Tapenade & tomato tart

1 shallot  chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 dessertspoon capers
250g pitted black olives
olive oil
black pepper
1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry 
4 large tomatoes

 

Blitz all the tapenade ingredients together, keeping some texture, with enough olive oil to make a soft mix. season with black pepper.
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7
Slice the tomatoes
Unroll the pastry, place on a baking tray. Score a 1cm border and prick the centre with a fork.
Spread the tapenade over the pastry, keeping it inside the border, then cover the surface with the tomatoes.  Spoon over a little olive oil, season well and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Cut into pieces and layer with parchment paper into a box or transport on the baking tray.

 

Pitta bread

450g spelt flour

12g fresh yeast

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

275ml (approx) tepid water

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

 

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast, and 6 tablespoons of the tepid water. Cover with a little flour, and leave until it begins to bubble. Add the sesame seeds. Then mix with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and enough of the remaining water to make a firm dough. Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your fingers. Coat the inside of a clean bowl with the olive oil, put in the dough, and roll around to oil the surface. Cover the bowl with a dampened cloth and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about 1½ - 2 hours).

Turn the dough on to a floured board and divide into six. Flatten each piece with a floured rolling pin, forming ½" thick ovals. Place these on a floured cloth in a warm place. Cover with another cloth and leave to rise for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to the highest setting and pop in two lightly oiled baking sheets. When the pittas have risen, slip them carefully on to the baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes without opening the door.

Cool on a rack then wrap in a tea towel for your picnic.

 

Red pepper dip

3 red peppers, halved and deseeded

4 tablespoons olive oil

125g skinned almonds soaked overnight

1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

oven 220C/425F/gas mark 7

 

Rub a little oil over the peppers and place cut side down on a baking tray and roast for about 15 minutes or until the skins start to char in the preheated oven. Remove the peppers from the oven and immediately pop into a bowl and cover with a plate to seal in the steam leave the peppers to cool.

When cool peel off the skins & roughly chop the pepper flesh. Drain the almonds and place into a food process and whizz into a fine crumb add the remaining ingredients and whiz until smooth. Pile into a container suitable for your picnic

 

Hemp paté

225g shelled hemp seeds
550ml water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chilli powder

 

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz for a minute. Place into a pan and slowly bring to the boil, stirring all the time. The mixture will separate into ‘curds and whey’. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Place a piece of cheesecloth over a sieve sitting on a bowl and tip the mixture into the cloth. Gather up the cloth ends and tie up securely with a piece of string. Hang up over a bowl to drain overnight.

Remove from the cheesecloth and refrigerate until needed

 

Baba ganoush

4 aubergines

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

paprika/salt & pepper

Olive oil

 

Lightly oil the aubergine and grill or roast in a hot oven until tender and charred. Remove and allow to cool. Cut the aubergine in half and scrape out the flesh. Process the flesh in a food processor with the remaining ingredients until you have a purée. Pack into a serving dish.