THE PERFECT PICNIC

Food editor, stylist and author Angela Boggiano and her photographer husband, Craig Robertson, owners of At the Kitchen in Cheadle Hulme, share their recipe ideas.

Spiced beef & chorizo pasties

The pastry for these pasties is really simple and easy to make, giving a crispy pastry that is perfect for transporting on a picnic. However, feel free to use ready-made shortcrust pastry if you wish.

Makes 12

For the pastry:

300g plain flour

150g butter, place in the freezer for 10 minutes

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

250g minced beef

100g cooking chorizo, finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded & chopped finely

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp tomato puree

200ml beef stock

Large bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

1 medium egg, beaten

75g mature cheddar cheese, grated

1. To make the pastry, place the flour in a large bowl and grate the butter on the largest cutter into the flour. Add the salt and about 100ml ice-cold water. Carefully mix together until a dough has formed. Knead lightly and then wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for the filling, heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for a few minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in the minced beef and chorizo and cook until the beef is browned. Add the red pepper, cumin seeds, paprika and tomato puree. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, then pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid has reduced, leaving you with a lovely, thickened sauce. Remove from the heat, stir through the coriander and set aside to cool completely.

3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Cut the pastry in half and roll out one half to a 3mm thickness and then, using a saucer or bowl measuring

12cm, cut out circles. You will get approximately 6 discs from each half of pastry. Divide the filling between the 12 doughcircles and brush the edges with a little of the beaten egg. Fold over the dough to enclose the filling and press along the edges to seal. Press a fork along the edges to seal. Brush with egg, sprinkle with cheese and when you have completed all the pasties, bake for 15 minutes until golden and crispy.

Grilled sweetcorn & tomato salad

This speedy, fresh salad is perfect for barbecues and summer picnics. Just add the corn to the barbecue and then chop and stir with juicy tomatoes and a tangy lime dressing and fresh coriander.

Serves 4

2 corns on the cob

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small, red onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp lime juice

250g pack cherry tomatoes, halved

1 green chilli, finely sliced

½ cucumber, chopped

Bunch radishes, trimmed & thinly sliced

30g fresh coriander, chopped

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Use either a barbecue or heat a griddle pan until hot. Brush the corn with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the corn on the barbecue or griddle pan and cook for about 10 minutes, turning regularly until charred and cooked.

2. Place the red onion in a large serving bowl and spoon over a tablespoon of the lime juice and toss together well. Set aside whilst you cook the corn.

3. When the corn is cooked, leave it to cool for a few minutes. Holding the corn cob upright, cut the kernels off the cob using a sharp knife. Place the kernels in the bowl with the onion and then add the tomatoes, chilli, cucumber, radishes and coriander. Stir through the coriander and mix everything together well.

4. Pour over the remaining lime juice and extra virgin olive oil and season well to taste. Toss everything together and serve alongside the pasties.

Apricot & almond olive oil cake

When apricots are in season, you have got to make the most of them, and this cake really does make them sing. The combination of apricots and almonds is a beautiful pairing and it’s such a simple recipe to put together. Olive oil creates a light, textured sponge along with the yoghurt – a perfect summer treat simply served with crème fraîche.

Serves 8-10

8 ripe apricots

200g caster sugar

180g self-raising flour

40g ground almonds

150ml olive oil

4 medium eggs

100ml full-fat natural yoghurt

2 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp flaked almonds or chopped pistachio nuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas

4. Grease and line a 23cm x 16cm baking tin. Cut the apricots in half and remove the stone. Place in a bowl and add 20g of the sugar and toss together well. Set aside.

2. Place the flour, ground almonds and remaining sugar into a mixing bowl and mix everything together well.

3. In a separate bowl or jug, pour in the oil, eggs, yoghurt and almond extract. Whisk everything together.

4. Pour the wet egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the cake tin and top with the apricot halves, cut side up. Scatter with flaked almonds or pistachio nuts if using.

5. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then remove and transfer to a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely. Serve in squares with a crème fraîche.

A long-awaited Gail’s Bakery has opened in the old HSBC building on Wilmslow Road. Handmade bread, pastries and cakes are baked throughout the day in all Gail’s bakeries and served with handroasted, speciality-grade house blend coffee. Everything is made with care, and by hand, according to the season.

Gail’s Didsbury bakery has a small number of outdoor tables, so weather permitting, could be the perfect start (or end) to your day, enjoying a cinnamon bun and coffee soaking up the sun, but failing that, whatever time of day, there’s plenty of indoor seating to save disappointment.

Everyone is welcome at Gails. The team believes in the power of the community and gives back as much as it can by donating any leftover food to 95 charities in its neighbourhoods. And it's always looking for more charities, so if you are passionate about a cause, Gail’s urges you to contact them.

Sustainable packaging is used wherever possible and everything else is, at a minimum, recyclable or compostable. The Didsbury bakery is open from 7am-6pm, SundayFriday and until 7pm on Saturdays.

You can order online for a home or office delivery or click and collect. A catering service is also available and if you’re looking for a foodie gift, check out the website for a hamper, gift box, gift card or order a box to bake at home. You can even buy a Gail’s cookbook.

Make sure you’re not hungry whilst checking out their website. Just saying…