Top Cornish Recipes For Picnic Days

Warm days, wonderful views and walks in the sun. Remember that feeling of lying on a soft blanket, grass between your toes and watching the soft clouds drift by overhead. Well the good news is picnic days are back! We've put together our favourite Cornish picnic recipes so you can have the perfect day...

Cornish Heavy or Hevva Cake

A traditional Cornish cake that is perfect for picnics as it's strong and can take being packed and wobbled around really well!

Ingredients:

• 500g self-raising flour
• 250g butter
• 360g mixed dried fruit
• 180g sugar
• 100ml milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a medium, square cake tin
2. Rub the butter into the flour until it's the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and fruit and mix well. Add the milk and mix to a soft, stiff dough
3. Press into the cake tin, pushing down firmly in the corners. Score the top of the cake with a sharp knife, making criss-cross diagonal lines
4. Place in the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
5. Remove from the oven and while still warm, brush with milk and give a generous sprinkling of granulated sugar. 

Chervil Cornish New Potatoes

Cornwall produces some of the best new potatoes around, and this recipe keeps it simple whilst bringing out the beautiful flavours and textures. Perfect for spring when the first new potatoes are fresh from the Cornish fields.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Cornish new potatoes
• 2 oz butter
• 1 lemon
• 1 small bunch fresh chervil

Method:

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the Cornish new potatoes (in their skins) and cook until tender
2. Melt the butter in another pan. Toss in the cooked potatoes, chervil leaves, seasoning and a little lemon zest.
3. Serve warm or cold

Cornish Clotted Cream

Yes you can buy it in the shops, but it's so easy and satisfying to make yourself and of course it's absolutely delicious with fresh Cornish strawberries or scones and jam (we'll leave the jam/cream first debate out of this!).

Ingredients:

• 600ml of the best double cream you can find

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 75°C and pour the cream into a wide, shallow baking dish. The cream should only be an inch or two deep, you want lots of surface area to get that yummy clotted cream crust.
2. Place the cream in the oven for 12 hours or overnight.
3. Remove it from the oven, allow to cool to room temperature and then leave in the fridge for 8 hours.
4. Using a large spoon or spatula, push the cream gently aside at one corner and pour the remaining liquid cream into a container. What you're left with is heavenly clotted cream!
5. Store in the fridge and enjoy

Cornish Mackerel Salad

When you think of Cornish fish, mackerel are always first in mind. This fresh and zingy salad is perfect for spring days. Why not try catching your own mackerel?

Ingredients:

• 150g hot-smoked Cornish mackerel
• 1 avocado
• Juice of ½ lemon, plus an extra squeeze
• 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 250g pack ready-cooked puy lentils
• 2 handfuls of salad leaves
• Handful of fresh chives
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Break the mackerel into small chunks and put in a bowl. Chop the avocado into chunk and squeeze over a little lemon juice to stop it going brown
2. Add the avocado, tomatoes, lentils, salad leaves and chopped chives to the mackerel. 
3. In a jar shake together the lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper, a pinch of caster sugar and olive oil.
4. Pour over the salad, toss together and serve.

Pack your picnic in one of our gorgeous Roka backpacks - they're vegan friendly, ethically made and come in a range of spring colours.