The crab and avocado salad

The website and free mobile phone app, called Great British Picnic, aims to help the British public celebrate one of life’s simple summer pleasures, the picnic.

As well as the fantastic recipes, users will also be able to access top tips for dining alfresco as well as 600 different British picnic locations.

Here are a selection of their delicious recipes:

Crab and avocado salad

White crab meat
A squeeze of lemon juice
Pea shoots (or any other leaves you have)
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Green beans, blanched
A handful of chives
Salt and pepper

1. Mix a spoonful of mayonnaise with the crab meat and add a squeeze of lemon, chives and some salt and pepper and put it in a container. 
2. In another container put the pea shoots, avocado, pepper, tomatoes, green beans and drizzle with some olive oil.
3. When you arrive at your picnic destination, mix the crabmeat onto the salad and enjoy.  Don’t forget your crusty bread on the side!

Frittata with bacon and peas

A knob of Country Life butter
Olive oil
Boiled potatoes; roughly sliced
6 rashers of your smokey bacon
5 eggs
3 handfuls of fresh or frozen peas; blanched
Salt and pepper

1. Put the grill on and get a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the bacon rashers until lovely and crispy.  Remove from the pan and cut into small slices.
2. While the bacon is frying you can whisk the eggs up with the milk or cream and salt and pepper. Wipe the pan clean and add the butter. 
3. Once melted add the sliced new potatoes, crispy bacon and peas. Pour the egg mixture over and then turn down the heat. Keep an eye on the underside of the frittata and once it’s golden brown and the mix is starting to set. 
4. Grill gently until the top is golden brown and the frittata is cooked through. Leave to cool and then slice and wrap for the picnic.

Smoked salmon and asparagus quiche

500g short crust pastry
Some Country Life butter
2 salmon fillets
A bunch asparagus, blanched
100ml double cream
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
Some lemon thyme (Optional)

1. Preheat oven to 175C and also turn on the grill.  Sprinkle a little salt on the salmon fillets and grill for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Find a quiche dish (about 25cm wide) and grease with some butter. Roll out your pastry and fit into the dish.  Leave the edges overhanging as the pastry shrinks when it cooks.
3. Put some baking paper over the pastry and then fill the dish with some dried beans or rice and blind bake the pastry for about 25 - 30mins or until cooked and slightly golden.
3. When the salmon is cooked, cool then break into chunks and scatter the chunks onto the pastry.
4. Turn the oven up a little to 180C, then lay the asparagus spears over the fish. Whisk the eggs, cream, some salt and pepper and pour the mix into the dish.
5. Sprinkle with some fresh lemon thyme and then bake in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.  If the top is browning too quickly, cover with some foil. Once it’s nicely browned and cooked through, leave to cool. Slice and wrap or just take with you as it is.

Orange and cardamom shortbread

10 cardamom pods
200g unsalted Country Life butter
250g plain flour
25g ground rice or rice flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
50g icing sugar
A handful of almonds or hazelnuts
1 egg

1. Crush the cardamom pods and remove the skins. Crush the seeds to a fine powder.
2. Mix the butter, flour, ground rice, salt and icing sugar together to form a dough. Dust the dough with a little flour and roll into a log.  Cover with cling film and put in the freezer for about 20 minutes.
3. While that is chilling, chop the almonds or hazelnuts roughly. 
4. Remove the log of dough from the freezer and brush it all over with the beaten egg.  Roll the log into the almonds, pushing them on with your hands to make sure they stay on.
5. Wrap the log in cling film again and put it back in freezer for about 10 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven in the meantime to 160C and once out of the freezer, cut the log into biscuits about 1cm thick.  Place them on a buttered tray. Bake for about 20 minutes until lovely and golden, and leave to cool. 

By Lauren King