picnic – Urban Suburban Mommy

Plain as a potato salad

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

Nothing brings back childhood memories of summer family picnics like a good ol’ bowl of potato salad. It’s not one of those dishes that gets made too often during the fall, winter and spring (unless prego cravings!) but come summer, it’s on everyone’s menu.

photo: Fenwench

I’m lucky because my sister-in-law makes the best potato salad. In. The. World.

Seriously. I don’t know how she does it, but there’s no better. She’s got all of the big family barbecues and picnics covered. My husband makes a mean potato salad too, though I’m not super crazy about the celery in his.

Me, I like mine on the plain side. I don’t like eggs so I prefer when the potato salad isn’t eggy or have hard-boiled eggs creamed in there.

(Really, who does that?!?!?!)

Because I’m fussy that way, my potato salad ends up being a big hit with kids and vegans. It’s yummy, but plain. I’m always hearing “You should add…” followed with suggestions from fennel to smoked trout.

But it will never happen.

I think this plain as a potato salad will be a hit with the whole family, feel free to make it a bit more funky with your own tasty twist!

What you need:

-6 or 7 big potatoes
-2 cups Miracle Whip (or mayo)
-1/3 cup onion, very finely diced
-2 tablespoons vinegar
-pinch of sugar
-1.5 tablespoons mustard
– tablespoon salt
-pepper to taste

What you do:

Boil potatoes in salt water until soft. Drain and cool. Peel potatoes if you prefer skinless potato salad, I like to leave the skins on sometimes. Cube potatoes and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients and whisk together. You can taste it at this point and see if you want to add anything. Vinegar for more sour, or more sugar for sweet. Salt and pepper to taste.

Variations:

You can add a little bit of Dijon mustard, fennel, bacon bits, sweet relish, or even turmeric – which will give it a brilliant golden colour. You can add sliced radish, celery, beets or even corn. If you’re an egg fan or you really want to sneak the protein in, mash 3 hardboiled eggs and add into the mix.

Toss this dressing over the potatoes and coat well. This recipe is so forgiving, if you want to add more Miracle Whip/mayo it will be more creamy – or halve it to keep it dry.

Garnish it with a little sprinkle of paprika, some sliced green onions or a few sprigs of parsley.

Side dish. Easy, fast and full of summer.

Lime, raspberry & white chocolate drizzle cake

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

LIME, RASPBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE CAKE:
Cut into hearty chunks and served with a dollop of thick cream or Greek yoghurt this is the best way to round off a lovely picnic lunch. You could use blueberries or blackberries instead of raspberries.

Cut this cake into hearty chunks and take it on a summer’s picnic or slice it in delicate fingers and nestle it amongst other dainty morsels on a fine china cake stand for afternoon tea. You can even serve it as a scrumptious dessert – straight from the oven, with clotted cream or crème fraîche. Aromatic limes with tangy raspberries and sweet velvety white chocolate… sheer bliss! I love making this cake in the summer with freshly picked raspberries, but you can make an equally delectable autumnal version by replacing the raspberries with blackberries.

What you need:

One 22cm (9 inch) square cake tin

FOR THE CAKE:

– 200g / 7oz raspberries (1½ cups)
– 225g / 8oz butter (2 sticks)
– 225g / 8oz golden caster sugar * (1 cup)
– 4 free-range eggs (UK medium / USA large) *
– 30g / 1oz ground almonds * (¼ cup)
– 2 limes, zest and juice
– 100g / 3½oz good quality white chocolate, broken into pieces (½ cup)
– 250g / 9oz plain flour * (2 cups)
– 10ml / 2 tsp baking powder

FOR THE LIME SYRUP:

– 85g / 3oz granulated sugar (6 Tbsp)
– Juice of 2 limes
– 45ml / 3 Tbsp boiling water
– 2.5ml / ½ tsp vanilla extract *
– Zest of 1 lime

What you do:

Makes 12 hearty portions (and many more delicate ones)

Before you start, spread the raspberries on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 30 minutes. (If you mix them into the cake batter without freezing them first, they break up and the cake turns bright pink!)

Preheat the oven to 160ºC / 320ºF.

Line the base and sides of the cake tin with baking parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs lightly and add them to the creamed mixture in several batches, mixing well between each addition.

Add the ground almonds. Grate the lime zest directly into the mixture and then add the juice and fold in the white chocolate chunks.

Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix. Lastly, add the raspberries, taking care not to break them up.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and golden in colour. You can also test it with a skewer to be sure it is cooked through.

While the cake is baking, make the lime syrup: Combine all the ingredients except the zest in a small heavy-based pan, stir well to dissolve the sugar and then boil for 3 minutes, until it becomes ‘syrupy’.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick the surface with a fine skewer. Sprinkle the lime zest onto the cake and spoon the syrup over it.

Leave the cake to cool completely and absorb all the syrup before removing it from the tin.

This cake is perfect as is, but you can decorate it with a drizzle of melted white chocolate or with fresh raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.

Enjoy the picnic! If you’re craving more royal recipes, there are 100 more delicious dishes created by Robb, in her new cookbook: The Royal Touch: Simply Stunning Home Cooking From A Royal Chef. And if you’d like your very own copy, ACC Art Books is offering Urban Suburban Mommy’s readers a 35% discount, just use promo code: ROYAL to save on your order!

Carolyn Robb was Personal Chef to TRH Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry for ten years.

Asparagus, Swiss chard & goat’s cheese tart

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

ASPARAGUS, SWISS CHARD & GOATS CHEESE TART:
This tart is a must for a picnic; accompanied by a simple salad and minted new potatoes. The filling can be varied according to taste and what ingredients you have available. You can make one large tart or individual ones with different fillings, to satisfy all tastes!

The crust of this tart does more than just hold the filling in place – it is delicious in its own right. I use half malted granary flour, some of my favourite seeds and fresh thyme and chives in the pastry, which give it plenty of texture, colour and flavour. If you are in a hurry you can use pre-prepared pastry, but nothing can surpass home-made pastry.

What you need:

One 23cm (9 inch) metal flan ring or fluted loose bottomed flan tin, ceramic baking beans. *

FOR THE PASTRY:

– 115g / 4oz cold butter (1 stick)
– 85g / 3oz plain flour * (⅔ cup)
– 85g / 3oz malted granary flour * (⅔ cup)
– 5ml / 1 tsp linseed *
– 5ml / 1 tsp poppy seeds
– 5ml / 1 tsp pumpkin seeds
– 1 free-range egg yolk (UK medium / USA large) *
– 20ml / 4 tsp cold water
– Pinch of salt
– 1 tsp finely chopped chives
– ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves

FOR THE FILLING:

– 20 spears of asparagus, (approx 500g / 1lb 2oz)
– 150g / 5oz Swiss chard
– 2 large shallots
– 55g / 2oz finely grated parmesan (½ cup)
– 125g / 4oz goats’ cheese log with a bloomy rind
– 200ml / ¾ cup double cream *
– 200ml / ¾ cup crème fraîche
– 3 free-range eggs (UK medium / USA large) *
– Salt, pepper and nutmeg
– Paprika and a handful of pine nuts *

What you do:

For the pastry: Put all the ingredients into a food processor. Using the ‘pulse’ button, process until the mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. (To make by hand: Mix the flour, seeds, salt and herbs. Rub in the butter, then mix in the egg and water). Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together with the hands to form a smooth ball, working as lightly as possible.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry into a circle of approximately 36cm (14 inches) diameter and to a thickness of 5mm (¼ inch). Line the flan ring with the pastry, leaving the pastry standing at least 1cm (½ inch) above the top of the tin, to allow for shrinkage when it cooks. If you use scissors to trim the top it is less likely to shrink down. Chill for at least 20 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 400ºF.

Line the flan with baking parchment or foil and fill it with ceramic baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes then remove the beans and bake for a further 5 – 10 minutes to crisp up the base.

For the filling: Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody end sections of the stems and discarding them, then cut off the tips and keep to one side. Cut the remainder of the stems into 5cm (2 inch) lengths. Cook the tips lightly in boiling salted water, then remove and cook the stems, which will take a little longer. Chill in cold water when cooked, drain and keep on one side.

Wash the Swiss chard. Remove the coarse stems. Blanch the leaves in boiling, salted water for just a few seconds, or longer if the leaves are large and coarse. Drain well.

Chop the shallots very finely and place them in the base of the tart. Sprinkle with half of the parmesan, then lay the asparagus and chard on top, finish with the remaining parmesan.

Slice the goats’ cheese log into 9 rounds and arrange them on the top of the asparagus and chard.

Whisk together the cream, crème fraîche and eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and nutmeg and a few twists of black pepper and pour over the tart. Sprinkle with pine nuts and dust with paprika.

Bake at 190ºC / 375ºF for 30 minutes or until the filling is set and the top is golden in colour. Serve warm.

Carolyn Robb was Personal Chef to TRH Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry for ten years.

Curried chicken salad with mango and cashews

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD WITH FRESH MANGO & TOASTED CASHEWS:
‘Coronation chicken’ was originally created to celebrate HM The Queen’s coronation in 1953. This recipe is my interpretation of the dish and what better recipe to use for a picnic in her Majesty’s 90th birthday year!

This is my interpretation of Coronation chicken, a dish that was created especially for Her Majesty The Queen’s Coronation celebrations in June 1953. When I make this, it always brings back fond memories of the many buffet lunches that I prepared aboard HMY Britannia (the Royal Yacht). It was a favourite to put on the menu when we had a large number of guests to feed, particularly when we were in a hot climate. My most memorable lunch was one when the Britannia was at anchor right next to Tower Bridge in London on a beautiful summer’s day. Wherever in the world we were, when we were on board the royal yacht it felt as if we had brought a tiny corner of Britain with us. It had a wonderful feel to it and it always looked very spectacular, with each last tiny piece of brass detail glistening, the paintwork totally immaculate, every corner of wooden deck scrubbed until it was pristine and a fantastically colourful array of flags and ensigns flapping in the breeze.

What you need:

FOR THE SAUCE:

– 45ml / 3 Tbsp curry powder
– 30ml / 2 Tbsp honey
– 45ml / 3 Tbsp white wine
– 60ml / 4 Tbsp mango chutney
– 225ml / 1 cup mayonnaise
– 100ml / ½ cup double cream *
– 4 cooked chicken breasts (approximately 650g / 1lb 7oz)

FOR THE MIXED GRAIN SALAD:

– 225g / 8oz mixed bulgur wheat and red and white quinoa (1½ cups)
– ½ sweet red pepper
– ½ orange pepper
– ½ yellow pepper
– 60g / 2oz sweet corn (½ cup)
– 60g / 2oz peas (½ cup)
– ½ courgette *

DRESSING:

– 30ml / 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
– 90ml / 6 Tbsp olive oil
– 5ml / 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
– 5ml / 1 tsp honey
– 15ml / 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
– Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE GARNISH:

– 55g / 2oz raw cashews (½ cup)
– 1 perfectly ripe mango
– 1 small avocado
– 10ml / 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
– A handful of cress or micro-greens
– A handful of edible flowers, such as nasturtiums

What you do:

Make the sauce: Simmer the curry powder and honey together in a small heavy-based saucepan for a few minutes, watching it closely as it catches and burns very easily.

Add the wine and chutney and cook for a further 3 minutes, then leave to cool.

When completely cold, stir the curry mixture into the mayonnaise. Whip the cream and then fold it into the curried mayonnaise.

Dice the chicken into 1cm (½ inch) cubes and mix it into the sauce. (If possible, leave the chicken overnight before serving.

Make the mixed grain salad: Cook the grains according to the instructions. Drain and leave to cool.

Dice the peppers, cook the peas and sweet corn and grate the courgette. Toss all the vegetables into mixed grains.

Make the dressing by shaking all the ingredients together in a jar. Season to taste. Add the dressing to the mixed grain salad and mix well.

Lightly toast the cashews. Dice the mango. Slice the avocado and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Pile the chicken in the centre of a plate or dish and surround it with the mixed grain salad. Decorate with mango, avocado, cashews, cress and edible flowers.

Carolyn Robb was Personal Chef to TRH Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry for ten years.

Salad of prosscuitto-wrapped peaches with figs & buffalo mozzarella

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Urban Suburban Mommy Posted in Delicious Dishes .

SALAD OF PROSCUITTO-WRAPPED PEACHES WITH FIGS & BUFFALO MOZZARELLA:
This is a wonderful way to begin a picnic and the salad can be presented in a salad bowl or in a box for ease of packing and transporting it.

What you need:It is always good to have a recipe up your sleeve that can be put together in a matter of minutes. This salad is extremely quick to prepare. However it is definitely a summer dish, to be made when juicy peaches are at their sweet and succulent best. When peaches are not in season, try combining pears with crispy proscuitto and crumbled Rocquefort cheese. An aged Balsamic vinegar and a fruity olive oil complement the stronger flavours of this salad perfectly.

– 50g / 2oz pecan halves (½ cup)
– 30ml / 2 Tbsp light olive oil
– Salt, pepper, brown sugar & chilli powder
– 2 large, perfectly ripe yellow peaches
– 12 slices of prosciutto
– 4 ripe figs
– 2 balls of buffalo mozzarella (250g / 9oz)
– A handful of washed wild rocket *
– 120ml / 8 Tbsp walnut oil
– 60ml / 4 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
– Freshly ground black pepper
– Freshly milled sea salt

What you do:

To prepare the spiced pecans, place them on a baking tray, drizzle the oil over them and sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar and chilli powder. Shake the tray to distribute the seasoning evenly. Bake at 170ºC / 325ºF for 12 – 15 minutes. Leave to cool.

Cut each peach into 6 segments. I leave the skin on, but you can peel them for those who don’t like the ‘furry-ness’ of peach skin.

Wrap one piece of prosciutto around each segment of peach.

Cut each fig into 3 segments.

Tear each mozzarella ball into 6 pieces.

Arrange 3 pieces each of peach, fig and mozzarella alternately around each plate in a circle.

Place a little bundle of rocket leaves in the centre.

Sprinkle on a few spiced pecans.

Spoon a little walnut oil and then the raspberry vinegar over the salad.

Finish with a twist of black pepper and a twist of salt. Serve immediately.

Carolyn Robb was Personal Chef to TRH Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry for ten years.