Last weekend, we took our dogs on a hike to le col de l’Encrenaz with friends. It’s in between the winter and summer seasons in the ski resorts at the moment and so there weren’t many restaurants open for us to have lunch. So, we packed ourselves a little picnic to take with us and found a lovely picnic bench at Mont Chery with a stunning view of the Mont Blanc.
Mid way through our hike, we saw a group of Bentley car enthusiasts picnicking in the mountains with posh wicker hampers and champagne! Apparently, the French started the modern fashion for picnics when they opened their royal parks to the public after the revolution of 1789.
All meals on this week’s meal plan (except the Ginger pork with egg noodles) are perfect to prepare ahead of time and pack for a picnic. They will make a nice change from a cheese sandwich and a packet of crisps!
Some people can be a little worried about food safety when packing a picnic so here are some of our top tips for a trouble-free picnic.
Monday: Prawn and chorizo salad
Monday night’s meal is inspired by my in-laws! They are passionate foodies, who get excited about creating recipes. They very much work as a duo and can pick up ingredients and create something amazing from scratch. They send me some of their creations as inspiration for my menus. So, here’s one of their recipes, prawn and chorizo salad.
Tuesday: Ginger pork with egg noodles
I created this recipe because for some reason I had a craving for ginger and the combination of ginger and pork is really nice. I tried to make an Asian quick fix meal that has a subtle, not too strong, ginger flavour that is suitable for everyone’s taste. If you love ginger like I do, feel free to add more! I also added yellow pepper as they’re nice and sweet and give the impression that the pork is caramelised. It’s really quick to prepare this dish and easy to make at the last minute.
Wednesday: Avocado, spinach, quinoa, strawberries and goat’s cheese salad
This salad is made with some of the vegetables and fruits in season in June. Plus, it is perfect for a summer picnic!
Thursday: Sunny vegetable pizza
Amanda was asked to babysit for our friend’s children last week. She got a little bit stressed as the children only speak French (she’s English). She needed to give them their dinner and so I created this easy child friendly recipe for her, sunny vegetable pizza. Apparently, it went down quite well and so I decided to include it in this week’s meal plan.
Friday: Lemon turkey kebabs with vegetable rice
I have always been passionate about food. This passion comes from an early age and followed me throughout my life, as I was very lucky to be surrounded by amazing and inspirational cooks.
From one of my grandmothers, I learnt traditional French cuisine, the ability to cook without measuring precisely and the art of improvisation. Her cooking was all about pleasure, enjoyment and sharing. Friday’s meal is a version of her amazing rice recipe although with a lot more vegetables! The combination of lemon and thyme is something I created because I wanted to add lemon for freshness for summer. Also, the kebabs can easily be barbecued for guests.
