UKH

Planning a surprise for someone's birthday.

Involves a picnic - so what makes a really good lunch in a cool box?

I'm trying to be veggie but the siren voice of kedgeree calls me for picnics (yes, even cold).

Some good bread and mushroom pate. I have some fizz and dips/crudites. Twiglets.  A sleection of cheeses and apples.  A cold roast chicken for the meaties?

Rugs, knives and forks, plates, soft drinks, tumblers, napkins.  Sunscreen, antihistamine cream.  Swimmers and towel (we're going by "boat").

Pimms?

Stuffed mushrooms, olives, artichoke hearts and hollandaise.  Grilled peppers and courgettes.  Dolmadakia.  Oh, and gherkins.  Did I mention twiglets?

Fruit salad, perhaps some cherries.  Shortbread.

Something to snack - twiglets maybe.

Water.

Sounds a bit light.  Ideas?  There's 4 of us.

Quorn sausage rolls and picnic eggs?

Slimming world vegi pie? It’s surprisingly good and easy to make. I can send you the recipe if you want.

Condoms? You can wipe out one of the bowls for the car keys.

Just make sure if you promise someone a picnic you don't just deliver a packed lunch. Picnic is an art, packed lunch isn't.

Picnic : at least two different types of sandwich, at least 2 other savoury items, crisps (or similar), selection of fruit, cakes an biscuits. Tea, squash, champagne, port, gin and tonic - not necessarily all.

Don't forget baby wipes (or kitchen roll), plates, cups or glasses, picnic rug.

As you said you're going veggie, how about:

• Sandwiches : Mature cheddar and cucumber (or spring onion), brie / rocket / chilli jam, egg and salad cream
• Extras : caramelised onion tart, brie and cranberry puff rolls, a caesar(ish) salad (take ingredients and make on the spot : leaves/croutons/sauce/parmesan/tomatoes), stuffed olives
• Crisps : Tyrrells - accept no substitute
• Cakes : millionaire shortbread, and a lightly spiced tea cake or rum and ginger loaf
• Fruit : strawberries, raspberries, cherries
• Drink : English sparkling wine

You can never have too many twiglets. 

Scotch eggs maybe?  

Hummus and pittas 

Quiche? 

Quorn "meat lookalikes" are more hmmm than mmmm.

I don't think scotch eggs are "that" vegetarian...

So *you're* the house with the pampas grass.  Always wondered.  Not my scene, sorry.

They're going by boat.
So instead of dogging, maybe they could go crabbing?

Nor's kedgeree, and I really really want some.

Maybe I'll thorw in some extra twiglets instead.

Or trout tickling?

Wow. This guy knows how to picnic.

Like this best:

"Tea, squash, champagne, port, gin and tonic - not necessarily all."

Ah, port! Never think of port!

Nor is roast chicken?  

I suggested 1 meat and 2 veggie options  (+ twiglets)  

These look yummy 

https://capriciouskitchen.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/cheesy-marmite-pinwheels...

I tend to agree, but I live with some crap Vegis. They like these 

FFS!

Pork pie, silverskin onions, good cheddar, mustard, good red wine, good beers.

You'll be a feckin hero!

Golly.  Pressure on!

Agree re packed lunch though.

You need a boat to get to Dogger Bank...

Massive pork pie, mustard, sorted.

I'd be tempted to throw in a substantial salad item as well, like a cold pasta or potato salad. I've been making a really nice roasted sweet potato salad for lunches recently - roasted chunks of sweet potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder, chopped spring onions, red pepper and edamame beans with a dressing made of yoghurt, fresh lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Or cold pesto pasta with feta cheese and sundried tomatoes.

As well as taking everything else already suggest adding a box of oat cakes, cream cheese and smoked salmon.  And see your grilled peppers etc:  roast them with rosemary and garlic then marinate with oil and lemon with sun dried toms.  And make a fancy apple tart: blind bake your shortcrust pastry base, fry apple slices in butter, arrange in pastry case like a chef would, glaze with whatever you fancy (usual apricot, but try marmalade).

And ditch the water.

Du Pain, Du Vin, Du Boursin.

‘Hold hard a minute, then!’ said the Rat. He looped the painter through a ring in his landing-stage, climbed up into his hole above, and after a short interval reappeared staggering under a fat, wicker luncheon-basket.
‘Shove that under your feet,’ he observed to the Mole, as he passed it down into the boat. Then he untied the painter and took the sculls again.
‘What’s inside it?’ asked the Mole, wriggling with curiosity.
‘There’s cold chicken inside it,’ replied the Rat briefly;
‘coldtonguecoldhamcoldbeefpickledgherkinssaladfrenchrollscresssandwiches
pottedmeatgingerbeerlemonadesodawater—-‘
‘O stop, stop,’ cried the Mole in ecstacies: ‘This is too much!’
‘Do you really think so?’ enquired the Rat seriously. ‘It’s only what I always take on these little excursions; and the other animals are always telling me that I’m a mean beast and cut it VERY fine!’

Another vote for Quorn scotch eggs. Better than the "real" thing in my opinion. Also their cocktail sausages.

From personal experience if you provide enough Pimms, everything else works itself out sooner or later, to immense satisfaction for all involved (until the next day).

We had a big picnic outside Kenwood House years ago. My god it was fun, but we may have got a bit carried away with the Pimms - after all it has strawberries, and cucumber, and undoubtedly counts as one of 5 fruit and veg at east, possibly two... When we got up to walk home we had all forgotten how to walk...

b

b

don't take any quorn - your guests will not be impressed. how aout falafel scotch eggs:

youtube.com/watch?v=Lk2yoE29HVo&

But, but, b...but, Where ARE the TWIGLETS?

We're going to need a bigger boat...

A dozen rolls filled with pot noodle and crisps, lots of irn bru,haribo (for the weans) , fine wine( buckfast) , rizlas, half dig etc, sorted. 

Strawberry spinach salad

Pickled onions, has nobody mentioned pickled onions (home pickled obviously)? Essential.