Top 10 picnic foods

The best al fresco fare

Summer festivals, a day at the races, a lazy afternoon in the park: - whatever the occasion you\'re bound to need a hamper of yummy picnic food and here are ten ideas to make sure yours stands out from the crowds\'.

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Fresh and frisky

Orzo rice-shaped pasta is light and nutty - throw it in with any salad ingredients and it becomes the perfect picnic addition. It\'s shown here with asparagus, spring onions, olive oil, Parmesan, peas and pine-nuts. Mmmm!

Orzo pasta from the Merchant Gourmet range, from: £1.79 www.merchant-gourmet.com

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

A fine spread...

Pâté is the ultimate indulgent but hassle-free picnic food. We love Castle MacLellan\'s Rannoch Smoked Duck pâté with Bramley apple jelly, Chicken liver with Scottish Heather Honey and Mushroom pâté (pictured)

Castlmemaclellan pâté, from 99p to £2.35, www.castlemaclellan.co.uk

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

A fabulous twist:

No picnic is complete without hummus and you can buy so many excellent ready-made versions. We love Waitrose Piri Piri hummus - which adds pep to proceedings with a smattering of red chilli and smoked paprika. Serve with pita bread and crudités.

Piri Piri Hummus, £1.29 for 200g, www.waitrosedeliver.com

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

A celebrity chef salad

This high-flavour recipe which Gary Rhodes created for The British Cheese Board would spruce up any picnic... Whisk 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar, a pinch of caster sugar, and ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard; season. Mix salad leaves, spring onions, hard goat\'s cheese and chorizo fried in olive oil; drizzle on the dressing.

Hard goat\'s cheese, from £3.60, www.quickes.co.uk

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Decadent pleasure

Smoked salmon and gravadlax add a sense of luxury to a picnic - both are delicious served with creamed horseradish and cress. For top quality fare try Inish Turk Beg\'s organically farmed salmon, produced in Ireland, and marinated with salt, sugar, dill and Irish whiskey.

Inish Turk Beg\'s salmon, from £8.95 for 100g, available online from Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and the Food Company.

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Berry trendy

Summer and berries go hand-in-hand. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are health-boosting and vibrant, but for a really contemporary taste we suggest juicy dessert blackcurrants. These are sweeter and larger than normal blackcurrants - impressive picnic fodder? Yes!

Dessert blackcurrants, £2.49, www.waitrose.com

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Pretty in pink

There\'s nothing worse than picnic food that\'s hard to share - which is why cupcakes are possibly the ultimate picnic dessert. There a lots of trendy cupcake shops opening up nationwide - look out for fab summer flavours like the Hummingbird Bakery\'s lavender infused cupcake with lavender butter cream frosting. Yum!

Hummingbird Bakery\'s cupcakes, from £2.25, www.hummingbirdbakery.com

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Scottish/Asian fusion

Crab spring rolls are crisp and light are perfect for a summer picnic. Take a tub of crab terrine mix with two thinly sliced spring onions, ¼ cucumber (thinly sliced) and ½ red repper (thinly sliced). Take a square of filo pastry, put a quarter of the filling towards one end, fold over the sides and brush with oil, fry until golden, drain on a kitchen roll and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Take a bottle of sweet chilli dip along to sever with them.

Castle MacLellan Luxury Orkney Crab terrine, from £1.29, supermarkets and independent stores; www.castlemaclellan.co.uk

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Cool chutneys

Simplicity is the key to a really successful picnic with the basics including: fresh crusty bread, a good selection of cheeses, some olives and a platter of mixed meats. To lift these from the ordinary try adding a selection of chutneys. Baxter\'s does a speciality Cranberry and Caramelised Red Onion Chutney, and an Apple, Fig and Cider.

Baxters Speciality Chutneys, from £1.99, available in supermarkets; www.baxters.co.uk

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots

Chicken cheat

For a last-minute picnic wonder... Rip up some baby gem lettuce leaves, top with some chopped Tesco\'s Bacon Topped Chicken, add four hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, garlic and herb croutons, drizzle on some ready-made Caesar dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tesco Make a Meal With Bacon Topped Chicken, £3 available www.tesco.com

Look here too...

Lively salads \r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n

Summer drinks

Perfect picnic spots