Four Russian picnic recipes

Okroshka (pictured bottom left)

Prep 20 min
Cook 9 min
Serves 4

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 large cucumber
10 radishes
1 bunch dill
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch chives
200g canned or cooked chickpeas, drained
Salt and black pepper
800ml Turkish ayran or kvass
4 tbsp soured cream (if using kvass)
4 tsp horseradish cream or eastern European mustard

Finely dice the eggs, cucumber and radishes. Chop all the herbs and put them in a large mixing bowl with the eggs, vegetables and chickpeas.

Season to taste, then divide the mixture between four bowls.

Top each with 200ml ayran or kvass (add a dollop of soured cream to each bowl if using kvass), and finish with a teaspoon of horseradish cream or mustard.

Buckwheat vinaigrette salad (pictured top left)

Prep 20 min
Cook 50 min
Makes 4

200g roasted buckwheat
250ml salted boiling water
4 tbsp good-quality unrefined sunflower oil, plus extra for cooking and dressing
2 raw red beetroot, washed
250g frozen peas
2 fermented cucumbers
4 tbsp brine from shop-bought sauerkraut
1–2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
Salt and black pepper
1 small bunch dill, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves
1 squeeze lemon juice

Put the buckwheat in a saucepan, pour over the salted boiling water, cover with a lid and simmer over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir through a little oil and set aside.

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Drizzle the beetroot with sunflower oil, wrap in foil and roast for 30-40 minutes. You want them to lose their intense earthy bitterness, but retain a bit of crunch, depending on their size, .

Meanwhile, put the peas in a colander, pour over some boiling water to defrost them, then finely dice the fermented cucumbers.

To make the dressing, mix the brine with the sunflower oil and garlic, stirring well so the garlic dissolves as much as possible. Taste and add some salt, if needed.

Once the beetroot is ready (pierce the middle with a knife to check), set aside to cool, then peel and cut into wedges.

Mix up the buckwheat, beetroot, peas and cucumber, dill and tarragon. Drizzle with lemon juice and the dressing, and serve.

Fermented cucumbers (pictured top centre)

You will need a sterilised, two-litre preserving jar.

Prep 30 min
Cook 5 min
Makes 2 litres

1 small bunch celery/blackcurrant leaves
8–10 small ridge cucumbers, topped and tailed
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small horseradish root, peeled and chopped into rough chunks
1 scotch bonnet chilli, sliced in half
1 small bunch dill
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp fine salt
1 litre distilled spring water

Line the base of the jar with some celery or blackcurrant leaves. Follow with a layer of the whole cucumbers, standing them upright and packing them in tightly. Next, add some garlic, chunks of horseradish, a scotch bonnet half and half the dill.

Now add another layer of cucumbers, leaving 1cm space at the top of the jar.

For the brine, put the remaining scotch bonnet, garlic and horseradish, the aromatics, salt and distilled water to a pan, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse. Once the infusion has reached room temperature, pour it over the cucumbers, making sure all the chunky bits end up in the jar, too. Finish with a layer of the remaining leaves. Make sure the cucumbers are fully submerged in brine. You can use a weight to keep them in place – a glass ramekin will do the trick. Close the jar tightly and leave to ferment, out of direct sunlight, and at room temperature, for four to 10 days. Open the jar daily to let the cucumbers ‘burp’. You will know the cucumbers are ready when the brine starts to darken. Once you are happy with the degree of fermentation, transfer the jar to the refrigerator. The cucumbers will keep in the cold for a few months.

Semolina cake (pictured top right)

Prep 15 min
Soak 1 hr
Cook 40 min
Serves 8–10

375g semolina
375ml milk or kefir
80g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
15g baking powder
1 pinch salt
Clear honey or ginger syrup, for drizzling (optional)

Mix the semolina with the milk or kefir in a bowl, then let it soak for an hour at room temperature. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/350F/gas 6 and grease a 24cm round cake tin or mould.

Using an electric hand whisk, blend the butter, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add the vanilla extract, baking powder and salt, then mix in the soaked semolina. Tip into the tin or mould and bake for 40 minutes.

Let the cake cool slightly before serving. Drizzle with some honey or ginger syrup on top, if you like, then serve with a side of berry coulis or poached fruit and creme fraiche.