The Picnic Life

picnic THE

LIFE

A compilation of alfresco inspired recipes by top chefs from The Tweed & Byron Bay.

BLUE GINGER PICNICS

This book is dedicated to all the local creatives, entrepreneurs, farmers, artisans and producers who are committed to providing quality products, services, food and experiences that enhance the lives of so many.

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WHY PICNIC?

6

VEGETARIAN

14

SEAFOOD

20

SALADS

26

SWEET TREATS

35

COCKTAILS

44

WHO ARE WE?

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YOUR CELEBRATION

WHY PICNIC?

create cherished memories When you dine, laugh & experience nature with people you love, magic happens.

Spending time outdoors, away from the distractions of daily life, transforms moments that are often gone in a flash, into cherished memories.

Add delicious food and drinks to share, and you have all the ingredients for a perfect outdoor dining experience.

This compilation of alfresco inspired recipes will have you stocking your picnic hamper with food to share, and heading outside this weekend.

Aim to buy local where possible.

Locally grown crops are picked at their peak of ripeness, making them full of flavour, compared with unripe produce that's harvested early, selected for their perfect shape, preserved in cool rooms then shipped long distances to supermarkets.

Reducing the time from harvest to picnic ensures you're eating quality regional produce. Plus eating local reduces your environmental footprint and casts a vote on food standards.

VEGETARIAN

ALFRESCO

CAULIFLOWER & PEA FALAFEL SERVED WARM WITH HUMMUS SERVES 4-6 ½ head cauliflower 250g fresh peas (out of the shell) 250g ground, dried chickpeas (or falafel base) 3g ground cumin 3g ground coriander seeds 15g fresh mint 15g fresh parsley chilli, to taste salt, to taste

Courtesy of Renan Brasil, Taverna Kingscliff taverna.net.au Cut cauliflower into small florets.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch peas for 10 seconds then plunge into iced water. Drain.

Roughly chop fresh herbs.

In a food processor, combine florets, herbs and drained peas. Pulse until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, combine dried chickpeas, spices, chilli and salt.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until uniform. The mix should be soft but firm enough to shape. If the mix is too dry add a small amount of water. If the mix is too wet add more dried chickpeas.

Cover and allow mixture to rest in the refrigerator for an hour.

Roll into balls and deep or pan fry until heated through.

Perfect served warm with hummus, broccoli tabouli, fermented cabbage and crispy vine leaves.

PUMPKIN & CARAMELISED ONION TART WITH POMEGRANATE & SORREL

SERVES 6 1 butternut pumpkin, skin on, cut into wedges extra-virgin olive oil pinch of smoked hot paprika salt flakes freshly ground black pepper 100ml buttermilk flour, for dusting 2 sheets of puff pastry seeds of 1/2 pomegranate 2 handfuls of red-veined sorrel 50g roasted almonds, chopped 50g toasted pumpkin seeds Caramelised Onions: 80ml extra-virgin olive oil 2 large red onions, finely sliced 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/2 long red chilli, finely chopped 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 100ml red wine salt flakes

Courtesy of Three Blue Ducks threeblueducks.com Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced. Place the pumpkin in a roasting tin and coat well with oil. Sprinkle over the paprika, season with salt and pepper and roast for 30–35 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, for the caramelised onions, place a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat and add the oil, onion, garlic and chilli. Fry until the onion is translucent and softened. Add the vinegar and wine and cook until the liquid has reduced by three-quarters – it should be a bit sticky and sweet and darkly coloured. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Peel away the pumpkin skin and place the roasted flesh in a food processor. Add the buttermilk, season with salt and pepper and whiz to a smooth paste.

Scatter a little flour on a baking tray and lay the pastry sheets on top, pressing them together so they join end to end. Brush with oil and then smear the pumpkin puree over the pastry, leaving a 2 cm border around the edge. Using a teaspoon, blob the caramelised onions over the tart.

Bake until the pastry is golden and flaky at the edges, and the base is cooked through, about 15–20 minutes.

freshly ground black pepper Once cooked, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, sorrel, almonds and pumpkin seeds over the top, and you’re ready to slice and serve.

CRISPY TORTILLA QUICHE WITH ROOT VEGIES

SERVES 6 250g maize tortilla flour 1/2 tsp salt 350-375mls lukewarm water 1/4 cup pesto 1 cup roasted root vegetables 200g feta 8 eggs 480ml cream 2 tsp salt

Courtesy of Jordan Lamberth-Rosenberg, Kettle's On Cafe. kettlesoncafe.com Put flour in a bowl with the salt. Add water starting with 350ml, if the dough is too dry to come together add more water a little at a time until you have a soft but not sticky dough.

Knead for a minute to two, then allow to rest, covered for 20-30 minutes.

Divide mixture into golfball size balls then roll to make a disc about 15cm diameter.

Heat ungreased fry pan and cook tortillas until they change colour and start to puff up slightly then flip. Keep the tortillas warm and one by one press them into a greased standard muffin mould.

Fill the bottom of each with a spoonful of the roasted root vegetables. Top with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of feta cheese. Only a small amount of filling is needed as you want quiche to be crispy.

Combine eggs, salt and cream in a pouring jug.

Fill up tortillas.

Bake at 180ยบC for 20 minutes. Then give them a wobble if the egg mixture is not set, return to the over for a further 5-10 minutes.

Remove quiche from mould once cooked and allow to cool.

Best eaten at room temperature.

Photo courtesy of Mavis's Kitchen

SEAFOOD

ALFRESCO

Photo by Brett Boardman

LOBSTER SUNG CHOI BAO FRAGRANT LOBSTER IN LETTUCE CUPS

SERVES 8 1 kg cooked rock lobster 4 dried shiitake mushrooms 80ml macadamia nut oil 1 tbsp sesame oil 8 red Asian shallots, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp yellow bean sauce 3 tsp oyster sauce 3 tbsp fish sauce 6 chopped water chestnuts 6 chopped baby bamboo shoots 1/2 baby cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 2 scallions cut into 2cm lengths 3 basil leaves, torn 8 mint leaves, chopped 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, sliced 80g peanuts, toasted & chopped 1 tbsp squeezed lime juice 1 large mango, diced into cubes 1 chilled iceberg lettuce, leaves trimmed to form cups 3 tbsp dried Asian shallots

Courtesy of Steven Snow, Fins Restaurant fins.com.au To remove the lobster tail, grasp the head and body with two hands and twist firmly in opposite directions to release the tail. Using kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the shell on the underside and peel back the shell. Gently pull out the flesh in one piece. Gently pull out the vein and cut the lobster into small bite-sized pieces. Refrigerate until needed.

Soak the shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for 45 minutes. Squeeze out any excess moisture.

Discard the stems and finely slice the caps.

Heat the peanut and sesame oils in a wok over medium–high heat. Add the red shallots and garlic and fry for 2 minutes, or until golden.

Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the yellow bean, oyster and fish sauces and stir thoroughly.

Stir in the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, cucumber and spring onions. Add the lobster and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the basil, mint and lime leaves, the peanuts and lime juice and stir through.

Remove from the heat and add the mango.

Mix thoroughly.

Spoon the filling into the individual lettuce cups.

Scatter the dried Asian shallots over the top of each cup and serve.

SPICY PICKLED PRAWNS SERVED WITH CRISPY PAPADUMS

SERVES 6 XO Sauce: 1 eschallot very finely sliced 1 small white onion finely sliced 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste 25ml vinegar 50gm sugar 1 tbsp tomato relish or paste dash of fish sauce or pinch dried fish flakes (optional) ½ tbsp of chilli powder Pickle Temper: 6 tbsp oil for frying ¼ tsp black mustard seeds ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds ¼ tsp garam masala ¼ tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 sprig chopped curry leaves 2 birds eye chillies 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste 200ml white wine vinegar 4 tbsp caster sugar Prawns: 2kg fresh prawns 1 tbp garlic 1 tsp chilli 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp sambar powder

Courtesy of Andy Melville, Bombay Cricketers Club bombaycricketersclub.com.au XO Sauce: Gently cook the eschallot, onion, ginger and garlic until soft, golden and almost disintegrated. Add sugar and vinegar. Cook until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add tomato paste/relish and cook for 5 mins. Mix in chilli powder and continue cooking ensuring the oils rise to the surface. Season with salt and the optional fish sauce or dried fish.

Pickle: Start by ensuring all the ingredients are weighed, prepared and in order of the recipe to ensure a steady “tempering”. On a medium heat with a heavy bottom pan warm the oil until it starts to ripple. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek, maintain a steady heat to extract aromatic flavours as they splutter, without burning.

Whisk, in ginger and garlic paste. Keep whisking to prevent catching at the bottom of the pan. Once ginger and garlic colours slightly, add chopped curry leaves until they turn dark and stop cracking. Add chopped chilli and cook the base out for 3-4mins before adding sugar and vinegar. Liquid should reduce by half.

Prawns: Peel and de-vein prawns. Mix together garlic, chilli turmeric and sambar. Marinate prawns for 2 hours in the fridge. Room temp prawns for 15 mins. Gently sauté prawns in a wide pan until about half cooked colour is not important. Add equal quantities of XO and pickle temper and combine with the pan juices. Quickly bring the mix back to a simmer, remove immediately and seal in a container. Check prawns after 15 minutes to ensure they are just cooked. Strain (and keep) excess liquid then chop prawns roughly. Check seasoning and add a squeeze or zest of lime if desired. Best left refrigerated for 1 day before serving at room temperature with chopped tomatoes and papadums.

Photo courtesy of Mavis's Kitchen

SALADS

ALFRESCO

THE SKINNY BITCH THROW TOGETHER SUMMER CAESAR SALAD

SERVES. 6-8 Salad: 6 slices of prosciutto 2 baby gem lettuces 3/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese 4 soft boiled eggs Croutons: crusty baugette 2 tbsp butter 2-4 garlic cloves salt & pepper to taste Dressing: 80g parmesan 1 garlic cloves 25g Dijon mustard 6g anchovy fillet (1 piece) 100ml lemon juice 45ml olive oil 225g Greek yoghurt

Courtesy of Cubby Bakehouse cubbybakehouse.com Grab a baguette from you're local bakery (Cubby Bakehouse if you're a NSW Northern Rivers local).

Dice up half the baguette into rustic cubes about 2cm. Melt the butter and add the crushed garlic.

Toss the bread through the garlic butter and season with salt and pepper.

Spread evenly across a baking tray and bake until golden brown.

Place the parmesan, garlic, dijon mustard, anchovy and lemon juice into a food processor and blitz. Slowly add olive oil. Mix in the Greek yoghurt by hand and season if needed.

Salads are best layered so you don't miss out on the good bits. Start by placing baby gem leaves on the base of your salad bowl. Cut your soft boiled eggs into quarters and spread across your lettuce layer. Start to layer your wafer thin shavings of parmesan and prosciutto and begin to build up your salad.

Top with crunchy croutons, or leave separate if your not serving it for a while to ensure they keep their crunch.

Drizzle a good amount of the dressing and enjoy!

A classic crowd pleaser done in no time!

PANZANELLA SALAD WITH NASTURTIUM LEAF PESTO

SERVES 4 1 loaf very crusty Italian bread 2 tbsp olive oil Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tbsp red wine vinegar salt freshly ground black pepper 3 ripe tomatoes 1 x garlic Salad: 2 assorted colour tomatoes 2 green heirloom tomatoes baby cucumber seeded & chopped 50 nasturtium leaves 1/4 cup pistachios (or pine nuts) 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste squeeze lemon juice

Courtesy of Mavis's Kitchen maviseskitchen.com.au Croutons: Preheat the oven to 140°C. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet.

Drizzle the cubes with the olive oil and toss to coat. Put the pan in the oven to slightly crisp the bread without toasting it, 20 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool.

Dressing: In food processor combine tomato, garlic, oil, vinegar salt & pepper then blitz.

Salad: In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and bread cubes. Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients, tossing gently. Add the sliced basil and parmesan shavings and toss again. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and serve garnished with nasturtium pesto and nasturtium flowers.

Pesto: Wash the nasturtium leaves and shake them dry.

Nuts: Place nuts in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring every 30 seconds or so. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then take them off the heat, or they will burn.

Fill your food processor up 3/4 of the way, loosely, with leaves. Blend until they are chopped. Add more leaves, blend. Continue this until all of the leaves are blended.

Add in the pistachios and blend until finely chopped. Add in the cheese, and half the oil.

Blend. Add more oil until it's the desired consistency. Season with salt to taste.

Photo courtesy of Baked At Ancora

SWEETS

ALFRESCO

WALNUT, CHOCOLATE CHIP & BURNT BUTTER COOKIES

SERVES 12 675g unsalted butter 300g brown sugar 600g sugar 6 large eggs 600g cake flour 720g plain flour 15g cornflour 15g baking powder 6g salt 2 cups chocolate chips 2 cups walnuts (crushed) sea salt to garnish

Courtesy of Gavin Rudd, Baked at Ancora bakedatancora.com.au Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan forced).

Place butter into bowl and mix on low speed.

Increase to medium speed and add sugars.

Beat mixture until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add the eggs and beat on medium just until incorporated with butter and sugars, about 30 seconds.

Turn the mixer off. Add the flour, plain flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Pulse the dry ingredients on low until the wet and dry ingredients are just mixed together.

Chef Gavin Rudd’s note: at this stage, it’s crucial to mix just till combined; do not over mix.

Pour the chocolate chips into the batter and stir with a rubber spatula until spread evenly.

Divide the dough into 12 balls of about 150g each. Use your hands to shape cookies; the cookies are meant to be roughly shaped.

Refrigerate the shaped cookies overnight or in the freezer for an hour until firm if wishing to cook straight away.

Bake cookies for 13 minutes. The cookies are done when the top and bottom parts are slightly golden. Do not over bake.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

CARAMBOLA CAKES UPSIDE-DOWN STAR FRUIT TREATS

SERVES 8-10 1 cup self-raising flour 1 cup sugar ½ cup water 2-3 ripe carambola (star fruit) 125g butter 2 eggs

Courtesy of Tropical Fruit World tropicalfruitworld.com.au Slice just one of the carambola fruits and place a single star-shaped slice into the bottom of each section of a (greased) petit four tray.

Puree the remaining two carambola fruits with ½ cup of water.

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until well combined. Add flour and carambola puree and beat until smooth.

Spoon batter evenly into petit four tray, and bake at 180°C for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

OSTERIA'S RICOTTA DOUGHNUTS WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

SERVES 4 - 6 50g firm ricotta cheese 2 large free-range eggs 2ml vanilla essence 50gm caster sugar 7gm baking powder 50gm self-raising flour 50gm plain flour 1L vegetable oil to fry doughnuts 100g cinnamon sugar (or 95g sugar + 5g ground cinnamon) Ganache: 100g dark chocolate callets 120ml pure cream

Courtesy of Brendan Reardon, Osteria Caurina osteriacasuarina.com.au Mix the ricotta, eggs and vanilla in a bowl on low for 1 min, then increase to medium for a further 4 mins.

Sift the baking powder, self-raising and plain flours into the ricotta mix, then add the caster sugar. Mix on low for 1 min, then increase to medium and mix for a further 4 mins. Set mixture aside to rest until needed.

Note: This batter can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Place vegetable oil in a medium saucepan with heat on high until oil reaches 180ยบC. Dip a dessert spoon in the hot vegetable oil then use it to scoop out an egg sized ball of the doughnut batter. Gently transfer batter into the oil leaving the doughnut to cook.

Repeat this process for the next doughnuts until you have a single layer as they will float. Cook for 5 mins then turn the doughnuts over to cook for a further 5 mins. Remove doughnuts from the oil using a metal slotted spoon and place on a paper lined tray to drain for 1 min.

Immediately roll in cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Chocolate Ganache: Heat the cream until warm then pour over the chocolate callets. Stir gently until all the chocolate has melted. Serve doughnuts with the chocolate ganache and some double cream.

Try eating just one!

Photo courtesy of PLB Group

DRINKS

ALFRESCO

INK ELDERFLOWER GIN & TONIC WITH CUCUMBER

SERVES 1 45ml Ink Gin 10ml elderflower liqueur 120ml tonic water cucumber lime

Courtesy of Ink Gin inkgin.com Muddle lime and cucumber in a glass.

Pour over ice, gin, elderflower liqueur and tonic.

Garnish with edible flowers.

FRESH STRAWBERRY CAIPIRINHA SOUTH AMERICAN STYLE

SERVES 1 45ml Husk Pure Cane 3 strawberries 3 lime wedges 1 teaspoon of honey

Courtesy of Husk Distilleries huskdistilleries.com In a shaker, muddle both fruits together.

Add all other ingredients and shake well with ice.

Serve in a short tumbler glass.

Tip: Also works well with passionfruit, mandarin or pineapple.

JAM JAR MAC-TIKI BLEND OF LOCAL LIQUID MAGIC

SERVES 1 50ml Mac. by Brookies 20ml Husk Pure Cane 15ml lime juice 45ml Prodjuice pineapple & lemongrass juice 2-3 dashes of bitters add sugar to taste (approx 5ml)

Courtesy of Cape Byron Distillery capebyrondistillery.com Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake well.

Fill a jam jar with ice.

Strain blended Mac-Tiki over ice.

Garnish with cinnamon myrtle flower

THE RIBERRY SPRITZ DAVIDSON PLUM INFUSED SLOW GIN

SERVES 1 45ml Brookies Slow Gin 30ml Bitter Orange Aperitif 20ml riberry syrup dash of fresh lime juice (5-10ml) topped with soda

Courtesy of Cape Byron Distillery capebyrondistillery.com Add a few ice cubes to a Collins glass.

Build cocktail over layers of ice.

Garnish with riberries.

WHO ARE WE?

who are we?

We're a team of experience creators, foodie lovers and storytellers.

Our multi-award winning, family business showcases The Tweed’s individuality by creating elegant outdoor dining experiences that tell the story of the region’s stunning locations, rich historical and indigenous culture, local businesses and delicious produce.

We took a quintessential Australian activity, picnicking, and incorporated the elegance and glamour of its historical French roots.

We then added 100% local produce and eliminated the use of any plastics or disposables to create memorable experiences that highlight the natural beauty, food and talented artisans of The Northern Rivers.

Celebrations are the reason we exist. Every story inspires us to create meaningful experiences that help you reconnect with nature, food and each other.

As a company that creates Australia's most sustainable alfresco dining experiences, we’re proud to showcase our region’s culinary and environmental diversity.

Special thanks to the talented chefs and restaurants who have contributed to this book.

We all share a vision to combine great local food and drinks with wonderful friends.

Bon Appétit!

YOUR CELEBRATION

our team is waiting for you We believe in spoiling people who love accumulating memories rather than things.

We get it. You want to switch off from your hectic life and reconnect with the people you love ... without the headache of planning it all yourself. That's why we've created our Le Chic alfresco experiences for you.

Whether it's an upcoming date night, anniversary, birthday, ladies lunch, proposal, or just-because celebration, we look forward to helping you create a memorable occasion.

Years from now, we want you to remember your special occasions and feel valued, delighted and spoilt.

Our wish for you is to enjoy an experience that you'll always remember.

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Dinner and a movie, forget that, I’d rather have a picnic and a waterfall. ~ AMANDA GRACE