We are going to have a good summer – well, we will be prepared for a good summer – and picnics are fun. Take these picnic snacks that you can keep on standby and others that you will put together in no time. If we see the sun, we don’t want to be in the kitchen too long.

These little scones can be baked right from the freezer. If you make them ahead, they must be kept in an airtight container. The formula is easy – basically, everything goes in to a bowl, the dough is quickly shaped and stamped out, then they go in to the oven. Seeds are great to add texture to scones and bread. You can vary the contents. I use a lot of chia seeds these days, which don’t have much taste but are great for texture and goodness.

This fresh, crunchy carrot and raisin salad is great for a barbecue. Instead of raisins, I sometimes use dried cranberries or chopped apricots. And the fruit salad is that nice mixture of sweet and sour. Use any combination of fruit you like – I think it’s best to choose what’s in season.

Super seed scones with cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks and feta

Makes about 16

450g self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling out and dredging

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

400ml buttermilk (or use regular milk soured with lemon juice or red wine vinegar)

Beaten egg or milk, to glaze

About 4 tbsp mixed seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame and sunflower)

Cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks and feta chunks, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 240oC (220oC/450oF or gas mark eight). Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and then pour in all the buttermilk at once. Using your hand, with your fingers stiff and almost outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl. The aim is to handle the dough as little as possible and the end result should be softish dough that is not too wet and sticky.

2. Once the dough has come together, turn it out on to a floured surface and gently flatten the dough with a rolling pin to about 2.5cm (or you can just do this with your hands). Cut with a knife or stamp into dinner-shaped bread rolls. Experiment with a 6cm x 7cm rectangular or oval cutter.

3. Transfer the rolls to a large baking sheet, lightly dusted with flour, and brush the tops of each one with the beaten egg or milk and sprinkle over the mixed seeds. Bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of a roll – it should sound hollow. Ideally they need to be eaten on the day that they’re cooked, but they are most definitely best served warm with the cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks and feta chunks.

Carrot and & raisin salad

Serves four

4 large carrots, coarsely grated

50g (2oz) raisins

small handful toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Coarsely grate the carrots and put into a bowl with the raisins. Measure the rest of the ingredients into a small screw-topped jar and season with salt and pepper, then shake until emulsified. Just before serving, toss the carrot and raisins in enough of the dressing to coat. Serve at once.

Fruit salad tubs

Serves four to six

1 mango, peeled and cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced and then each slice cut into quarters

225g strawberries, cut into chunks

100g (4oz) raspberries

100g (4oz) blueberries

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1-2 tbsp honey

1. Place all the fruit into a bowl and add the lime juice and enough honey to taste. Fold together, taking care not to squash the fruit. Divide among four to six individual plastic tubs with lids. Keep in a cool box until needed. CL