Farm Shop recipes – picnic ideas

Picture this – a sunny afternoon sprawled on the lush green fields near Boscastle Farm Shop, and you, unwrapping the pièce de résistance of your picnic – a mouth-watering bacon, tomato and onion quiche. Let’s face it, a picnic without a quiche is like Wimbledon without strawberries. So, let's dive into this culinary adventure with ingredients sourced straight from Boscastle Farm Shop, where fresh and local is the name of the game.

Bacon, tomato and onion quiche:

Ingredients:

300g shortcrust pastry

200g smoked back or streaky bacon, chopped

250g cheddar cheese, grated

3 tomatoes, sliced

5 farm free range eggs, beaten

100ml Rodda’s milk

200ml Rodda’s double cream

Salt and pepper

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, stalks discarded

Method:

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a well-buttered, deep-sided 22cm flan dish. Don’t cut off the excess pastry yet. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Line the bottom of the pastry case with baking parchment or foil, then fill with baking beans. (See our how-to video below.) Place on a baking tray and bake blind (see video below) for 15-20 minutes. Remove the baking beans and parchment or foil, and return to the oven to bake for a further 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, trim the excess pastry so that you have neat edges. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Fry the bacon pieces until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle the cheese over the pastry base. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on the cheese and scatter the bacon on top.

Combine the eggs, milk, and cream in a bowl and season well. Pour over the bacon and cheese. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the surface. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the filling is just set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Broccoli and Cornish blue quiche:

Ingredients:

320g shortcrust pastry

Plain flour, for dusting

1 tsp nigella seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

200g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed

3 farm free range eggs

200ml Rodda’s semi-skimmed milk

100ml Rodda’s double cream

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

100g Cornish blue cheese

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Lay out the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Fold it in half widthways, sprinkle with the nigella seeds, then roll it until large enough to comfortably line a 23cm loose-bottomed, fluted tart tin.

2. Carefully line the tin with the pastry, nigella seed side facing outwards. Trim the edges so the pastry overhangs by 1cm and prick the base all over with a fork. Line with a large circle of baking parchment, fill with baking beans and bake the pastry for 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and bake for another 10 minutes, or until light golden all over. Trim the overhanging pastry from the tart case with a sharp serrated knife.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently sweat the onion for 5-6 minutes, until starting to soften. Put the broccoli in a large mixing bowl, halving any thicker stems lengthways first. Cover with just-boiled water from the kettle and set aside for 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli, roughly chop ½ of it and add to the pan with the onions. Fry gently for another 4-5 minutes. Set aside the remaining broccoli.

4. Whisk the eggs, milk and cream together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the onion mixture, parsley and ¾ of the Cornish blue. Season. Pour the egg mixture into the case, arrange the reserved broccoli on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and set. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.

Sausage and caramelised onion quiche

Ingredients:

250g shortcrust pastry

1 large red onion

half a leak

1 medium courgette

1 large spring onion

half a red chilli pepper

250g cheddar

4 large farm free range eggs

150ml Rodda’s double cream

salt and pepper

2 large sprigs of rosemary

6 farm shop sausages

Method:

Generously butter a 9-inch ovenproof, round, deep baking tin or pie dish.

Preheat the oven to 180º/160º fan.

Cut two large pieces of baking parchment and lightly flour one.

Place the pastry onto the floured piece and dust lightly with flour before placing the second piece of parchment on top of this.

Use a rolling pin over the top of the second sheet of parchment, roll the pastry into a large square - it should be large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your tart tin.

Gently remove the baking parchment from the top and bottom of the pastry, and place the rolled-out pastry into the tin. Ensure that you have an overhang of pastry around the edges as the pastry will shrink as it cooks.

Take one sheet of the baking parchment and place over the top of the pastry, pushing in around the sides to get it as flat as possible. Then, place baking beans on top and blind bake for 15 minutes.

Roughly chop the red onion, spring onion, chilli and leek. Once complete, place these to one side.

Cut the courgette into 3' pieces and grate lengthways into a bowl. Set aside.

Fry the sausages in a little oil on a medium heat, or place on a baking tray in the oven until just cooked through. Be careful not to overcook these as they will be heated for a further 30 minutes in the quiche mixture.

Allow the sausages to cool before slicing into even 1inch pieces. Set aside.

Add the 4 eggs into a tall jug and whisk until pale and frothy.

Add the salt and pepper, then pour in the double cream (half milk and cream can be added at this stage if preferred.)

Grate the cheese and set aside.

Once the pastry has been blind baked for 15 minutes, remove the pastry case from the oven and take off the baking beans and sheet of parchment.

Place the chopped onion, leek, chilli and grated courgette onto the pastry case and spread as evenly as possible over the base.

Carefully place and distribute the sliced sausages amongst the vegetables.

Pour over the egg and cream mix, taking care to ensure that it settles evenly around the base.

Evenly distribute the grated cheese over the top of the quiche mix.

Place two sprigs of fresh rosemary on top in the middle of the quiche and place the tin onto a baking tray.

Pop into the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.

If you find the top is browning too quickly, loosely place a piece of foil on top. Continue to cook until the mix is set all the way through, using a skewer to test.

The quiche will rise and puff up when cooking, but will settle once taken out of the oven.

And there you have it! Our bacon, tomato and onion quiche, sourced from the finest ingredients at Boscastle Farm Shop, is ready to steal the spotlight at your next picnic. Not only is it a flavour-packed powerhouse, but it’s also your golden ticket to quiche-related compliments galore.