Summer is all about school fetes, cricket matches and days out to the beach, so wherever you pitch up this easy afternoon tea will hit the spot.  A selection of sandwiches served with a coffee cup-sized serving of soup on the side.  Afterwards serve scones, clotted cream and jams with a side of lusciously rich Lemon Possett and I’ve got a feeling you will feel refreshed and deliciously stated all at the same time.

I used Nigella’s Pea and Pesto Soup from Nigella Express, a seriously quick and easy soup that I make in advance and heat up at the beach hut but you could easily place in a flask if you didn’t want to pack the gas stove; same can be said of tea; a flask is fine.

I have a mix of non-expensive vintage and new crockery at the beach hut but I also use disposable paper picnic-ware if I just can’t be bothered and want to take it easy.  Both are fine.

Menu:

Selection of Sandwiches

Smoked Salmon and Lemony Cream Cheese

Blue Cheese and Nasturtium Leaves

Roast Beef and Horseradish

Cheese, Chorizo and Apple Jelly-

Soup – home or ready made.

Dessert

Lemon Possett topped with fresh raspberries

Scones, clotted cream and selection of jams

Drinks

Flavoured G&Ts

Pot of Assam Tea and one of Earl Grey

Recipes:

Smoked Salmon and Lemon Cream Cheese

Spread bread thinly with butter and then a generous spreading of cream cheese.  Grind black pepper over then sprinkle lemon juice.  Add smoked salmon and cover with top buttered bread slice.  Crust off and slice into 3 fat fingers.

Blue Cheese and Nasturtium Leaves

Spread bread with butter and then thinly with mayonnaise.  Add blue cheese of choice, I like a sweet Dolcelatte in this sandwich and top generously with whole nasturtium leaves.  Crusts off and slice into 3 fat fingers.

Roast Beef and Horseradish

Spread bread with butter and then thinly with horseradish.  Add black pepper and salt and top with the beef generously.  Cover with a final buttered slice and cut off crusts and cut into 3 fat fingers.

Cheese, Chorizo and Apple Jelly

Spread bread with butter and then a thin covering of apple jelly, add grated cheese and thin sliced of chorizo.  Crust off and slice into 3 fat fingers.

Place everything on a large platter and cover any spaces left with fresh herbs or edible flowers from the garden.

Lemon Possett

(serves 8 – 12)

900ml double cream

250g caster sugar

Juice of 3 lemons and grated zest of 1

Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar, bring to the boil.  As soon as it comes to the boil, turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.

Pour into teacups or small coffee cups/glasses (it’s quite rich) and chill overnight.  Add raspberries and serve.

Scones, Clotted Cream and Selection of Jams

I cheat with confidence here; I can’t make scones to save my live.  I have tried and tried and decided to give up and buy good quality shop-bought ones instead.

I serve with clotted cream and selection of jams that take my fancy, again shop-bought.  If you have a Turkish grocers near you ask for Rose Jam, it’s my new food crush.  I also serve my homemade apple butter, which is a knockout recipe from an old Reader’s Digest book.  Let me know if you want the recipe.

I place everything on a huge platter and fill in any spaces left with fresh fruit.  And there’s no moving until everything’s gone.