Pep up that picnic! From a loaf stuffed with filling, to ワイン in a watermelon, here’s the 平易な way to eat alfresco

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Picnic season is upon us and, come rain or 向こうずね, eating alfresco is an obligatory part of the 広大な／多数の／重要な British Summer.

But you can forget soggy 挟むs and flasks of lukewarm tea.

Because ‘picnic-scaping’ is the hot 傾向 of the summer, with a host of glorious and delicious 切り開く／タクシー／不正アクセスs designed to make your picnic mess-解放する／自由な, 強調する／ストレス-解放する／自由な and oh-so-chic.

And it’s not all about the food. 最高の，を越す 内部のs brands have 開始する，打ち上げるd 流行の／上流の takes on everything from baskets to 一面に覆う／毛布s, while A-listers from Gwyneth Paltrow to Reese Witherspoon have taken to social マスコミ to show off their sumptuous spreads.

So how can you transform your sad old picnic into a lavish outdoor feast?

From a watermelon ワイン cooler to a surprise 挟む inside a loaf of bread, SARAH RAINEY 明らかにする／漏らすs how to pimp up your picnic...

TURN BREAD INTO A SURPRISE SANDWICH

From a watermelon ワイン cooler to a surprise 挟む inside a loaf of bread, Sarah Rainey (pictured) 明らかにする／漏らすs how to pimp up your picnic

さもなければ known as a ‘park loaf’, this is an ingenious way to save on messy fillings 流出／こぼすing out of 粘着する-filmed 挟むs and cumbersome tupperware.

The method is simple: buy a large, oblong loaf ― a chunky farmhouse or white sourdough will 持つ／拘留する its 形態／調整 best ― slice off the 最高の，を越す and scoop out the doughy centre.

Then, pack your lunch inside the crust. Start by spreading plenty of pesto or mayonnaise over the bread, then 追加する a 層 of ham or salami to line the insides, and follow with whatever else you fancy.I used 取調べ／厳しく尋問するd vegetables, slices of mozzarella cheese and mixed salad leaves. 層 the fillings, packing them 負かす／撃墜する as you go, until they reach the 最高の，を越す of the loaf. 取って代わる the lid, 包む the bread in tinfoil and tie some string around it, 新たな展開ing it tightly.

A （人が）群がる-pleasing centrepiece, it 作品 井戸／弁護士席 with salad-based fillings, too; try making a chicken Caesar salad or マグロ ni?oise and packing this inside.

ENJOY A MELON WINE COOLER

Tipping a 瓶／封じ込める of cheap vodka into a watermelon is something many of us will remember from our student days ― but this classier 見解／翻訳／版 uses a 瓶／封じ込める of Sauvignon Blanc (pictured)

Tipping a 瓶／封じ込める of cheap vodka into a watermelon is something many of us will remember from our student days ― but this classier 見解／翻訳／版 uses a 瓶／封じ込める of Sauvignon Blanc.

ワイン 瓶／封じ込めるs can be clunky and 激しい to carry on a picnic, not to について言及する the 危険 of broken glass. 注ぐing your ワイン into a 冷気／寒がらせるd watermelon before you 始める，決める out is the ultimate 切り開く／タクシー／不正アクセス.

Start by 冷気／寒がらせるing a watermelon (a small/medium one will serve around six people) in the fridge 夜通し so it’s nice and icy.

Then, using a sharp knife, 削減（する） a small 穴を開ける in the 最高の，を越す, no bigger than the size of the corkscrew from a ワイン 瓶／封じ込める. Once you’ve pierced the 肌, use a melon baller to reach inside and 除去する the red flesh (you can save this for later or puree it to make a watermelon coulis for your cocktail).

When the fruit is hollowed out, dec ant a 瓶／封じ込める of ワイン inside, before using the cork to plug the 最高の，を越す. 安全な・保証する it with a cocktail stick through the 肌 to 確実にする it won’t 漏れる.

At the picnic, serve up some watermelon ワイン: half a glass of 冷静な／正味の liquid from the fruit, topped up with soda water.

SERVE YOUR CAKE (AND SALAD) IN JARS

Cake jars are the 甘い 傾向 of the summer, with M&S’s £4 tubs of raspberry sponge, chocolate cake and millionaire’s shortcake 飛行機で行くing off the 棚上げにするs.

But it’s simple ― and cheaper ― to make your own cake jars. Start by 投資するing in some lidded Kilner jars (these come in 250ml and 500ml sizes, from £6.79 at amazon.co.uk) and a large, shop-bought cake. Put a jar open-味方する 負かす／撃墜する on 最高の，を越す of the cake and 圧力（をかける） 負かす／撃墜する 堅固に, so it goes through all the 層s, before upending it and scooping the circle of cake inside.

Repeat until the jar is 十分な, 追加するing a 層 of jam, buttercream or chocolate sauce in between each sponge scoop. 取って代わる the lid and refrigerate until the picnic.

CREATE A SCRUMMY PLOUGHMAN’S PIE

Sweaty salami and plasticky, pre-sliced cheese are not ideal for a posh picnic ― so take things to the next level by making a ploughman’s lunch inside a pie.

I used shop-bought shortcrust pastry; a 375g packet should be enough to line a 20cm greased pie dish, with a third held 支援する for the 最高の，を越す.

Next, I mixed six slices of ham (chopped), 200g sausage meat, 250g cooked chicken pieces, 100g pickled onions (halved), three hard-boiled eggs (halved), a tablespoon of wholegrain 情熱 and two tablespoons of chopped parsley together in a bowl.

I spooned half the filling into the pastry-lined dish, topped with 200g sliced cheddar cheese, and then 追加するd the 残り／休憩（する） of the filling before covering with the pastry lid. I 得点する／非難する／２０d the 最高の，を越す with a knife, made a small 穴を開ける in the middle to let the steam escape, 小衝突d it with beaten egg and then baked it at 180c for an hour.

Once golden brown, I left the pie to 冷静な／正味の 完全に before 蓄える／店ing it in the fridge. 井戸／弁護士席-wrapped, it’s the perfect savoury 軽食.

さもなければ known as a ‘park loaf’, a loaf stuffed with filling (pictured) is an ingenious way to save on messy fillings 流出／こぼすing out of 粘着する-filmed 挟むs and cumbersome tupperware

DRINK FROM SQUASHABLE CUPS

There's nothing worse than 注ぐing a refreshing drink at a picnic, only for it to 倒れる の上に the grass and 流出／こぼす moments later.

There are さまざまな 解答s for this 窮地, not least a 始める，決める of nifty ‘drinks sticks’ (£15 for four, johnlewis.com) which 持つ／拘留する the 茎・取り除く of your glass 安定した and poke into the ground like a 火刑／賭ける. But the cleverest by far is the squashable ワイン glass: a silicone design which is said to be unbreakable and unspillable.

Another smart 解答 for alfresco drinks is cocktails in a can. And when it comes to keeping （水以外の）飲料s 冷静な／正味の, stick a bunch of grapes in the freezer the night before and pop a few into everyone’s drink on arrival.

If you want to 避ける a bland lunch, seasoning is 決定的な ― and often forgotten in picnic planning.

But that doesn’t mean your 捕らえる、獲得する needs to be clanking with an array of jars, tubs and tubes.

Decant the liquid condiments into smaller コンテナs ― I used old Tic Tac packets, but you could also try empty hummus tubs.

Make sachets for your salt and pepper out of tin 失敗させる／負かす, 新たな展開ing the ends so they don’t 漏れる. If your menu 要求するs fresh herbs, 凍結する these the night before you 始める，決める out, chop them at the last minute and bring them along in 挟む 捕らえる、獲得するs; this will keep them green and sprightly.

GIVE YOUR GUESTS ECO CROCKERY

Reusable plates, cups and bowls abound on the High Street ( 始める，決めるs of four from £12 at johnlewis.com) or you can go high-end and buy a colourful 選択 from Selfridges (£38 for four, selfridges.com, pictured)

When it comes to crockery, bamboo is infinitely better than paper. Reusable plates, cups and bowls abound on the High Street (始める，決めるs of four from £12 at johnlewis.com) or you can go high-end and buy a colourful 選択 from Selfridges (£38 for four, selfridges.com).

INVEST IN HANDY OUTDOOR GADGETS

Keep things modern with outdoor gadgets, designed to make your alfresco experience more enjoyable without 本体，大部分／ばら積みのing out your 捕らえる、獲得する.

A portable coffee machine (such as the Aeropress Go, £29.99 at amazon.co.uk) is a must for caffeine （麻薬）常用者s, while music-lovers won’t go anywhere without a portable （衆議院の）議長; retro specialists Roberts 無線で通信する do a chic 範囲 with a 12-hour 殴打／砲列 life (£149.99, robertsradio.com).

And if you’re there for the long 運ぶ／漁獲高, don’t forget lighting. Try using solar-力／強力にするd garden lanterns (from £45, johnlewis.com).