Prepare your easy picnic recipes the day before, or some, even days before, if possible.

  Then have the food ready to pack into the picnic basket on the morning of the picnic.

  This takes away the pressure and stress and that last minute panic! 

 Basic Pastry… so simple, you will wonder why you haven't made it before.

   You Will Need...

• Plain flour 350gm  (12oz)            
• Butter (or margarine) 125gm (5oz)
• 1 small egg
• Pinch salt
• Small amount cold water         
  

   To Put Together...

•   Place flour, butter and pinch salt in food processor.
•   Pulse... until it resembles bread crumbs.
•   Add egg... while motor running.
•   Process for very few seconds then add small amount water until dough forms a ball (don’t over process).
•  Roll ball on floured area, wrap in a damp clean tea towel, or plastic wrap.
•  Chill for 30 minutes before rolling out to use in your lunch ideas.

 Egg and Bacon Pie… this is the original old recipe.

 This is delicious both hot and cold and will serve approximately 6-8 people when used for one of your lunch ideas.

 You Will Need...

• Purchased good short crust pastry, or make your own... see above 
• 4-6 rashers of bacon 
• 6-8 whole eggs 
• Salt and pepper 
• An extra egg yolk and teaspoon water… for glaze

 To Put Together...

• Grease, then line 20cm (8”) baking tin approximately 7-10cm (3-4”)  deep.                                                  
• Chill pastry and roll out on lightly floured board… you will need 2/3 of the pastry for bottom and sides… make sure bottom isn’t pierced... to prevent mixture leaking under pie crust.
• Lay pastry over flan dish and ease into dish, pushing into corners.
• Roll rolling pin over top to trim edge.
• Cut rind off bacon, cut into 3 or 4 pieces and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towel to absorb excess fat, then spread on pastry.
• Break eggs into pie case leaving eggs whole… be careful not to pierce yolks.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Either cover with remaining rolled out pastry, sealing edges brushed with milk glaze… or just leave open.
• If topping with pastry, brush with egg yolk and water glaze.
• Bake in mod-hot oven 190 C (375F) for 10-15min then lower temp to moderate 175 C (350F) for 30 min until top is golden brown… or eggs are set if baked without pastry top.

 Optional extras, really worth adding...

Handful of pitted olives, semi dried tomatoes, crumbled Feta cheese and chopped parsley and other herbs like Dill or fresh Oregano to add to this pie.... just sprinkle between the eggs as you prepare, before baking this pie.

This mixture can also be made into small individual egg and bacon pies...

This little pie has had dill, grated cheese and a cherry tomato added.

  Choose your roast...

  Beef…choose your favorite cut of, sirloin, scotch fillet or topside for example.

  Lamb… I like a leg, or part of. This gives added flavor with the bone still in. Boned lamb will work well too…maybe with a tasty stuffing, or a marinade.

  Rolled Pork... tasty and easy in your lunch ideas for a picnic.

  Have a chat with your Butcher about …

• The best roast for you…your budget and favorite cut.
• The amount needed for the number of people going on your picnic lunch.
• Also check with the butcher how long your choice of meat should be cooked, it will vary with the size of your roast.

  You will have…
  very delicious roast beef and/or lamb to use for picnic lunch ideas.

• Beef, or lamb of your choice for these lunch ideas.
• 2-3 tablespoons French/Dijon mustard… or Horseradish sauce.
• I find mustard makes the meat salty enough but you can add extra salt and pepper if you wish… use ground if possible.
• 2-3 cloves of garlic… more if the cloves are small and you love garlic.
• For lamb I poke sprigs of fresh rosemary in with the garlic.

   How to cook a roast... 

• Have the meat at room temperature if possible.

• Cloves of garlic cut into slithers and poked into the meat randomly on both sides.

• Spread two table spoons of French/Dijon mustard, or Horseradish sauce, over the roast, with a knife.

• Meat can be put on a rack in the roasting pan, but the juices from these roasts are delicious and you will want to save them to pour over the cooked meat or the fresh bread!

• Now back to the cooking... Place the meat into a heavy roasting pan and put into a hot oven… 230⁰C or 450⁰F for 15-20 minutes.

• Lower the temperature to 175 ⁰C or 350⁰F… (Medium heat) and cook until the meat is to your liking. I like it brown on the outside with some juice dripping through... from the pink center, but if you like it well done cook longer.

• Take out of the oven and leave to rest out of oven for 15-20 minutes before carving.

• Carve across the grain for tender slices.

   Try a very delicious Roast Pork  for the picnic menu lunch ideas…

• Wipe pork with paper towel to make sure it is dry.
• Rub olive oil over the skin
• Then rub salt into the oil on the skin... to make crunchy crackling for this easy picnic lunch idea.
• Set the hot oven… 230⁰C or 450⁰F ... it can take longer to crackle the skin sometimes.
• Then lower the temperature to Medium until cooked through.

 Another of the yum lunch ideas from easy picnic recipes.

You will have to fight  the family for the crackling!

  Chicken with Lemon, Basil and Tarragon… so easy for one of your lunch ideas.

  You Will Need...

• 4-6 Chicken fillets or a whole chicken
• 1 good sized lemon
• ½ Bunch fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried Tarragon
• 2 tablespoons currants or dried blueberries
• Splash of olive oil
  
• Pepper and Salt
• 1 big clove of garlic

  Method

• Place chicken in a casserole dish
• Chop basil and sprinkle over chicken with… Tarragon
• Crushed garlic
• Zest from lemon
• Currants or dried blueberries
• Squeezed lemon juice
• Add olive oil... pour over ingredients
• Cook in 190-200C (375-400F) oven 45-60 minutes
• Can be eaten hot, but is equally delicious cold
• Cut into thick slices and pour juices over

  You will find this is even tastier if left over night...

  and is delicious cold on thick crunchy bread, or with salad.

   Brussels Sprout Bake...  my friend Jenny's recipe.

You don't like Brussels Sprouts?... then we can easily change this bake to  something delicious you do like!

   Ingredients

• 3 cups of vegetable of your choice plus...We have used Brussels Sprouts, but try pumpkin, broccoli or corn.
  
• 1 large onion
• 3 rashers of bacon
• 1 cup grated tasty matured cheese
• 1 cup self raising flour
• Fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon each…oregano, rosemary and basil
• 1 stock cube
• 5 medium eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste

   Method

• Lightly grease quiche tin
• Finely chop Brussels sprouts (or other vegetable) and onion and vegetables
• Lightly fry bacon and drain on kitchen paper
• Combine… Brussels sprout, onion, bacon, cheese, flour and crumbled stock cube in large basin
• Lightly beat eggs milk and tomato paste until just combined
• Fold through Brussels sprouts mixture and pour into lightly greased quiche dish.
• Bake for 35-40minutes at 180C…until a knife inserted into the center comes out cleanly
• Allow to stand for 19 minutes before slicing

   Serves 6-8 people