Cathryn Dresser's Perfect Picnic & #Giveaway

*I do not own the image*
 

Summer is here and that means picnic time! It is great when it's sunny and we can pack a basket full of yummy food and grab a blanket and go on a nice picnic. Baker and author of cook book Lets Bake!, Cathryn Dresser has kindly wrote a post on her perfect picnic. She has even given us a wonderful recipe for Easy Feta Cheese Triangles! Cathryn's wonderful book full of yummy recipes is available now via Amazon and all good book stores! Check out my review of Let's Bake here

 

The perfect picnic is just getting together with your favourite people in a special outdoor location with some tasty fayre in tow! 

The best place for a picnic can be pretty much anywhere.  We usually chose a place that we love. Be it in the garden, a park, the woods, open fields or on the beach.  But here are some of the things that help us to have the best picnics. For me the spot chosen should be somewhere with ample space- we need plenty of room to stretch out and relax, plus enough flat ground for laying out our picnic rugs and delicious spread. Then we want that bit of extra room for little (and big) people to run and play. 

A good view is also always a bonus.  We often chose our picnic spot depending on what time of day it is and what atmosphere we want to enjoy, if we want a vibrant lively picnic we may head to the seaside or if we are wanting something more quiet and peaceful we head off the beaten track and aim to find an undiscovered spot.

But...of course no picnic is complete without some scrummy food. We choose food that is simple, easy transport and then to eat on laps and mostly with fingers.  The best picnic grub should be interesting too, whilst we love sandwiches we also love making other savoury tasties too.  A good balance of savoury and sweet food makes for a good spread and keeping all the food at the right temperature is important.  

And don't forget drinks, we always take plenty of water to drink (and water for the dogs to drink too...if they are lucky enough to be invited)!

Here is a recipe for easy feta cheese triangles which are a perfect picnic basket addition. 

ENJOY!

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*I do not own this image*

LET’S BAKE

© CATHRYN DRESSER

ORION CHILDREN’S BOOKS, 2014

 Easy Feta Cheese Triangles

 

Makes 8 parcels

Prep time: 30 minutes Bake time: 20 minutes

These crispy cheesy pastry triangles are great for picnics, snacks or lunches.

Ingredients:

80ml oil, plus a little extra to grease the baking trays

A bunch of 8 or 9 spring onions, finely chopped (or snipped with scissors)

150g frozen peas

100g ricotta cheese

A handful of fresh mint, finely chopped

200g feta cheese

75g unsalted butter, melted

12 sheets filo pastry

Pinch of salt and pepper

You will need:

2 baking trays

Frying pan

Weighing scales

Wooden spoon

Large bowl

Kitchen paper

Small saucepan

Damp, clean tea towel

Pastry brush

Small sharp knife

Dessertspoon

1.  Preheat the oven to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas mark 6. Lightly grease 2 baking trays.

2. Ask an adult to heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the frozen peas and stir them all around so that they start to defrost and go bright green. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool for about 5 minutes.

3. Stir the ricotta into the pea mixture, add the mint and season with salt and pepper. Pat the feta dry with some kitchen paper and crumble into the mixture with your fingers. Stir together, and your filling is ready.

4. Ask an adult to help you melt the butter in a small saucepan, then mix in the rest of the oil and set aside.

5.Open the filo pastry and flatten it out on the worktop. Cover it with a damp, clean tea towel while you work to stop the pastry from drying out.

6.You need 3 sheets for each triangle. First, take 1 sheet and lay it on the worktop, brush with the oil and butter mix, then lay another sheet straight on top. Brush this sheet with the oil and butter, then lay the third sheet on top and brush again.

7. Ask an adult to help you to cut the pastry rectangle in half lengthways with a sharp knife, so you have two long rectangles.

8.Place 2 heaped dessertspoons of filling in one corner of the first strip of pastry. Gently lift the filled corner over diagonally and fold tightly to make a triangle shape. Continue to lift and fold, keeping the triangle shape, to the end of the pastry. You should now have a neat triangle parcel. Do the same with the other piece of layered pastry.

9.Repeat the layering, filling and folding until you have used up all the pastry sheets and filling. You should now have 8 triangle parcels.

10 Put the triangles onto their prepared baking trays and brush each one with       the remaining butter.

11. Ask an adult to put them in the preheated oven and bake for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 3 days.

LET’S BAKE by Cathryn Dresser, published by Orion Children’s Books, 2013.

Giveaway:

Orion Publishing has kindly offered a copy of Cathryn's Dresser's book, Let's Bake to one lucky winner in the UK/Ireland!

Giveaway Ends 8th August 2014

Giveaway sponsered by Orion Publishing


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