Food: Plan ahead and avoid getting in a picnic pickle

Published on Saturday 25 July 2009 11:07

ANYONE who's ever tried planning an outdoor event in Scotland will know that it can be a hazardous business, thanks to our reliably unreliable weather.

Camping trips, barbecues and garden parties all run the risk of turning into damp and miserable experiences due to the vagaries of our climate. However, if you're a fan of alfresco eating in general, and picnics in particular, then July surely offers you a decent chance of a warm, dry day on which to dig out your cool box and give your tartan travelling rug an airing.

Whether you are wandering across the road to your local park or making a two-hour expedition into the country, you may want to do a little advance thinking about what's going to make up your spread. Although a trip to your neighbourhood deli should provide you with most of the necessary cold meats, pts and artisan breads, if you feel a picnic coming on then it's a nice idea to have a couple of jars of homemade pickles or chutneys ready to pop into your hamper.

Chutney and pickles are easy to make, keep for ages and often complement a wide variety of foodstuffs, hot or cold. Chutneys tend to be slow-cooked for a long time to produce a smooth, spreadable texture, while pickles are usually soaked in salt water before being either cooked gently or bottled straight away with vinegar. Supermarket chutneys tend to be made with an eye on their shelf-life and therefore can be quite heavy on the vinegar. When making them at home you can use vinegar more as a flavouring than a preservative, combining the rest of your ingredients with spices and plenty of sugar to give your chutney a sweet and sour quality.

Of course, chutneys and pickles are all about complementing your main dishes.

If for instance you're taking some quiche on your picnic, then a spicy tomato chutney could help liven it up. Likewise, a strong meat pt or terrine will benefit from the sweet contrast of a fruit-based accompaniment, such as date and banana chutney.

A selection of cold-cuts is an essential part of any picnic and a jar of home-made piccalilli makes an excellent complement. This traditional pickle includes mustard, green beans and cauliflower, and its spicy flavour and chunky, crunchy texture has many fans among people who prefer something more complex than mustard or horseradish.

Similarly, you may think of that Indian restaurant favourite, lime pickle as exclusively an accompaniment for curries. Include a jar of it to try with a piece of good quality ham or mature cheddar and you could be in for a pleasant surprise.

So if you dig out your preserving pan and invest in some sealable jars you could have a few chutneys and pickles all set for the next time you head out for an outdoor lunch. They'll keep for a good while, which is probably just as well as the perfect day for a Scottish picnic is not necessarily around the corner.

&#149 Andy McGregor is chef/proprietor at Blonde Restaurant, 75 St Leonard's Street, 0131 668 2917

RECIPES

Piccalilli

Ingredients

1 cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 small marrow, seeded and diced

100g green beans, trimmed and halved

Half a cucumber, diced

10 shallots, skinned and halved

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2tsp mustard powder

2tsp ground ginger

4tsp ground turmeric

150g salt

125g caster sugar

30g plain flour

750ml vinegar

Method:

Place all the prepared vegetables in a container and sprinkle with the salt. Cover with water and leave overnight. Pour off the water, rinse and drain the vegetables. In a pot or preserving pan combine the sugar, mustard, ginger and garlic with 500ml of the vinegar. Add the vegetables and bring to the boil then simmer for 10-15 mins until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp. Mix the flour, turmeric and the remaining vinegar, stir into the vegetables and cook for a further 2 mins, then spoon into jars and seal.

Date and banana chutney

Ingredients:

200g pitted dates

Half a medium onion, diced

3 bananas, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

200ml white wine vinegar

1 tbsp caster sugar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Method:

Saut the chopped onion with a little olive oil for 1 minute then add all other ingredients except the salt and pepper. Stir on a low heat for 3-4 mins, adding a small amount of water if the mixture begins to stick. Once the ingredients are starting to break down, leave on a low heat for 10-15 mins. Take off and allow to cool a little, then blend, adding salt and pepper to taste. Place into a sterile container and cover.