (inside motive). Another – it’s nearly tastier as leftovers reheated with buttered toast.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (200g) pearled barley
• ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 zucchini, reduce into 2cm cubes
• 2 ears of corn, kernels reduce off
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 eggplant, reduce into 2cm cubes
• 2 cups (500ml) tomato passata
• 1 handful basil leaves
• 1 cup (60g) chunky breadcrumbs
• 1 cup (100g) freshly grated parmesan
• 1 cup (130g) mozzarella, torn into tough items

METHOD

1. Rinse the pearled barley till the water runs clear then place in a saucepan and fill with chilly water. Carry to the boil and prepare dinner for about 25 minutes, or till al dente, then drain.
2. Warmth half the olive oil in a deep-sided ovenproof frypan and prepare dinner the onion for about quarter-hour, or till fully smooth and starting to caramelise. Add the garlic and prepare dinner for a couple of extra minutes. Take away the onion and garlic from the pan and put aside.
3. Return the pan to the warmth, add a splash extra oil, enhance the warmth to excessive and fry the zucchini and corn kernels till softened and beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Switch these to the dish with the onion. Add a splash extra oil and fry the tomatoes and eggplant for about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C standard).
5. Return the entire greens to the frypan and add the passata with ½ cup (125ml) water and the basil leaves, then stir to mix. Season nicely with salt and black pepper. Add the barley to the pan and stir to mix.
6. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cheese, and bake for half-hour or till the highest is golden and crunchy.

Journey recommendation

Cowl tightly with foil to maintain heat, and relaxation simple figuring out that this can sit fortunately at room temperature for an inexpensive period of time, getting increasingly more scrumptious whereas it waits for you. You can too make it a few days prematurely and hold it chilled, then reheat it on arrival or serve at room temperature.

Serves 6-8 as a facet

Corn, goat’s cheese, pickle and dill tarts

I like this flavour mixture a lot; the pickles, sliced fairly thickly and baked with the remaining, are such a flavour bomb with the buttery corn and creamy cheese. Now we have made these into small galettes right here, however you may use a tart shell or muffin tins – no matter is best!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 cups (600g) recent corn kernels (from 3-4 ears)
• 1 × amount shortcrust pastry (see under), chilled
• plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting
• 1 handful dill, chopped
• 1 × amount ricotta filling (see under)
• 150g goat’s cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup (300g) dill pickles, reduce into 1cm slices
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp cream

METHOD

1. Soften the butter in a heavy-based frypan over medium-high warmth and add the corn kernels. Cook dinner, stirring usually, for about 10 minutes, or till they’re simply starting to catch and caramelise. Take away from the warmth and put aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C standard).
3. Roll out your chilled pastry on a flippantly floured benchtop and reduce into 4 to 6 rounds – I used a facet plate with a 15cm diameter. Switch to a few trays lined with baking paper.
4. Add the dill to the ricotta filling and blend to mix. Place about 2 tablespoons of this in the midst of every pastry spherical. High with a bit goat’s cheese, about 2 tablespoons of the cooked corn kernels and some pickle slices.
5. Gently pinch the sides of your pastry collectively to type a crimped seal. Whisk the egg yolks and cream collectively and brush this combination over the crimped edges.
6. Pop within the oven and prepare dinner for about half-hour, or till the tops are puffed and golden.

Journey recommendation

Permit the tarts to chill, then pile them right into a container and wrap loosely with a tea towel. In case you’re going far, hold them chilled and allow them to come to room temperature earlier than serving.

Serves 4-6

Tips on how to make shortcrust pastry

INGREDIENTS

• 1⅔ cups (250 g) plain flour, plus further for dusting
• a pinch of salt
• ½ cup (125g) chilled butter, cubed
• 4 tbsp iced water

METHOD

1. Tip the flour onto your benchtop, add the salt and make a nicely within the centre. Into this, place the chilled butter. Utilizing the heel of your hand, smoosh the butter into the flour, working it collectively till the combination is coarse and sandy with pea-sized items of butter. Now add the water, a bit at a time, nonetheless utilizing the heel of your hand to convey all the things collectively right into a cohesive disc of pastry. Just a few streaks and seams of butter are completely effective right here. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill within the fridge for half-hour.
2. Relying in your tin/tray measurement and depth, you may need some leftover pastry. Simply roll it out and make your self a mini tart.

Makes approx. 380g pastry, or sufficient for 1 massive tart or 8 small tarts

Tips on how to make ricotta filling

This may make a bit an excessive amount of filling, relying on what number of greens you’re including, or the dimensions of your tins/tarts, however when you do have a bit further, let’s say 1 cup (230g), maybe go for a fast baked ricotta-ish state of affairs. Merely add one or two extra eggs to the combination, pour right into a buttered ovenproof dish and sprinkle with a bit extra cheese, then bake at 160C fan-forced (180C standard) till puffed and golden. Serve with a easy inexperienced salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup (50g) finely grated parmesan
• ½ cup (12ml) single cream
• ⅔ cup (165g) recent, smooth ricotta

METHOD

1. Whisk all of the components collectively till nicely mixed.

Makes approx. 400g

Crunchy broccoli “spoon” salad

Shiny, crunchy, full of large flavours and really wholesome, this salad ticks all of the packing containers. Plus, it sits fantastically at room temperature (inside motive) so long as you add the cheese on the final minute. An excellent chopped “spoon” salad is an underrated factor – so helpful while you’re standing up at a celebration and solely have one hand free to eat with. This salad is great as is, however if you wish to, add a couple of chopped hard-boiled eggs, some hot-smoked salmon or tuna, or maybe some poached rooster. In case you haven’t tried uncooked broccoli, belief me, it’s actually good!

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup (55g) entire almonds
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 head broccoli
• 6 dates, stones eliminated, finely chopped
• ¼ cup (60ml) further virgin olive oil
• zest and juice of two lemons (about 100ml)
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 massive garlic clove, finely chopped
• a pinch of chilli flakes, to style
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¾ cup (150 g) tri-colour quinoa, rinsed and cooked in line with the packet directions
• 120g mature cheddar, reduce into small cubes

METHOD

1. Place the almonds and tamari in a dry frypan and prepare dinner over medium warmth, tossing usually, for about 10 minutes or till the almonds look dry and scent fragrant. Let the nuts cool, then roughly chop and put aside.
2. Finely chop the broccoli florets and peel and finely chop the stem. Place in a big bowl with the dates and chopped almonds.
3. For the dressing, mix the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, honey, garlic, chilli, some salt and pepper and the mustard in a small jar and shake nicely. Pour it over the broccoli, add the quinoa and toss to mix. Set your salad apart for at the very least half-hour earlier than serving in order that the dressing can ‘soften’ the broccoli.
4. Toss by way of the cheddar and serve.

Journey recommendation

This salad travels so nicely and actually doesn’t thoughts being unnoticed at room temperature for a while. The truth is, it will get higher with time, inside motive – simply ensure you add the cheese proper earlier than serving.

Washing salads

Listed below are a couple of suggestions for making a easy inexperienced salad to move on a heat day.

1. Fill a bowl or the sink with chilly water. Plunge in your greens and depart to take a seat for a minute or so to permit any grit to sink to the underside.
2. Take away and spin or shake as dry as you may.
3. Lay a few tea towels in your benchtop and prepare your greens throughout them. Gently roll into two sausages and place within the fridge or an insulated ice field or cooler.
4. Whenever you’re able to serve, merely unwrap and tip the leaves straight into your salad bowl, prepared to decorate.

Serves 6 as a facet, 3-4 as a predominant

Strawberry jam crumble slice

Soften the butter, combine all the things collectively and also you’re finished! This one couldn’t be simpler, however the important thing factor is to let it cool fully within the fridge earlier than slicing or it would crumble. Swap the jam with marmalade when you favor.

METHOD

• 175g unsalted butter, plus further for greasing
• ½ cup (110g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup (100g) rolled oats
• ½ cup (45g) desiccated coconut
• 180g plain flour
• 1 cup (320g) strawberry jam, or jam of your selection

INGREDIENTS

1. Begin by browning the butter. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium warmth and soften, stirring as you go. Proceed cooking till it begins to brown, about 5-6 minutes, then pour right into a bowl or jug and depart to chill for five minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 140 fan-forced (160C standard) and grease and line a 20cm sq. slice tin.
3. Mix the cooled brown butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, oats, coconut and flour in a bowl. Combine collectively together with your palms till you could have a crumbly dough. Press half of this combination into the bottom of your lined tin. Unfold this with the jam and crumble the remaining dry combination over it.
4. Bake for 1 hour, or till the highest is golden brown. Take away from the oven and permit to chill fully earlier than chilling within the fridge. As soon as nicely chilled, slice into bars. In case you attempt to slice this whereas nonetheless heat it would crumble and collapse. It is going to nonetheless be tasty, however not a lot in “bar” type.

Journey recommendation

As soon as totally cooled, transport these bars in a tin or hermetic container.

Makes approx. 20 small squares

That is an edited extract from What Can I Carry? By Sophie Hansen, pictures by Sophie Hansen. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99. Purchase now