The Ultimate Summer Picnic

If you go down to the woods today, you can be sure of one thing. A couple of sandwiches, packet of crisps and promise of a Mr Whippy just won’t cut it. Especially if you’re keen to keep the adults and children accompanying you happy. And what a choosy bunch they are nowadays. There’re the health-conscious, seasonal-only eaters, vegetarians, gluten/wheat/dairy etc intolerants and the just plain fussy to cater for.
So recreating the ultimate picnic atmosphere might be tricky, all happy smiles and flowing anecdotes; kites that fly and well behaved children. Preparing the perfect feast to accompany it? Not so impossible. I’ve tried and tasted a number of potentially picnic worthy foods and soft drinks – with the help of some friends – to take the hard work out of the ‘what to pack?’ dilemma. So, all you need to decide on is who to invite and where to go.
All that lazing round in the sun is thirsty work and rather than some boring water or wasp-attracting cans of pop, I’d put PIP Organic’s bumper sized 1 litre bottles of juices are on the packing list, or if you’re short on space, the smaller 250mls fit nicely into a cool bag. The Cloudy Apple: a crisp, sweet, real tasting drink is highly recommended, as is the Apple and Mango from the range. The Cherry and Apple, although nice, could do with a lot more cherry to warrant its name. Considering the smooth consistency, quality of the pressed ingredients and the omission of added sugar, concentrates or preservatives, I don’t think the £1.49 to £2.69 price is too bad either. See www.piporganic.com for more information.
For something lighter, the Feel Good Drinks Company (www.feelgooddrinks.co.uk) have a selection of still and sparkling fruit juice drinks; from small kids pouches (£1.99 for a pack of four), to the recently launched 750ml size Gently Sparkling slim glass bottles (£1.95). All promise 100% natural ingredients and one of your 5 a day. They’re impressive to look at and a nice non-alcoholic addition to the picnic rug.
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The Orange & Mango Still Juice Drink and Raspberry & Passionfruit Gently Sparkling both stood out for their real fruit taste, the latter being the stand out product from the range with a nice subtle fizz. The Cloudy Lemon, still and fizzy varieties, failed to win me or most of my tasters over; they were sickly, overly bitter and left a nasty aftertaste. The pouches, although tricky to open, are a good size for little ones. The Orange, Pineapple & Banana flavour was a hit, though the Blackcurrant, Apple & Grape was too bitter for a couple I gave them too.
As most people seem to have an issue with wheat, it’s nice to discover a couple of brands that’ve managed to produce something edible for the tricky free-from target audience. Dietary Specials (ds) White Ciabatta Rolls (£1.99 for a pack of four: www.dietaryspecials.co.uk) are largely made from maize and rice flours, so gluten and wheat free, yet they managed to fool and please the friends I tested them on. Other than the inside of the rolls, which missed the traditional airy look of ciabatta, the rustic outside and taste were both very convincing. The 10-minute pre-bake necessary before adding to the hamper also meant they had that bakery freshness.
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Continuing the wheat/gluten-free theme, I was impressed with TRUfree’s Herb and Onion, and High Fibre Crackers (£1.82 each), www.trufree.co.uk. Good-sized boxes of thin crackers, a saintly 25 calories a cracker, which have a lovely crunch and delicate herby flavour and light salty taste, respectively. Both were delicious with a bit of cheddar or ham, and even just as they are to scoop up some of the dips I sampled. If I hadn’t seen the pack I wouldn’t have guessed they were wheat-free either, so I’d add them to my regular shopping list.
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I was also very impressed with the TruFree Pretzels (82p for 60g), as a great picnic alternative to crisps. Apart from being gluten and wheat free, they are healthier than their fried potato cousins and a lot nicer than ordinary pretzels I’ve tried. Surprising moorish and although sprinkled with cracked sea salt chunks, they weren’t too salty. Lovely dipped in the Cheeky Chilli Salsa (£2.80) from the Hawkshead Relish Company. This small, family-run Lake District-based producer has enough Great Taste Awards to warrant a very big display cupboard, and after sampling a few of their offerings they have a new fan in me too. The aforementioned salsa was just the right balance of sweet and spicy with nice chunks of detectable ingredients, including sweetcorn and courgette – a rare, but welcome addition to standard shop bought salsas; and the chilli was just as it promised, a cheeky hit at the end. Great dolloped on a cheese-topped cracker, a dip for vegetable crudités or eaten with some cold meat – we tested it with all three and as a result the jar is now empty, cleaned and recycled into a tealight lantern for my garden.
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Equally as good, is their Mostly Mayonnaise with Lemon & Cardamom Chutney (£2.35). I’m not a fan of mayonnaise, I find it too overpowering and overused as a mask for poor ingredients in most shop sandwiches; this twist on the popular classic has won me over though. A good consistency, made fresh and interesting with the lemon and cardamom. I used it to make a delicious batch of pasta salad and a dip for Radicchio leaves. The Westmoreland Chutney also deserves a mention for its standout deliciousness, and same excellent quality and taste. Pack the three and that’ll be your dips covered (www.hawksheadrelish.com).
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Simple Simon’s Perfect Pies, also multi award-winners, are just the right size to pack in the picnic. They are at the higher end of the pie price scale, especially for ones this dainty, but for the flavour variety and quality they are well worth the investment. They are cooked and ready to eat cold as we did or can be heated on colder days, and one is enough to divide up as taster amount for three or four. The Chorizo, Black-eyed beans, Tomato and Goats’ Cheese one (£5.75) was very tasty, with generous slices of sausage and a hint of the creamy cheese. Not too saucy, so great for slicing up al fresco without sauce dribbling everywhere. The Chicken with Durham Cow Blue Cheese pie (£4.98) was also excellent. Again, generous chunks of proper meat, a hint of blue cheese which didn’t overpower the other flavours, and the best bit: around seven large green grapes, adding a juicy sweetness to the mix. A truly divine pie; not surprising then that it recently scooped Gold at the 2010 British Pie Awards (www.simplesimonspies.co.uk).
You can’t have a picnic without quiche, and with the meaty side covered, I’ve chosen a Higgidy Slow Roast Tomato Quiche with West Country Cheddar (£3.49). It’s a newly launched addition to the small West Sussex company’s handmade range (www.higgidy.co.uk) – other flavours include: Smoked Salmon and Basil Pesto and Asparagus and Feta. I love the packaging with its quirky drawings and interesting serving suggestions and the quiche itself is undoubtedly the closest to homemade that I’ve come across; only better, if only my homemade ones were this good. The poppy seed sprinkled shortcrust pastry is just thick enough to hold the filling when sliced up, only giving away gently as you eat it. The consistency was perfect, not too eggy, just the right amount of seasoning, and none of that nasty metallic aftertaste that often lingers on the palate with cheaper bought versions. The roasted cherry tomatoes were wonderfully sweet and the crunchy cheese crust topped it off nicely. One of the picnic highlights.
I sliced the pies and quiche with a Kuhn Rikon Colori Paring knife (£4.50). They come in various bright colours, but I particularly liked the fuchsia one as it’d be nigh on impossible to loose in the park. The plastic handle and blade cover is easy to clean and the Swiss Carbon Steel blade is of brilliant quality at a bargain price. I’ve been known to use a credit card for chopping up picnic food; handy in a snack emergency, not so good when it comes to slicing tomatoes, so I’ll be using this in much classier gadget in future, (www.kuhnrikon.co.uk).
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To finish off the feast, I’d recommend British seasonal berries dipped in the Rachel’s exquisite Organic Double Cream. Or for the same great quality and thickness, but a less rich, nice sour bite, their Luxury Crème Fraiche (another Great Taste Gold Award-winner). Don’t choose the latter to be healthy though, I was shocked to discover they’re both equally as calorific. If you have any leftover, who am I kidding, then the crème fraiche goes wonderfully with steamed new potatoes, (www.rachelsorganic.co.uk).
Another picnic treat for the grown-ups comes from Divine, (www.divinechocolate.com). There’s only so much excitement one can muster when offered some dried fruit; I’ve done it in the office many a time, only to be met with a chorus of unenthusiastic groans. Divine’s 70% dark chocolate covered dried mango, apricots and brazil nuts, made with a short list of simple, Fairtrade ingredients, on the other hand went down extremely well with everyone I offered them to. The apricots and nuts especially were particularly popular, and a luxury way to end the picnic on a high; sans the massive guilt trip after.
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For the little ones, Burtons Foods’ Snack Bites collection will keep them quiet without inducing a sugar-induced frenzy. These newly-launched mini versions of Jammie Dodgers, Maryland Cookies and Cadbury Fingers are unbelievably cute and probably due to small size, tastier than the standard versions. A re-sealable pouch is £1.59 and plenty for a large-sized picnic. I’d leave the chocolate fingers for home though, as they melted very quickly in the heat.
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Now for the horrible bit, packing up all that rubbish. Well, Dutch company Fatboy have come up with a classy solution with their Knäpsäck, an 1800mm diameter round checked blanket-come-sack. The parachute material base stops water and dirt soaking through, it’s sturdy enough to withstand regular use. Best of all, at the end of the picnic when all you want to do is snooze, you just pull on the cord and everything is contained inside. Brilliant! It’s a pricey addition at just over £107, but if you’re a frequent picnicker and have the money to spare, it’s a good investment that’ll save you a lot of fuss and time at the end of a (hopefully) lovely day. www.fatboy.com
See individual websites for stockist details.
 Link to original piece. The Culinary Guide, August 2010

Brasserie Joël – London

It’s not often that I eat something so good that it makes me giggle with delight. It’s also rare that this kind of food-induced joy is served up in a hotel restaurant metres away from a busy roundabout. The scene is the Park Plaza at Westminster Bridge, South London; the man responsible for the smile on my face is Michelin Award-winning French chef Joël Antunes; and in fairness, the busy roundabout is a sling shot’s ping away from Big Ben and the London Eye. The hotel itself is a brand spanking new, grand glass structure which looks particularly impressive after dark.

We found Brasserie Joël tucked down the end of a dark corridor; pretty understated compared to how I’d preconceived Antunes’ anticipated return to London. The last time he took the helm in a kitchen on this island was a decade ago, around the same time he bagged that all important star. Although my initial reaction wasn’t that great, by the time we’d sat down and soaked up our surroundings, I was happy. I liked that there wasn’t even a hint of pretentiousness and that the décor wasn’t too try hard. And the table additions: a lemon thyme plant, tin of French basil-infused extra virgin olive oil – which I am going to seek out, because it smelt so divine; I even liked the striped cotton napkins, reminiscent of something from Grandma’s dresser.

Even the reusable glass bottle topped up with our tap water was interesting, resembling something one might buy from a bric-a-brac stall on Portobello Road and use to decanter homemade lemonade into. These little homely touches, mixed with clean lines, lit up glass walls and spot lighting - cleverly positioned to light up the table and not straight into your eyes as they often tend to - that remove the restaurant from any connotations associated to being housed within a hotel chain. So far, so good.

It was already quite busy when Adam and I arrived, not bad for a Wednesday night at a relatively new restaurant – it opened at the same time as the hotel in May – in the current economic climate, and considering its slightly off the beaten track location. The night’s clientele were an equal mix of t-shirts and cocktail dresses, twos and groups, and a solo diner, with only his laptop bag seated in front of him for company.

The fairly simple menu changes daily with lots of emphasis on seasonal ingredients, and although understandably largely French, additions such as NY steak and Devon crab salad ensure there should be something here to please everyone. We were pleasantly surprised by how reasonably priced it all seemed, starters from £7, mains from £13 to £30. This also extended to the wine list which offered a good choice by the glass and a bottle starting price of £16; clearly sectioned by an extensive list of light, medium and full-bodied new and old world wines, so you could wing it on a first date if you’re too proud to consult the sommelier. Relocated to another part of town and in a building of its own, Brasserie Joël would be a lot dearer.

My only complaint is the lack of vegetarian options. If I was that way inclined, I wouldn’t be overly enamoured with the two/three pasta or rice dishes on offer. As a meat-eater, the plethora of wonderful-sounding offerings on the menu was enough to send me into an indecisive daze. I was really hungry; I just didn’t know what I fancied. We deliberated for quite a time whilst supping a glass of bubbly and tucking into the warm rustic breads and creamy French butter (so good, I noted the brand so I could stock up for home), and some freshly made ‘Aubergine Caviar’, a delicious dip made using cooked aubergine, garlic and olive oil.

Not long after we’d finally ordered our dishes, our starters arrived. The chef’s special Roast Saddle of Rabbit for me and Lobster Cobb Salad for my friend. Everything about my dish was enjoyable: tender flavoursome rabbit with a lovely soft centre, the accompanying artichoke barigoule, or stew to you and I, and peppery rocket salad perfectly complimented the meat and left me very excited about my next course. Adam, who was so intrigued by the description of the lobster starter he abandoned his usual meat favourites, was quiet with contentment as he delicately made his way through the winning ensemble; which included avocado, quail egg, bacon and cheese.

The generous portions meant we were already feeling the threat of fullness, by the time our mains arrived. Adam’s roast duck, partnered perfectly with sweet, liquor-cooked warm cherries, was the dish behind my aforementioned giggle of joy; a truly outstanding meal, which even if it wasn’t presented quite so beautifully, would still warrant a gold star. I enjoyed my meal, you can’t really go wrong with well cooked scallops; and the accompanying pea shoots and gnocchi parisienne, think more polenta than traditional gnocchi bites, were nice enough; though a measly portion size compared to Adam’s meal for two. But after tasting that duck I had been gripped by a serious case of food envy and wished I hadn’t played the safe card and had gone for say, the Suckling Pork Belly instead. I think he knew this as well, because he took a ridiculous amount of time eating it with a slightly annoying smugness while I looked over like a neglected pet. I consoled myself with another glass of the crisp white Rocky Gully Riesling, 2008, which matched perfectly with our meals and was a real pleasure to drink.

The tables were turned in the final food round when my Fricassée of Strawberry, another chef’s special, was placed in front of me. Yes, my dear friend’s Rum Baba dessert looked and tasted impressive enough, but mine: beautifully sweet liquor-fried berries, vanilla seed specked vanilla ice cream and delightful mini donuts, was something else. He pretended not to be jealous of my choice, but I could tell he was.

Fuelled by espressos and petit fours, we finished the evening with a quick snoop behind the semi-opaque wall I had been sitting against – something we’d been intrigued by all eve. We were surprised to discover a nicer room about the same size again, with round tables looking out on to the impressive London skyline, and a mature olive tree, standing grand and wise in the centre. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this abandoned space, all dressed up and nowhere to go. Though it’s early days for Brasserie Joël and once word travels I predict a very different picture.

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London, SE1 7UT
+44 (0)20 7620 7272
www.parkplaza.com/westminster


Review published on The Culinary Guide - July 2010

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