Finger Food - Picnic

With the arrival of summer it is nice to rediscovers the pleasures of spending time in the open air, either by taking a trip to the countryside, having a garden party or even a picnic. It’s a nice opportunity to get together with friends and family and have some fun, may be even practice some sport and play outdoor games – who knows!

Here are a few simple and healthy recipes to prepare and to add to the garden party menu and/or picnic. These recipes are simple and fun to prepare. One could even get the children involved in their preparation.

Strawberry and kiwi lollipops: 

• Time to prepare 10 minutes approx.
• Ingredients for 16 fruit lollipops: 1 kiwi, 5 strawberries, 16 chocolate sticks 

Preparation: 

1. Peel the kiwi and cut into large slices 

2. Wash the strawberries and cut them into 3 large slices, length ways 

3. Place one slice of fruit per chocolate stick as shown in photo. 

Blackberries and mozzarella skewers

• Time to prep: 10 minutes approx..
• Ingredients for 6 skewers: 1 tray of blackberries, 1 pack of small mozzarella balls, some basil leaves, skewers 

Preparation: 

1. rinse the blackberries with water and a drop of vinegar and dry them gently with kitchen paper towel 

2. Make up the skewers by alternating with 3 blackberries, then 3 small mozzarella’s and adding some basil leaves in between.

Fruit skewers 

• Time to prep: 30 minutes approx. + cooling time
• Ingredients for 10-12 skewers: 1 slice of watermelon, 1 melon, 150 g mixed berries (i.e. raspberries, blackberries, etc.) 1 small glass of raspberry juice, 12 g of jelly leaves, 50 g of sugar

Preparation: 

1. Wash and gently dry the berries with kitchen paper towel. 
2. Soak in cold water the jelly leaves and bring to boil 3 dl of water with sugar, remove from the heat, add the jelly leaves once you have squeezed out the excess water and blend together. 
3. Add the raspberry juice and let it cool. 
4. Pour a thin layer of jelly into a small rectangular baking tray and put it in the freezer. 
5. Once the jelly has solidified place the berries on the chilled jelly and cover the fruit with the remaining almost cold liquid jelly and place in the fridge. 
6. Cut the watermelon and the melon into cubes. 
7. When the jelly is well congealed remove it from the tray and cut it into cubes.
8. Keep the fruit and jelly in the fridge and when ready to serve make up the skewers alternating a cube of fruit to a cube of jelly – decorate with a leaf of mint, if desired.

Watermelon basket

• Time to prep: 30 minutes approx. 
• Ingredients: 1 watermelon, 1 melon

Preparation: 

1. Cut the watermelon into the shape of a basket. 
2. Cut the watermelon pulp into slices and then use biscuit molds to create different shapes.
3. Do the same with the pulp of the melon. 
4. Fill the watermelon basket with the shapes. The younger children will have great fun helping you make the basket. 

Rainbow of fruit 

• Time to prep: 30 minutes approx. 
• Ingredients for 6: 2 kiwi’s, 1 melon, 1 tray of blueberries, 1 pineapple , 3 trays of strawberries, ½ lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of sugar (preferably brown sugar), 250 ml whipping cream, 50 g icing sugar

Preparation: 

1. Wash the fruit and cut it into pieces and keep it separate, melt the sugar in the lemon juice and sprinkle it over the diced fruit. 
2. Take a serving dish and start to make the rainbow beginning from the outer circle as shown in the picture. First the strawberries, then the melon, pineapple, kiwi and finish with the blueberries.
3. Add the whipped cream with the icing sugar to form 2 clouds at the base of the rainbow.

Some children may not like the lemon despite the added sugar. Simply replace the lemon with natural fruit juice without the added sugar.