How to elevate your summer picnic with seasonal ingredients; a top fine-dining chef shares his recipes

Summer is finally here and what better way to celebrate than enjoying a tasty picnic? Executive Head Chef Kevin Bonello from The Grand, York, shares his favourite recipes for al fresco dining, featuring seasonal superstar ingredients to help take your picnic to the next level.

Having spent most of his culinary journey training across various Michelin-starred restaurants before heading up Legacy in York, Kevin is no stranger to elevating classic dishes with seasonal produce.

Pictured: Executive Head Chef at The Grand, York, Kevin Bonello.

“At Legacy, using seasonal produce from Yorkshire is a daily practice. We are constantly in contact with farmers, producers and fishermen, to get updates on the in-season items ready to use, or those going off-season, as we want to make the very best use of every ingredient.

This not only allows us to support the local suppliers who are vital for the county’s economy, but also ensures every ingredient is in its prime, allowing it to taste and look its best.” Kevin says.

For an elevated picnic menu, Kevin suggests serving:

Charred asparagus & gem lettuce salad with a calamansi & honey dressing

A light and refreshing salad perfect for light lunches on warmer days.

Ingredients

12pc jumbo green asparagus

100ml virgin olive oil

4pc little gem lettuce

50ml calamansi juice

1tbsp honey

1tsp finely chopped tarragon

1tsp finely chopped chives

Salt & black pepper to taste

Method

Trim off the woody parts of the asparagus and season with salt and a little olive oil

Place the seasoned asparagus on a grill for about 2-3 minutes, tossing continuously until a charred colour is achieved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cut the gem lettuces in half, season with olive oil and salt and then grill for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the dressing; mix the calamansi juice, olive oil, honey, tarragon and chives and shake well until combined.

Serve by drizzling the charred asparagus and gem lettuces with a good amount of the dressing, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Rye bread bagel filled with crème fraiche, smoked trout and beetroot relish

These bagels will keep for up to 6 hours if wrapped and kept in a cool place, making them ideal for summer days out.

Ingredients

4pc rye bread bagel

150g crème fraiche

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

1tsp finely chopped dill & chives

160g smoked trout

120g beetroot relish

 Method

Mix the crème fraiche with lemon zest & juice and finely chopped dill & chives.

Cut the bagels in half horizontally spreading both sides with the crème fraiche mixture.

Top with the smoked trout and beetroot relish.

Strawberries and cream tart topped with a zesty crumble

A sweet treat using flavours synonymous with summer.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

35g beaten egg

100g unsalted butter

200g caster sugar

300g flour

For the Chantilly cream:

200g whipping cream

30g caster sugar

A few drops of vanilla essence

For the crumble:

50g cold, diced, unsalted butter

50g icing sugar

50g flour

50g ground almonds

Zest of 1 orange

250g strawberries

Method

To make the pastry cases: using your fingertips, rub together the flour and butter in a bowl until it forms a breadcrumb-like texture.

Mix the sugar and beaten egg into the bowl.

Using ceramic baking beans, blind bake the tart cases at around 180c until golden brown and set aside to cool.

To make the Chantilly cream: whip together the cream, caster sugar and vanilla essence either by hand or using an electric mixer, until soft peaks form.

To make the crumble: rub the flour, butter and almonds together in a bowl, until a breadcrumb-like texture is formed. Mix in the icing sugar.

Bake the crumb mix at 180c for around 15 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.

To construct the tarts, spread the Chantilly cream across the bottom of the cooled pastry tart cases, then top the cream layer with slices of strawberry and a helping of crumble topping, and garnish with orange zest.

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