Pan Bagnat

It's that time of year when we get to enjoy the sun and eat outside and one of my favourite things to do is have a picnic. The great thing with a picnic is that you can really take along any food you like – if its a last minute thing where the sun has decided to make an appearance and you want to make the most of it then some bread, cheese, salamis and ham, pate and fruit make for a perfect picnic. If however its a planned event and you have some time, try out some new recipes and ideas – perfect for a special treat! And even if the sun decides not to cooperate, with these recipes you will be more than happy to enjoy them indoors as well!

Pan Bagnat

They key to a good picnic is that the food has to be easily portable. On top of that every picnic needs a good sandwich or two....so what could be better that a Pan Bagnat?! Don't be fooled by what looks like an ordinary loaf of bread – this is bread that has been hollowed out and filled with the most delicious fillings possible – the ultimate sandwich that is all compacted together in a loaf of bread! You can basically fill it with anything you like and if time isn't on your side head to your nearest deli for a selection of goodies to put inside. This hidden treasure will please everyone!

{It's hard to give exact quantities for this recipe as it will depend on the size of the loaf of bread you have but I always say its better to have too much than too little! Besides, any leftovers will make a perfect antipasti addition to the picnic!}

1 large loaf of bread – ideally round or oval

3-4 tbsp pesto or olive tapenade

Good few handfuls of rocket {arugula} and spinach – or other salad leaves of your choice

Thinly sliced char-grilled zucchinis/ courgettes*

Prosciutto

Char-grilled portabello mushrooms, thinly sliced**

Buffalo mozzarella, sliced

Salami of your choice

Roasted red peppers

Salt & pepper

Cut the top off the bread then carefully remove the majority of the loaf (keep the bread and make into breadcrumbs and freeze). Leave enough to keep the loaf intact but ideally you want it to just be a shell. Spread some pesto or tapenade all over the bottom of the loaf then simply start layering the ingredients! I like to start with a layer of salad leaves so that they get pressed down then simply go in the order as listed above. Season the mozzarella with some salt and pepper before continuing with the layers. Fill the loaf as much as you can – if you need to you can start repeating the layers. Finish by spreading the top of the loaf of bread with some more pesto or tapenade then fit it back onto the loaf. Wrap up and tie with some butcher's twine to secure.

When ready to serve either slice the loaf as you ordinarily would of if you prefer and have a round loaf of bread you can cut it into wedges – either way you are guaranteed a delicious sandwich!

*For the zucchinis (courgettes) I found some lovely small Italian ones that I simply thinly sliced lengthways then drizzled with some olive oil. We grilled them on the BBQ but you could easily use a griddle pan until they had nice char marks and were perfectly tender then finished them off with a spritz of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

**For the mushrooms, again I drizzled over a little olive oil then cooked them on the BBQ until they were lightly charred, tender and juicy. Finish them off as with the courgettes with some lemon, salt and pepper then slice into thin slices.

*One Year Ago - Lemon Icicle