Picnic Food Ideas as Starters

If you are looking for easy to make nutritious picnic ideas the two recipes below will be of interest to you. Delicious pate and spreads are good for the whole family as starters. You can vary ingredients as per your taste and have it more or less spiced. Also to add a refreshing touch it would be perfect to have pate or spread on crusty bread slice (or hot toast) with fresh vegetables or a salad. The both can perfectly be kept in the fridge till you need them. Enjoy!

Beef Pate on the Toast.

Beef Liver Pate

This is a quick recipe, prepared in some 10 minutes, cooked in 20.

Ingredients:

1 lb (or about 0.5 kg) beef liver

1 medium onion

1 small clove of garlic

2 tbsp brandy, cognac, or Scotch whisky

unsalted butter (plus extra to cover)

seasoning: salt, black pepper

Note: chop the onion, peel and mash the garlic clove. Use freshly ground black pepper.

Instructions:

Cut the liver into medium sized pieces. Add some butter into the heavy bottom skillet, add onion, sauté for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Add garlic and liver pieces and allow to sauté till liver is browned and tender.

When done, cover with the lid, set aside for several minutes to cool. Process the sautéed products in the food processor till smooth paste forms. Add brandy, oil (or butter) and season with black pepper and salt to taste. You can keep the picnic food (pate) in the fridge for a week or frozen about two month. To keep in the fridge add melted butter as a cover over the pate in the container. Keep the product covered while in the fridge.

Cheese Spread.

Potted Beef Spread

Preparation time less than half an hour, cooking ? over 3 hours. Yields: about 5.

Ingredients:

3.5 oz (100g) unsalted butter

0.5 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp grated nutmeg

2 cloves of garlic

10.5 oz (300g) braising steak

seasoning: salt, and black pepper, cayenne pepper

peppercorn topping: 1oz (25g) butter, 4 tsp green peppercorns in brine

Note: use freshly grated nutmeg, peel the garlic cloves, remove fat and sinew off the steak, and drain the peppercorns. Use freshly ground black pepper.

Instructions:

Spread

Have the oven preheated to 300F (150C, Gas Mark 2). Drop the butter into a saucepan (a small one), add salt, ginger, grated nutmeg, garlic cloves (whole), and cayenne. Drizzle black pepper plentifully and put the saucepan over mow heat. Stir the ingredients occasionally till butter melts.

Make 4-5 more or less equal chunks, lay them in a medium oven-proof container. Add the spiced mixture with the melted butter to completely cover the beef. It is recommended to have it covered with the lid.

Cook in the oven center for 2.5-3 hours. Beef should be very soft. Once in the middle turn the beef pieces over. When done, set aside to cool for some 30 mins, then flake the beef apart. Mash the ingredients with a fork or processor fill in a bowl.

Topping

Add the butter in a small saucepan. Place over low heat to allow butter melt slowly. Remove any foams that will form in the butter. Use only the clear butter as there may also be flakes in the bottom. Spread the clarified butter over the beef in the bowl. Then randomly sprinkle with peppercorn. Cover with the lid and you may keep the picnic food in the fridge upto three days.

Serve the picnic food with hot toasts, crusty bread and a spring salad. Bon Appetite!

Tip: We have offered two meat picnic food as starters, however you can have cheese or vegetable spreads as well. For cheese you can mash or melt cheese and mix it with butter and any your favorite spices. As for the vegetable spread, you can use carrot, onion, vegetable marrow, pumpkin, potato, or any other (or a combination of your favorite vegetables). Have the vegetables simmered, add butter or melted cheese, combine well. Season with salt, pepper, and any other spices. Add fresh herbs when spreading over the toast. Also you can use fish fillet in combination with butter. Chicken breasts (or other parts) are also good for pate.

We hope you have found many useful picnic food ideas in the article. Remember that using your imagination and preferences you can always make any cooking even more enjoyable and the meals more delicious! Also it may be great to cook for the picnic in a good company of your friends or a family. Enjoy your al fresco get-togethers!

You are also welcome to read:

Easter Picnic Food Ideas

More Picnic Ideas with Peas