Picnic to go

The next several weeks are punctuated by reasons for enjoying a picnic. Hopefully, fine weather will be a catalyst for many family excursions, including perhaps to one of the numerous agricultural shows taking place the length and breadth of Scotland.

There are so many stalls selling food at these events that you might wonder, why bother to take your own picnic? But it is always better to provide for yourself, with food packed to withstand both travel and – fingers crossed – hot sun.

Items that do not travel well and deteriorate fast in heat are mayonnaise, whipped cream and chocolate. All three can be successfully combined with other foods, but on their own they can spell disaster. Mayonnaise, in heat, pools into an oily slop, as does whipped cream. And melted chocolate gets absolutely everywhere.

But today I give you a recipe using chocolate as the filling for peanut biscuits, which should satisfy those who, like me, crave the dark stuff. And, since food for picnics is easiest when it's encased in something such as bread or pastry, the other two recipes allow for either case.

If the weather is chilly, it is important to have sustaining food to provide warmth. But whatever you take for your picnic, keep it simple, augmented with bowls or plates of cherry tomatoes, slivers of red peppers and fruits – strawberries, raspberries and cherries – which can all be eaten with fingers, along with the peanut butter and chocolate biscuits.

EGG, HERB AND ANCHOVY BUTTERED BUNS

SERVES 4

4oz/110g butter

2 teaspoons anchovy essence or paste

4 buns (I buy the long and soft submarine buns for this recipe)

2 heaped tablespoons chopped mixed herbs (these can be any you like but, for me, it's parsley, chives and chervil)

1/2 teaspoon salt

about 15 grinds of the peppermill

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

8 large eggs, beaten together well with

1 tablespoon water

11/2 oz/40g butter, for cooking

Melt the 4oz/110g butter and mix in the anchovy essence or paste.

With a serrated knife, slice each bun in half lengthways, and pull out as much dough as you can without tearing the soft crusts.

Liberally brush the interior of each bun with melted anchovy butter.

Mix the chopped herbs, salt, pepper and Tabasco into the beaten egg and water omelette mixture.

Heat an omelette or crepe pan and add a tiny amount of butter, about 20g. When the butter is hot, add half the egg mixture. Let it cook on a moderate heat to seal the base of the omelette, then lift up the edges and let the runny mixture slip underneath, to seal. When the omelette is as cooked as you want – for me this means firmly cooked but there are many who prefer a runny mixture – divide it and put one half into each of two of the anchovy-buttered buns. Repeat with the remainder of the egg mixture. Let the buns and their contents cool before wrapping each in foil.

ONION, POTATO AND CHEESE PASTIES

These sustain during a long day. They are far better than bought pasties, and take so little time to make and bake.

SERVES 4

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 red onions, skinned and sliced very thinly

1-2 fat cloves of garlic, skinned and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

about 15 grinds of the peppermill

8oz/225g steamed or boiled new potatoes, chopped into thumbnail- sized cubes

8oz/225g cheese of your choice, cut into as even-sized bits as possible (my preference is for a soft and creamy cheese, such as Wummle, made by the Craigmyle Cheese Company in Aberdeenshire; use cheddar, a blue cheese or goats cheese instead, if you prefer)

1lb/450g short crust pastry, rolled quite thin and cut into 4 circles

2 eggs, beaten well

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the thinly sliced red onions over a moderately high heat, stirring from time to time, for 10-12 minutes. The onions should be thoroughly soft and beginning to caramelise – if they aren't, cook them for a few more minutes. Then stir in the garlic and the salt and pepper. Allow to cool.

Mix together the diced cooked potatoes, the cooled onions and the bits of cheese.

Divide this mixture evenly between each of the pastry circles, putting it on one half of each. Fold the other half over and brush the inside of the edges with beaten egg before pressing them firmly together. Crimp the edges by pressing evenly between your thumb tips.

Put the pasties onto a non-stick baking sheet and brush each thoroughly with beaten egg. Make three cuts across the top of each pasty – this allows steam to escape during cooking – and bake in a hot oven, 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6, until the pastry is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on a non-stick tray for about ten minutes before carefully lifting each pasty into a container – without its lid – to finish cooling.

Make sure the pasties are quite cool before you put the lid on the container or encase them in foil, or the condensation will make them slightly soggy.

PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

Anyone familiar with Reese's peanut butter chocolates will find these biscuits even better. They make perfect picnic food.

Makes about 30

1 jar of smooth peanut butter

8oz/225g soft light brown sugar

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate cream:

4oz/110g best butter – I use Lurpak

10oz/280g dark chocolate, broken into bits

Make the biscuits by scraping the contents from the jar of peanut butter into a mixing bowl. Add the soft brown sugar and mix both together very well. Add the bicarbonate of soda and the eggs, one at a time, mixing each in very well. Lastly, mix in the vanilla extract.

Take bits of dough and roll between the palms of your hands into small balls about 1in/2cm and put each on to a non-stick baking sheet, leaving about 2in between each ball. Bake in a moderate heat, 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, for 10-11 minutes. Leave the biscuits for a minute, before carefully lifting them onto a wire rack to cool.

Make the chocolate cream by melting the butter then adding the broken-up chocolate and stir, over a very gentle heat, until the chocolate has all melted. If you like, you can add more vanilla extract to this chocolate cream.

Allow to cool a little, but don't let the cream get cold and stiff or it will be difficult to spread. When just cool enough, use a good dollop of cream to sandwich the biscuits together.

Try freezing any drinks you're taking. Not only will they stay cold, they'll help keep your food chilled.