Posh picnic on a budget-Any Ideas??

Snaggles

I know there's no alcohol at your picnic, but as a few people have mentioned Pimms, do you know that Aldi do their own version called 'Austins', which is extremely cheap (£3-ish) and very nice!

rog2

petetidball wrote: »

The sig (if my GCSE C Grade French works) roughly translates as "Do or do not, there is no try". I'm just trying to look cultured by putting it in a foreign language!!!

Do or do not, there is no try - 'Faire ou pas faire, il n'ya ucun essai.'

Sorry - I'm not being pedantic - it's just been bugging me. :beer:

Penny-Pincher!!

Quiche
Sausage Rolls
Scotch Eggs
Cheese Straws
Cheese Board & Crackers/Grapes etc
Sandwiches (salmon & cucumber etc)
Pasta or Rice salads
Stuffed Peppers
CousCous with salmon or tuna
Cold Chicken with rice
Ploughmans (chunk of cheddar, apple, celery, pickled onion, branston, lettuce, slice of ham and some baguette and butter)

Come over to the OS board.


HTH
PP
xx

NekoZombie

rog2 wrote: »

Do or do not, there is no try - 'Faire ou pas faire, il n'ya ucun essai.'

Sorry - I'm not being pedantic - it's just been bugging me. :beer:

Faire ou pas faire, il n'y a aucun essai.'

Sorry Rog! What you said was still very slightly wrong!

EDIT: though maybe you know some french slang? I did french literature so never learnt the short-cuts

rog2

NekoZombie wrote: »

Faire ou pas faire, il n'y a aucun essai.'

Sorry Rog! What you said was still very slightly wrong!

EDIT: though maybe you know some french slang? I did french literature so never learnt the short-cuts

Thanks NZ - I wish I hadn't said anything, and I apologise to petetidball if I have caused any offence, as none was intended. You may be right - whilst I did study French, at school and college, most of my French has been colloquialised having spent 20 odd years working as an agent for a Parisian company, where virtually no-one spoke English. I'm bound to have picked up bad habits, and forgotten my grammer, in that time.
I hasten to add that I haven't been involved with that company for several years (neither am I a Francophile).

petetidball

Not offended, no apology needed, I am a monoglot and deeply ashamed of it!! Thanks for the correct translation-I'll change it now. Or I may stick with the horse in the bathroom.....

Thanks for all your help. The picnic went really well. Ended up with lots of stuff from your suggestions and a few things I invented which turned out all right (Mushroom and onion pasties with a few spices in-nicer than it sounds!!). Ended up with everyone stuffed and enough left over to feed me, the wife, and child 1 for a couple of days. Fantastic result! :T

Sea78

I'll search on OS for a scone recipe, unless anyone can point me to a foolproof one? I am not very lucky in the kitchen sometimes.

Sea xxx

cookie9

What about gazpacho soup? ( served cold so idea for picnics). Recipe below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/gaspachosoup_74279.shtml

Smoked salmon wheels are easy -butter brown bread, place smoked salmon trimming on top with a little dill if possible. Cut off crusts and roll bread then slice to form wheels.

Noozan

Sea78 wrote: »

I'll search on OS for a scone recipe, unless anyone can point me to a foolproof one? I am not very lucky in the kitchen sometimes.

Sea xxx

8oz Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
2oz Butter
3 oz Sugar
Milk

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into mixing bowl. Cut butter into small bits and gently rub into flour until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Slowly add milk a spponful at a time, whilst mixing, until it comes together as a dough. Turn out and knead lightly. Roll out to 2cm thick and cut into scones. Do not twist your cutter when cutting as this stops the dough from rising. Glaze with egg or milk and cook at 190 for 12 - 15 mins.

When you add the sugar, you can also add raisins, chopped glace cherries and choc chips. You could also leave out the suger and add grated cheese and herbs for savoury scone.

tenuissent

Several people have mentioned cous cous salads, but I prefer bulgar wheat because it has a firmer texture. It is just as easy to cook, and a good mixer with chopped mint, cucumber, firm tomatoes, onions, olive oil and lemon juice, bits of peppers etc etc etc.