Cheesy Spinach & Artichoke Dip
BBC Good Food
Rich, molten and designed for sharing, this is the ultimate crowd-pleaser to set down with drinks. A tangle of spinach and artichokes is folded through a creamy, cheesy base and baked until bubbling and golden on top. Serve with torn bread, crackers or crudités and let people help themselves – it disappears quickly, especially when the first round of drinks is flowing.
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Ultimate Lobster Rolls
BBC Good Food
Picnic food, but make it fancy. Few things rival a good sandwich with crisps on the side — pure seaside nostalgia — but this version takes things up a notch by dint of the starring role of sweet lobster – sharpened with lemon, pepped up with cayenne and freshened with chives, the dreamy, creamy filling sits tucked inside the softness of a brioche roll. Rich, bright and exactly the sort of thing to eat with fingers in the sun.
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Grilled Asparagus With Burrata, Lemon & Chilli
Waitrose
Sometimes the simplest combinations are the most effective. Here, lightly charred asparagus is paired with creamy burrata and lifted with a sharp lemon and chilli dressing – a contrast of hot and cool, rich and bright. Ready in around 20 minutes, it works equally well as a starter or a generous side, especially with good bread on hand to catch the dressing.
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Sweetest Pea Risotto
Jamie Oliver
There's something about sitting in the garden eating produce recently plucked from the beds and borders that feels immensely wholesome – and makes everything taste all the more delicious. This creamy, goat's cheese risotto with peas is fresh, elegant and perfect whether serving a crowd or a solo lunch. And if the peas came, in fact, from the freezer, no one needs to know.
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Harissa-Spiced Mackerel Picnic Cake
Ottolenghi
When the sun is shining and guests are descending, the joy of a dish that not only can be made the day before but is all the better for having been cannot be underestimated. We're all for maximising socialising and sun-soaking time and minimising cooking stress. Enter then this spectacularly tasty potato and mackerel cake, which looked deeply impressive and taste sublime but is, in fact, deceptively easy to rustle up. A layer cake of mashed potato, mayonnaise, eggs, tinned mackerel and harissa- and maple syrup-tossed tomatoes, topped with flat-leaf parsley, it makes for an intensely flavoursome feast, whether as part of a big spread or served on its own with a big green salad.
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Figs And Honey Chicken With Thyme
Sutton Hoo
One to start now and return to all summer long, particularly as figs come into their own. Sweet, tasty and beautifully balanced, it's the kind of dish that few could fail to adore. Simply serve with a potato salad, which can also be prepared ahead of time – all of which means that you'll have plenty of time to lay a beautiful table in the sunshine and ensure your white wine is chilled just so.
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Herby Prawn, Grapefruit & Thai Chilli Salad
Waitrose
Heat, salt, sweet and sour: this is exactly the sort of sharp, refreshing dish that belongs on a warm-weather table. Juicy prawns, bitter-sweet grapefruit and a punchy chilli dressing come together with plenty of fresh herbs for something that feels both light and full of character. It looks as good as it tastes and works just as well as part of a generous spread as it does on its own.
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Peanut Lime Chicken With Cucumber Pineapple Salsa
Emily English
A bright, punchy addition to the table. Tender chicken is paired with a nutty, lime-spiked dressing, balanced by the sweetness of pineapple and the cool crunch of cucumber. It's the kind of dish that feels generous but unfussy – bold flavours, minimal effort, and well suited to eating outside with everything else laid out within reach.
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Strawberry Tart
Olive Magazine
No late spring table is complete without strawberries – and this is about as good a way to serve them as any. A crisp, buttery pastry case is filled with silky crème pâtissière and topped with glossy, jewel-like berries, arranged just so. A total classic, it's all about the contrast of textures, the gentle sweetness and the sheer visual appeal. Best served in generous slices with a jug of something cold nearby.
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