Have we ever had such a good opportunity for picnics? I can’t remember it being this good for this long. We have got great value from the MacNean Lake near us, and the children have enjoyed picnicking and swimming.

These lakes are, of course, the ones we named the restaurant after. They are stunningly beautiful, so do take a look the next time you are in Blacklion. Indeed, driving around the country it is remarkable how many beautiful places there are to stop and picnic these days, and they are so well-kept.

This delicious carmelised red onion and olive tart is a version of the French Pissaladliere. It is associated with Nice in the south, in particular, and is typically baked and sold first thing in the morning.

You could use it as a starter, or it would be ideal for a picnic, and you could make it the night before. I like it hot or cold. It is laden with anchovies, and I find that their saltiness offsets the sweetness of the caramelised onions perfectly.

These raspberry crumble bars are also a lovely treat for a picnic. Or you could put them in a school lunch box. They would also be nice made with blackberries, which will be in season soon, in place of raspberries.

We have so many good fruit producers and I am looking forward to meeting Tom and Laura Sinnott of Wexford Preserves again when I do a demo in Dunnes in Gorey on Friday 20 July. They only use Irish fruit in their traditional recipes and are based in New Ross.

Happy cooking,

Neven.

Caramelised red onion and olive tart with anchovies

Serves four

Four large red onions, finely sliced

15g (½oz) butter

375g (13oz) pack of puff pastry, thawed if frozen

Plain flour, for dusting

One heaped tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 x 50g (2oz) tins anchovies, drained

50g (2oz) pitted black olives (good quality)

Beaten egg or milk, to glaze

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Put the red onions in a pan with the butter over a very low heat and cook these for 20 to 30 minutes, until the onions are super soft, stirring regularly.
  • 2 Meanwhile , roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to a 36cm (12in) x 26cm (10in) rectangle, so that the thickness is about that of a €1 coin. Mark a border around the pastry that is about 2cm (¾in) wide, and then just score all the way around the border in a criss-cross pattern. Inside the main part of the pastry, get a fork and prick it all over really well. This will stop the pastry from puffing up too much when it cooks. Place the puff pastry in to the fridge to firm up.
  • 3 Once the onions are ready, add the thyme and cook for another minute, then remove them from the heat and leave to cool a little. Get the pastry from the fridge, then tip the onions onto the pastry, avoiding the border, and spread into an even layer. Arrange the anchovies on top in a criss-cross pattern. Stud in between the anchovies with an olive. Season the tart with black pepper and glaze the border with beaten egg or milk. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed up around the outside and the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little. Serve warm or cold, cut into squares.
  • Raspberry crumble bars

    Makes 12

    175g (6oz) butter, cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing

    275g (10oz) plain flour

    75g (3oz) golden caster sugar

    ½ tsp salt

    ½ tsp baking powder

    One egg yolk

    finely grated rind of 1 lemon

    2 tbsp demerara sugar

    50g (2oz) jumbo oats

    2 heaped tbsp flaked almonds

    2 heaped tbsp chopped pecan nuts

    325g (11oz) jar raspberry conserve

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Butter and line a 20cm (8in) square tin with parchment paper. Put the butter and flour in a food processor and pulse until soft crumbs form. Alternatively you can do this in a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. Stir in the caster sugar and salt, then remove one third of the mixture (about 175g/6oz) and set aside in a bowl.
  • 2 Add the baking powder, egg yolk and lemon rind to the remaining mixture in the food processor and continue to pulse until combined. Tip into the baking tin and press down to form an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, then allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  • 3 Meanwhile, add the demerara sugar, oats and nuts to the reserved mixture with half tablespoon of water. Use a round-bladed knife to mix everything together – it doesn’t matter if there are some clumps.
  • 4 Spread the raspberry jam over the biscuit base, then top with the crumble mixture. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove and allow to cool completely in the tin.
  • 5 To serve, use a round-bladed knife to carefully ease the parchment away from the caramelised edges of the conserve. Remove from the tin and slice into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.