Garden Party For One (Or Two!)

Summer is just not the same without a gaggle of friends and a picnic, enjoying Pimms on the lawn.

This year however, there are no street parties or beach barbeques. Under Lockdown, our beloved friends and neighbours must keep well away in their own homes.

But even though we’re all locked in, there’s no reason why we can’t bring the house down from our own back yard.

Whether you’re alone, or lucky enough to live with a friend, family member, or partner, here are a few little indulgences to make your ‘cocktail hour’ just a little more special.

Humitas

A savoury corn dip, originating from South America, particularly Argentina and Ecuador. Perfect with grilled meat, or vegetarian options, and if you want to make this recipe vegan, swap the butter for extra olive oil, and the cream for soy or coconut cream.

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 clove garlic

15ml olive oil

100g unsalted butter

½ tbsp. vegetable stock

100ml whipping cream

500g corn on the cob (grilled)

50ml water

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Crush the garlic and mix it with olive oil.
2. Sweat the garlic and oil mixture with the onions and butter in a pan over low heat.
3. Scrape kernels from the corn on the cob and add them to the pan with milk and water. Bring the mixture to the boil.
4. Allow to cool and blend until smooth, and add seasoning to taste.

Strawberry, Mint and Cucumber Salad (serves 2)

Light, refreshing, and the ideal accompaniment to a glass of Pimms, this Strawberry, Mint and Cucumber salad is a classic side with fragrant notes.

Ingredients:

200g strawberries, sliced

1 medium cucumber, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp lime juice

Small handful of chopped fresh mint

1. Mix the olive oil and lime juice together.
2. Mix the strawberries, cucumber and mint in a bowl.
3. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!

Peaches and Cream Scones

A classic twist on the traditional English cream tea, the addition of peach makes these scones a fluffy, airy treat to finish a meal, or simply to enjoy with jam, cream and a cuppa.

Ingredients:

225g self-raising flour

1 pinch salt

50g butter (unsalted)

1 peach, chopped

1 large egg + cream to make up to 150ml

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 225°C.
2. Mix flour with salt and rub in butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then, mix in sugar and peach.
3. Add cream and egg mixture and combine everything to form a dough.
4. Roll out the dough, and cut it into rounds using a scone cutter.
5. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
6. Serve with jam and cream.

Pomegranate Pimms

Missing your trip to Turkey this year? This is a great way to spice up your sunny day tipple, and infuse some holiday flavour into your Lockdown.

Ingredients:

200ml Pimms

200ml pomegranate juice

15cm chunk of cucumber

100g pomegranate seeds

600ml lemonade

1. Mix the Pimms, pomegranate juice and lemonade in a jug.
2. Add cucumber and pomegranate seeds.
3. Allow the mix to infuse in the fridge until it is ready to serve.

Article by Caterquip.