Recipe

Red Onion & Cranberry Picnic Scones

Soundbite

Perfect for sharing at your summer picnics, these scones are packed full of flavour, with a little sweetness from the Yorkshire Wensleydale & Cranberries, one of the most loved cheeses from Wensleydale Creamery.

Availability

Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil products are available from independent retailers throughout Yorkshire and online atwww.yorkshirerapeseedoil.co.uk

Makes

6 scones

Ingredients

110g Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil
1 red onion
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar, we love Burren Balsamics Roast Onion Infused Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp sugar
200g Yorkshire Wensleydale & Cranberries
500g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
¼ tsp salt, plus a little extra for cooking the onions
Freshly ground black pepper
200ml water
A little milk for glazing

Method

Preheat your oven to 180^oC / 160^oC Fan / 350^oF / Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a frying pan, heat 1tbsp of Oil and cook the red onions on a low heat until they soften. Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar and a little salt to the onions and continue to gently cook the onions until they are caramelized. Remove from the heat to cool.

For the scones, in a large mixing bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, dried mixed herbs, ¼ tsp of salt, twist of black pepper, and then add the Oil, along with 100g of the cheese, grated. Gently bring the mixture together, and then add the caramelized red onions, lightly incorporating them so the dough is handled as little as possible. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a round and gently pat it out with your hands until it's about 2cm in depth.

Place on the baking tray. Brush with a little milk and pop in the oven for 25 minutes. If the top is browning too much, cover with foil. After this time, top with a good crumbling of the remaining cheese and bake for a further 5 minutes. It should be risen and golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool, before popping into your picnic basket! Serve buttered.

Image (high res images are available on request)

Photo credit: Jennie Palmer/Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil

Recipe

Sundried Tomato Pesto Knots

Soundbite

These delicious cheesy puff pastry swirls are the perfect addition to any picnic. Rustle up some homemade pesto, these take just minutes to make. Ready to pop into your picnic basket.

Availability

Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil products are available from independent retailers throughout Yorkshire and online atwww.yorkshirerapeseedoil.co.uk

Makes

12 knots

Ingredients

For the pesto

100ml Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil with Garlic
1 large bunch of basil, washed (around 60g)
Handful of walnut pieces
75g Kit Calvert Old-Style Wensleydale, grated
8 large sun-dried tomatoes (around 80g drained weight)
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt flakes

For the pastry knots
2 sheets of ready rolled puff pastry (ours were 375g each)
75g Kit Calvert Old-Style Wensleydale, grated
Beaten egg, for glazing
 

Method

Preheat your oven to 220^oC / 200^oC Fan / 425^oF / Gas Mark 7 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

To make your pesto, simply pop all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz for a minute or two.

Lay one of the pastry sheets out on a lightly floured surface and spread with a good layer of the pesto, right up to the edges of the pastry sheet. Sprinkle over the grated cheese and top with the remaining pastry sheet, and gently pat together, sandwiching the pesto and cheese.

Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the pastry into 12 thin strips and twist each from both ends before making into a loose swirl and placing on the baking tray. Pop into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the swirls are crisp and golden.

Remove from the oven and place the swirls on a wire rack to cool, ready to pop into your picnic basket. We love them served slightly warm too!

Top Tip

Any unused pesto can be popped into the fridge for a couple of a days, and great for freezing in small batches. We use ice cube trays as the perfect size. Ready to defrost and add to cooked pasta dishes.

Image (high res images are available on request)

Photo credit: Jennie Palmer/Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil

Recipe

Summer Salad Picnic Jars

Soundbite

Super simple to make, and guaranteed to impress on both looks and fresh flavours. A healthy salad in a jar and packed to the brim with Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese and crunchy veggies. Perfect for an easy win on your summer picnics or getting ahead with lunch meal prepping.

Availability

Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil products are available from independent retailers throughout Yorkshire and online atwww.yorkshirerapeseedoil.co.uk

Ingredients

Fennel Seed Dressing
Couscous - made up as per the packet instructions
Red peppers
Radishes, finely sliced
Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese, crumbled
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Rocket leaves
Cucumber, diced
Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil with Lemon
For the pickled red onions
1 red onion, finely sliced
100ml white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp fennel seeds
Twist of salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

To make the pickled onions, take a clean, lidded jar and add the sliced red onions, followed by all the other pickling ingredients. Place the lid on, give it a shake, and leave it to one side for the flavours to infuse. They will be a delicious addition to your layers of flavour.

To layer the ingredients in your jars, start with a drizzle of the Fennel Dressing to cover the base of the jar, followed by the couscous, and then continue to make up your layers of veggies and cheese. Here's the order we popped them into the jar - firstly peppers, cucumber, radish, crumbled Yorkshire Wensleydale, pickled onions, tomatoes, rocket, more crumbled cheese.

Finish with a good drizzle of Lemon Oil. These jars are perfect for planning ahead, they can be kept in the fridge for a good few days before your picnic.

Image (high res images are available on request)

Photo credit: Jennie Palmer/Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil