Al fresco dining

BY KATE FRASER

When the garden is a glimmer of green and the air is sweet with the fragrance of late spring (roses, grass, jasmine and honeysuckle), entertaining friends and family outdoors has every appeal. Alfresco dining is helped by daylight saving, but lunch, too, can be a splendid occasion.

Set out your prettiest plates, line up the carafes and jugs of ice-cool drinks, and serve a meal that was prepared ahead, leaving you to relax and enjoy the fun.

Sweet and sour cucumber salad

This dish can be made a little ahead of time. It goes with a variety of fish, poultry and meats. There's just enough oil to carry some flavour and just enough salt to season the dressing. The salad tastes vibrant hours or even a day after it is assembled. Serves 6.

1/2 red onion, cut into small cubes

6 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp sugar, or more to taste

1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste

450g cucumber, cut lengthwise into quarters, de-seeded then cut into fine slices

1 small carrot, grated ( 1/2 cup)

3 or 4 fronds of dill, chopped

Combine the onion, vinegar, oil, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Combine the cucumbers, carrot, 1 Tbsp of the dill and the onion-vinegar mixture (dressing). Toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed; add dill, if desired.

The salad can be served right away; or, if possible, let sit for an hour (to let the flavours develop), stirring it once. Washington Post

Pork, chicken and pistachio terrine

Yes, a fancy name for meat loaf, but the medley of flavours produces a lovely dish for a summer serving. Good with a potato salad (page 2), a green leafy salad or coleslaw and a tasty match with today's cucumber salad.

155g shelled pistachio nuts or 150g dried apricots

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 Tbsp lemon thyme leaves (strip from the sprigs), chopped

1 generous sprig parsley, finely chopped

Zest of 1 orange

Salt and pepper to taste

50ml medium sherry

900g pork belly meat, coarsely minced (ask a butcher to do this)

250g thinly sliced streaky bacon, rindless

2 large chicken breasts, boned and skinned

4 small bay leaves

If using, put shelled pistachio nuts in a saucepan of boiling water; boil for one minute then drain. Wrap the nuts in a warm teatowel and rub them to remove the hard skin.

If using the dried apricots, chop into strips. Place peeled nuts or apricot strips in a large bowl with the onion, herbs, zest, salt, pepper, sherry and minced pork. Use your hands to turn the mixture over and over, making sure the nuts or dried apricot are well distributed. Stretch each bacon rasher out and run the back of a knife down each, making it longer and finer. Cut the chicken breasts into chunky cubes.

To assemble the terrine, put the four bayleaves evenly spaced on the bottom of a 23cm x 11cm (approx) loaf tin or terrine dish.

Line it with bacon slices, overlapping each a smidgen and allowing them to hang over the edge. Slice 2 rashers in half and line the ends of the tin.

Put one third of the pork mixture into the tin, pressing it down hard. Add half the chicken chunks. Cover with another third of the pork, again pressing down hard, followed by the chicken pieces.

Then cover with the final third of the pork mix. Fold the end bacon rashers over the mixture, then wrap the long line of rashers over the top, tucking them in neatly. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to let the flavours mingle.

Heat oven to 150deg C fanbake (or 170deg C). Put terrine into a deep roasting dish, add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the terrine.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from roasting dish. Leave to cool, then rewrap the foil, place another terrine or loaf tin on the top - or a folded layer of thick cooking foil - add a heavy weight and refrigerate for 24 hours. To serve, tip out of terrine or tin, trim any messy bits and cut into slices.

- © Fairfax NZ News