There’s no doubt it’s been ideal barbecue and picnic weather these past couple of weeks.
If you still have some outdoor dining events or parties planned, here are a couple of ideas from Tracklements sauces that you can rustle up and take with you.
All that’s needed now is a nice cool beverage and some SPF30.
If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy a picnic in the north-east, be sure to check out one of these most scenic spots.
Sausage rolls with spiced honey mustard
Makes 16-24
Ingredients
- 375g pack puff pastry
- Plain flour, enough for dusting (usually a handful)
- 2 tbsp Tracklements Spiced Honey Mustard, or your favourite mustard
- 450g good-quality pork sausage meat (or sausages)
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 1 small onion, peeled and very finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to season
- 1 egg, beaten
Method
Preheat oven to 180C Fan/200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Lightly grease two large baking trays.
Roll the pastry (even if you have bought a ready rolled sheet of pastry you still need to roll it thinner) until it is approx 30cm x 30cm and then cut in half lengthways.
Spread 1½ dessertspoons (approx 3tsp) of the Tracklements Spiced Honey Mustard on to each oblong of pastry.
In a bowl mix together the sausage meat (if using sausages snip skins and peel), parsley, onion and season.
Divide the mixture into two and shape each into a long sausage shape on top of the pastry.
Brush one edge with beaten egg and then roll up with the seam underneath and seal.
Cut each roll into 2.5cm lengths, make a small slit in the top of each roll, brush with beaten egg and pop on to the baking trays.
Bake for 20-25 minutes then cool before eating.
Goat’s cheese, tomato and courgette tart with relish
Serves 8
Ingredients
- Plain flour, enough for dusting (usually a handful)
- 320g pack shortcrust pastry
- 2 large courgettes, coarsely grated
- 1-2 tsp salt
- Knob of butter
- Handful of cherry tomatoes, cut into chunky slices
- 215ml whipping cream
- 3 eggs, beaten
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- ½ jar of Tracklements Sticky Fig Relish, or your favourite relish alternative
- 110g soft goat’s cheese
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C Fan/ 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
- Lightly dust a surface with flour and roll out the pastry into a large circle approx half a centimetre thick. Line a tart tin (about 23cm) with the pastry and cut away the excess.
- Prick the pastry all over with a fork, line with baking paper, fill with baking beans and blind bake for 10-15 minutes until the pastry starts to turn golden.
- Remove paper and beans. Cook for five more minutes until crisp and cooked through. Leave to cool.
- Put the courgettes into a bowl, sprinkle with 1-2tsp of salt and mix. Leave for a few minutes then tip on to kitchen towel or a clean tea towel and press to remove all the excess liquid.
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the courgettes and tomatoes to the pan. Cook for around three minutes.
- Put the courgettes and tomatoes in a bowl and add the cream and the egg.
- Add some ground black pepper (and salt if the salt from the courgettes isn’t enough).
- Reduce oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Spread the Sticky Fig Relish over the bottom of the tart case, add the courgette mixture, crumble the goat’s cheese on top.
- Bake for 40 mins until set.
- Cool before cutting.