KEY POINTS:
Auckland's long summer evenings are a great time to enjoy a picnic with friends and events like this weekend's Skycity Starlight Symphony provide the perfect opportunity to put together a special outdoor meal.
Kicking off at 7.30pm on Saturday, the Starlight Symphony is a free event featuring top
Kiwi classical and contemporary musical talents including Brooke Fraser, Aivale Cole, Will Martin, Rebecca Wright, Phil Madsen and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
All funds raised will go to Make-A-Wish New Zealand, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.
Skycity's executive sous chef Ross Hannah has put together his top picnic tips for those heading to Auckland Domain on Saturday night.
Ross Hannah's Top Picnic Tips
* Treat your picnic like a dinner party with a starter, main meal and something sweet to finish.
* Nibbles and finger foods are great, get some antipasto from the deli at your local supermarket. Salami's, pates, dips, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and crackers all make a great start to a picnic.
* Bacon and egg pie, cold meats, hot smoked salmon, frittatas, bread rolls filled with champagne ham and salad make a great main, combined with a couple of the salads below.
* Potato salad, coleslaw, rocket and avocado with yoghurt dressing, couscous and roasted vegetable, vine tomato and feta cheese, pumpkin and cashew nut salad are all favourites of mine. I take dressings in an old jam jar and dress the salads at the last minute.
* Finish your picnic with something sweet. Fresh fruit is a good choice at this time of year. Cherries, melon, and strawberries are all fantastic and pop in a bag of marshmallows for a sweet texture contrast.
* Match your picnic with a nice chilled Riesling and a pink grapefruit punch.
Ross Hannah's Starlight Symphony Courgette Frittata
Ingredients
* 300g grated and squeezed courgette
* 4 eggs
* 200g ricotta cheese
* 75g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1g salt and pepper, season to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well mixed. Spray or butter a pie dish with cooking spray and fill it with the frittata mixture.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, or until browned and set.
4. Let it cool for 20 minutes, cut in wedges and take straight to Starlight Symphony.
This frittata is great served with smoked salmon slices, avocado and sour cream.
Ross Hannah has been a professional chef for 16 years and has been at Skycity Auckland Convention Centre for the last five years.
- NZ HERALD STAFF