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Gourmet picnic recipes
What to be different? Try my gourmet picnic recipes to transform an ordinary picnic idea into something really memorable. This is for those situations where you want to impress and spoil your partner.
Choose your picnic site with care. You want beautiful surroundings as a backdrop to create a feeling of scrumptiousness, luxury and decadence.
You may want to dress up. If you want to go a step further – have your picnic at night by romantic candle light (or fairy lights).
When preparing these gourmet picnic recipes (below) keep 2 simple (but essential) rules in mind:
Use the best ingredients you can afford
Presentation is everything.
Gourmet picnic recipes:
Let's start with a classic:
Caviar
the gourmet way
You'll need: Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan cheese, finely shredded Caviar or salmon roe (3 tablespoons)
Arrange the equivalent of a heaped tablespoon of cheese (per person) into a 2 inch circle on greaseproof oven paper.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully – you want bubbly and lightly golden.
Cool for a minute and then remove with a spatula. Drape onto tin foil (shaped into a cup) or place in muffin tins to stiffen into cup shapes. Refrigerate.
(At your picnic site) Place cheese cup on a pretty plate and spoon about a half teaspoon caviar and/or salmon roe into it.
Gourmet Steak with truffle
2 boneless rib eye steaks Black truffle oil Salt and pepper
Let the steak breathe at room temperature for at least a hour.
Preheat your grill (high)
Using your hands – season the steak evenly with salt, pepper and truffle oil.
Place the steaks on grill and turn the heat down to medium high.
Grill 3-5 minutes on each side (according to taste)
Let it cool, slice and drizzle with more truffle oil. Serve with asparagus.
To make a gourmet vinaigrette: Mix a tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, a small minced garlic clove and salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the asparagus thinly into long strips.
Toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten.
Garnish with fennel.
Gourmet Cheese platter
You will need a minimum of 3 cheeses for your picnic. Since this is a gourmet picnic dessert I would suggest that you have a selection of 5 or more cheeses:
A Pungent Blue Cheese, such as Gorgonzola, Limburger, Stilton, Munster, Stinking Bishop, Pont l'Eveque, Taleggio, Epoisses, Camembert au Calvados.
Sweet and fruity - Dutch Gouda, Swiss Emmantel, Danish Havarti, or a French Brie.
Savory cheeses - Roquefort, Bricotta, Ricotta Salata and Caerphilly.
Cheese needs to sit at room temperature for at least an hour or two before eating – ideal for a picnic. Provide a knife for each selection so that the flavors don’t intermingle.
You can serve the cheeses on their own or with a selection of fruits, nuts, and bread:
A beautiful picnic basket that will surely impress. Read more about picnic baskets and other picnic goodies you can splash out on.
When planning your gourmet picnic recipes make sure that you pay special attention to presentation. Your food should look beautiful – a seduction of tastes and textures.
Consider unusual dishes, use your best quality cutlery (nothing plastic or disposable), finest glasses and spend time on memorable garnishes. Only the best for your gourmet picnic recipes! Go all out!
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Arrange the equivalent of a heaped tablespoon of cheese (per person) into a 2 inch circle on greaseproof oven paper. 
