Tucked away in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, you’ll find the Aden Country Park – the ideal venue for a beautiful Al Fresco Picnic. This former mansion, now a ruin, belonged to the Russell family and was apparently quite beautiful before its demise. Its saving grace is that as the house was built with true Scottish grey granite, it looks beautiful in the sunshine and can make the perfect backdrop for photographs and events.
Campus Trading initiatives teamed up with our friends from the north of Scotland to feature four new portable BBQ solutions that resulted in a tasty, fun and delicious Al Fresco picnic.
THE BBQS
1. The Big Green Egg -but bigger! Ideal for large family get-togethers!
2. The world’s most portable wood-fired oven! Specifically designed to take the cost, bulk and hassle out of wood-fired cooking!
3. The light, versatile charcoal BBQ! It roasts, bakes, fries, grills and smokes food to mouth-watering perfection!
4. Great taste on the go from Padamo! Takes just five minutes to heat up and able to give you that traditional BBQ flavour in an instant!
Contact [email protected] to source your perfect BBQ!
THE RECIPES
Now you know what you’ll be cooking on, here are two recipes for a couple of extras you could add to your picnic while you’re using your BBQ, which we rustled up to make your summer even more special.
Blueberry lemonade
(makes 4 litres approx.)
- 700g frozen blueberries, defrosted
- 1.5l water
- 250ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 250g sugar
- lemon slices or halves for garnish
Put all of the ingredients except for the garnish into a blender and blend until as smooth as possible.
Pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, and then use the back of a spoon to squeeze as much pulp through the sieve as possible. Taste and add more sugar if required.
Add plenty of ice and more water to suit your taste, then garnish with lemons and enjoy. this is delicious on its own or served as a mixer with gin.
Salmon infused with Root Ginger and Coriander
Serves four as a main or alternatively, it makes a great side dish!
For the marinade, you’ll need:
- 60ml sherry vinegar
- 30ml light soy sauce
- 30ml sesame oil
- 45ml freshly chopped chives
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- 2cm (1-inch) piece of root ginger, peeled and grated
- 5ml ground coriander
You’ll also need:
- 4 large salmon steaks or a side of salmon
- 30ml olive oil
Place all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir well, then add the salmon, ensuring that each piece is well basted with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight if possible.
Make sure your BBQ is at cooking temperature and then pour the marinade over the salmon and cook for 10-15 minutes. Baste the salmon frequently and generously with marinade while barbecuing.
Enjoy!
