All I want to eat when the sun shines is picnic food, and this week’s recipe is the perfect portable picnic treat for dining alfresco. It is a sliceable pie filled to the brim with layers of beautiful Mediterranean flavours, delivering a dose of sunshine in every mouthful.
It takes a bit of time to put together, but this family-sized pie will feed a crowd; and if it isn’t devoured on your picnic, it is perfect eaten up to a few days later for lunch or a light supper.
I’ve given the recipe for a basic shortcrust pastry, which is easy to handle and will hold its pie shape when cooked. It can be thrown together in a food processor, stand mixer or by hand, whichever you have available to you, and stored in the fridge for up to a few days before assembling.
Once the tin is lined, it is just a case of layering up all those beautiful vegetables before popping a pastry lid on top. I’m using a mix of griddled courgettes and aubergines, roasted peppers, caramelised onions and a lemony spinach and ricotta mix to really bring out those bright sunny flavours. But you can use any roasted vegetables you like.
The vegetable components can be prepared ahead, as they need to be cold before assembling the pie. I grate a little Parmesan on the base of the raw pastry before layering up the vegetables; this gives the base a protective layer once baked.
The pie needs to chill completely once it comes out of the oven, so resist cutting into it before it is completely cool, an hour or two should suffice. It will keep for a few days well covered.
Recipe: Picnic pie
