Everyone’s idea of a picnic is different …

In Ireland, a picnic tends to mean sandwiches sweating in foil, crisps, supermarket sausage rolls, tubs of coleslaw, perhaps some strawberries, and warm canned drinks. Otherwise known as “picky bits” (possibly my least favourite phrase in the English language). When friends suggest spending an entire afternoon sitting in the park, I usually decline. I don’t particularly enjoy sitting on the grass for hours on end, I have little enthusiasm for conventional picnic food and, as a redhead, prolonged sun exposure rarely ends well.

But growing up, picnics in my family were never sad sandwiches. My dad would turn up with a paella pan, steaks, loaves of ciabatta, pots of mustard and bowls of rocket to make steak sandwiches outside. Sometimes it would be an early morning breakfast by a nearby lake in the middle of summer, with a big pan of eggs, bacon and sausages. He brought the Mallorcan picnic scene to the English countryside and proved that eating and preparing food outside can be enjoyable.

I suppose now I’m doing the same, just with less equipment to unpack – I’m not about to tell you to head to the park and set up a paella pan! When I’m in Mallorca I usually make a tortilla and grated tomato seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil, packed up at home before collecting a baguette on the way to the beach for breakfast. The tomato gets spooned onto the bread, topped with a wedge of tortilla and eaten on the beach with sandy feet. In Ireland, if I’m feeling lazy, I’m equally happy with some sausages cooked at home, wrapped up in tin foil to keep them warm, and a bag of chips I’ll buy on the way down to the sea.

While thinking about what recipe should accompany this article, I had to make lunch for friends. I was heading out for most of the morning, so it needed to be something I could prepare ahead and leave ready for later. Unexpectedly, I found myself making a selection of dips. Which, I suppose, could be described as picky bits …

There was a spinach and caramelised onion borani, made with sweet jammy onions, yoghurt, lemon and plenty of olive oil. Alongside it I prepared roasted aubergines with tomatoes and chilli, a bowl of hummus, a few tins of sardines (of course) and some bread to mop up the dips.

As we sat around the table, it struck me that this was exactly the sort of thing I’d happily pack up and take to the park or the sea or an afternoon with friends, and everything was so simple to make. The borani is the sort of dish that gets better as it sits, making it perfect for picnics. If you are making and serving it at home rather than transporting it somewhere, I’d highly recommend toasting the pine nuts in a generous knob of butter with a pinch of chilli flakes instead of a dry pan. Pour the pine nuts and all of the nutty brown butter over the borani just before serving. It pools in the dips, mingles with the olive oil and makes the whole thing feel slightly more luxurious.

So if you plan a picnic for late summer, my advice is simple: pack dressings separately and toss salads when you arrive. Avoid anything that doesn’t enjoy sitting around in the warmth. Bring more ice than you think you need, twice as many napkins and, crucially, a bin bag.

Spinach & Caramelised Onion Borani With Toasted Pine Nuts

Serves 4 as part of a spread

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large onions, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 500g spinach, chard or a mixture of greens
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 300g thick Greek yoghurt
• Juice of ½-1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper
• 50g pine nuts
• Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, sweet and deeply golden.

2. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for another minute until fragrant.

3. Add the spinach or greens in batches, allowing each handful to wilt before adding the next. Cook until the greens are completely collapsed and any excess moisture has evaporated. Stir through the lemon zest and leave to cool completely.

4. Once cool, roughly chop the mixture if needed, then fold it through the yoghurt. Add the lemon juice, season generously with salt and pepper and taste. It should be bright, creamy and slightly tangy.

5. Spoon onto a serving plate, creating plenty of swoops and dips to catch the olive oil.

6. Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until golden, then scatter them over the borani. Finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve with bread.