Have you got the blanket?

Today marks the start of National Picnic Week and a pickle is the perfect ingredient for a refined snack

This goat’s cheese and caramelised onion tart takes the pain out of caramelising onions

There’s no need to get in a pickle over National Picnic Week. While these endless – sometimes corporate – excuses to celebrate fine British traditions may be tedious, the weather in this country is somewhat unpredictable and we love a good picnic in the rain. It’s June, the calendar tells us it’s summer, so we’re going to eat outside and we’re going to enjoy it. Here’s four defiant pickle based recipes to help along the way.

Easy goat’s cheese and caramelised onion tart

Serves 4-6

Great as a quick starter or lunch, this tart takes the pain out of caramelising onions by using our sweet pickled onions – no peeling required!

Ingredients

15g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
1 tbsp olive oil
20 Haywards Sweet Pickled Onions, sliced
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (optional), plus sprigs to garnish 
​320g sheet ready-made puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
​200g soft goat’s cheese
Black pepper
Green salad, to serve

Preheat the oven to 200°. In a large frying pan, melt the butter on a medium heat and then add the oil. Let the mixture sizzle, then add the sliced pickled onions, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with sugar, mix again and add 50ml cold water. Simmer for 6-7 minutes, until the sauce is thick and shiny. Mix through half the thyme leaves and season with pepper, then set aside.

Grease inside of a flat baking tray with about a teaspoon of butter, using a piece of the butter wrapper or kitchen paper to smooth it over the tray. Lay the pastry sheet upon it and lightly draw a thumb-width border around the sides of the pastry with a sharp knife (without cutting through the pastry). With a pastry brush or a teaspoon, dap the border with the beaten egg.

Spread the onion mixture within the border, then crumble the goat’s cheese over it and sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves. Season with black pepper and bake on the top shelf for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden and the cheese slightly browned. Serve with green salad and garnished with thyme sprigs.

Tip: make four individual tarts by cutting the pastry sheet into four, drawing a smaller board and filling each with the filling. Cook on two flat baking trays (two tarts per tray, so they are spaced out).

The ultimate halloumi sandwich

Crammed with rocket, avocado, halloumi, tomatoes and mushrooms

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 tomato, quartered 
20ml olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano 
Pinch of sugar 
20g Branston Pickle
2 slices of bread 
2 button mushrooms, sliced 
4 small slices halloumi
50g rocket
Half an avocado, stoned, peeled and sliced
Ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 170° and place the tomato pieces, spaced out, onto a flat baking tray. In a small pot, mix together half of both the oil and oregano, the sugar and 1tsp of Branston Pickle, then coat the tomato with the mixture. Bake on the top shelf for 10 minutes, and then turn the oven off, leaving the tomatoes inside.

Meanwhile, preheat the griddle pan or grill. In a small dish, combine the remaining oregano oil, and then brush both sides of bread with it. Griddle or grill the bread slices for 1 minute, turning over halfway through, then set aside. Keep the griddle or grill on, turning down to a medium heat, then griddle or grill the mushrooms and halloumi slices, turning over after 1 minute, then cooking for a further minute.

Place a piece of bread on a chopping board and layer with the rocket, avocado, halloumi, tomatoes, mushrooms and the remaining Branston Pickle, then sprinkle with pepper. Top with the other slice of bread and serve or pack up for a packed lunch or picnic.

Brie and beetroot ciabatta slices

A bright toasted snack with a purple twist

Makes 8

Ingredients

8 thick slices of ciabatta
1 clove of garlic, halved 
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
​400g Haywards Sweet & Mild Sliced Beetroot, drained and cut into wedges 
​350g Brie, sliced
​100g pitted black olives, roughly chopped
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
Black pepper

Preheat the grill and then lightly toast the ciabatta slices on one side. Rub the untoasted side with the cut side of the garlic clove, then discard the garlic and brush the sides with half the oil. Season with pepper. Top the untoasted side with the baby beetroot wedges and slices of Brie and return to the grill for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese bubbles. Place on a serving board and sprinkle over the olives and parsley.

Mozzarella, strawberry and olive salad with balsamic glaze

Fruit and vineger you say? Yes really

Serves 2

Ingredients

100ml Sarson’s Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp sugar 
1 piece of orange rind
​200g soft mozzarella 
​225g strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
​250g baby plum tomatoes, halved
10 pitted black olives
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 basil leaves, ripped 
Ground black pepper
Crusty bread, to serve

In a saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar, and add the orange rind. Bring to the boil and then simmer until reduced to a third. This should take 8 minutes. Place the pan in a cold water bath to cool, stirring occasionally. Rip the mozzarella into pieces and place on a serving dish, then follow with the strawberries, tomatoes and black olives. Dress with the olive oil and zigzag the balsamic glaze over the plate, then garnish with basil and season. Serve with bread.