With picnic season upon us, we can’t help wondering what al-fresco dining was like on the manicured lawns of Swillington Hall back in the 18th century – the very same lawns which are now home to our grass fed cows!
From the shadows of the plentiful greenhouses along the Garden walls to the spherical ice house where sorbets and ices were made, there a glimpses which suggest that summer dining would have been a rather extravagant affair.
After all, picnics don’t have to consist of wilted ham sandwiches and shop bought scotch eggs. Sometimes it’s nice to pull out all the stops and make something that little bit more special.
Good ingredients go a long way, and with a tiny bit of planning you could be ditching the soggy sausage rolls and tucking into something delicious. Nigella has lots of simple ideas to make your picnic tasty and unique. Why not try:
- Beef skewers with horseradish dip – this recipe uses rump steak, she also suggests a lamb alternative using cubed leg
- Mini-meatloaves – using pork and beef mince
- Lamb Ribs with nigella and cumin seeds – lamb ribs are the lamb breast that has been sliced and chopped into small ribs
- Crispy Lamb Chops – breaded and baked, perfect finger food
Or you could try these other ideas for a spectacular spread:
- Southern fried chicken – chicken drumsticks, thighs or breast fillets coated in seasoned bread crumbs then baked in the oven
- BBQ ribs – marinaded and baked or griddled
- Scotch eggs – make your own using plain or flavoured sausage meat and (if you’re on a local delivery route) a fresh farm egg
The possibilities are endless. But if ham sandwiches are what you really like, why not make them from a Swillington Organic Farm Dry-Cure Gammon Joint!
We can supply you with just about anything you need, expertly butchered by Simon to your specification. Just choose your recipes and let us know what meat you’ll need – we can arrange it to be delivered in your Meat Box or picked up from the farm shop. Not signed up for a Meat Box yet? Choose yours now in 3 easy steps.
