Discover Middle Eastern-inspired picnic perfection
Picnic season is well and truly upon us, and if you struggle to get more imaginative than a scotch egg and some potato salad, then I have a truly delicious option for you…
Borough Market and King’s Cross favourite Arabica has launched two new delivery picnic kits packed with a vibrant flavour-fest of restaurant quality. I tried the Deluxe Picnic Kit, which costs £75 and feeds four people, generously. Designed for sharing, this bountiful box includes tubs of silky hummus, smoky baba ghanoush, and borani - a delicious Iranian-style beetroot and yogurt dip, all exceptionally fresh and packed with flavour.
For dipping, there’s salty, crunchy, pita crisps and a selection of seasonal crudités, but we’re not talking soggy carrot sticks here, oh no - Arabica’s version is a colourful tub filled with sliced courgette, cherry tomatoes, sweet mange tout, endive leaves (perfect for scooping), and crunchy florets of Romanesco and broccoli, all super fresh and totally delicious, as well as a tub of wonderfully crunchy pickles.
We started with the tasty dips whilst the bake-at-home boregi - a traditional feta and spinach-filled filo pastry - was in the oven. If picnicking in a park or off to an event, you easily could cook this in advance and eat it cold later, which would be absolutely delicious, but as we were having a ‘garden picnic’ (it might have been raining...), we opted to eat it warm from the oven, and it was totally gorgeous – flaky golden pastry packed with salty feta and loads of spinach. A perfect picnic dish and it looked stunning too – a real summertime centrepiece.
Alongside the boregi, we had two show-stopping salads; a chunky freekeh salad of smoked green wheat with heirloom tomatoes, fresh herbs, preserved lemon and citrus dressing, and a barrel-aged feta salad filled with crunchy seasonal vegetables, a pistachio and barley crumb and a delectable orange blossom honey vinaigrette. Move over Ottolenghi! Everything was super fresh and absolutely packed with flavour and zest. And the picnic party didn’t end there...
Also included in the kit was a beautifully presented platter of fresh baklava - crisp, buttery, freshly baked filo pastry doused with nuts and syrup. They were absolutely divine, and the perfect sweet treat to round off the Middle Eastern meze feast.
I enjoyed the experience SO much that I wouldn’t reserve it for picnics alone – these delicious, flavour-filled kits would make for a totally gorgeous supper at home, in the garden or otherwise. Everything arrives fully prepped (aside from popping the boregi in the oven) and ready to serve and eat.
There was just the right amount of delicious food, heaps of flavour and it couldn’t have been easier to prepare. If you’re after picnic perfection this summer – look no further.
Kits are available as part of a range of meal kits, deli items, merchandise and one-pot meals. Deliveries are available nationwide on either Tuesday or Friday (cut off for delivery is on Friday, for Tuesday, and Monday for Friday). Order online at arabicalondon.com.
