Summer Picnic Menu

Sun-dried Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette, sliced
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• ¾ cup chopped coriander
• 2 cups of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
• 30 slices fresh mozzarella
• Chopped parsley

Mix all the ingredients except the baguette, mozzarella and parsley. Brush the baguette slices lightly with the olive oil, place on a medium grill and toast. Remove from grill and spread a spoonful of the mixture on each toasted slice. Now put a slice of the mozzarella on top of each baguette and return to the grill, on an indirect heat. When the cheese has melted, remove from grill and sprinkle with the parsley.

Dijon Mustard and Herb-Glazed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced lemon zest
• ¼ cup fresh mixed herbs

Mix the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest and herbs together. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Spoon the mixture over the chicken breasts. Place them on a pan and grill under a medium heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Then bake in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius (gas mark 5) for 15 minutes – until the juices are no longer running pink.

Dried Cherry and Almond Biscotti
(Makes about 40 biscuits)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• ¾ teaspoon extract of almond
• 1 cup of unbleached flour
• 1 cup of whole-wheat pastry flour
• 7 cups sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup of toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup of dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius (gas mark 2). Beat the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract together with a wire whisk. Put the flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a mixing bowl and blend. Now add the egg/vanilla/almond mixture and blend it all together. Now add the nuts and cherries and mix. Line a baking tray with baking paper and scoop the dough out into two lengths approximately 30 cm long, 2 cm high and 7 cm wide. Bake this in the oven for 50 minutes, then remove and let it cool for 5 minutes. Now take a sharp knife and make diagonal cuts in the dough, approximately 1 cm apart. Turn the biscuits upside down and return to the oven at 140 degree Celsius (gas mark 2) heat until they are toasted – approximately 20 minutes. Turn them once during this time to evenly cook the biscuits. Store in a tightly sealed container.