Byline: Stephen JACKSON
A Disney Car party favor box can contain the T- shirts painted by the kids, candies, chocolates, Disney Cars stickers, whistles and toy cars. If you are not sure on what to give away as party favors, you can purchase readymade party favor bags from any of the Disney stores at affordable prices.Chop the parsley finely, hand-shred the basil and mix the two herbs into the tuna bowl too. Mix well and check for seasoning.Remove a few handfuls of the innards of the loaf (you can make great fresh breadcrumbs with this - perfect for a treacle tart!) Brush the inside of the loaf with the garlic oil, allowing it to soak into the bread.Quickly tip them into a bowl and cover immediately with clingfilm.S* SANDWICH HEAVEN: Stephen Jackson looks across the Channel for inspiration and finds it in Pan Bagnat, a salad squashed into a loaf of breadIt's always uncomfortable, too, trying to prop yourself up on your elbows as you tackle a French fancy. AS nd the tidying up! Oh my. But if you can do it properly with a table and chairs and a bit of planning, the taking of a meal in the great outdoors is pretty much unbeatable. And picnic food is unquestionably brilliant. From the aforementioned scotch eggs to tender chicken drumsticks, from Gala pies to slices of cold pizza (you must try this if you've not done so already) and on to bowls of strawberries, banana sandwiches and chocolate brownies, picnics area feast for the eye and the palate. Going to a little trouble, like making an elderflower cordial (which you should be doing right now as we're in full season) or fresh lemonade, is rarely more worth it than for a family meal in the great outdoors. This week, I'm offering up something you may not have seen before, but I guarantee it'll be a firm favourite the first time you try it.To serve, slice the loaf carefully and share out. Best eaten al fresco, preferably with a nice chilled Provence ros.Now make the sandwich. Layer the gem lettuce, roasted pepper, tomatoes, tuna mixture, aubergine and courgette, pressing down well as you go.Reserve the pepper 'fillets' until the assembly stage.Further out in the dark, inky depths lurk the tuna, fast and muscular, their flesh meaty and firm. On land, the vine tomatoes ripen to perfection, brimming with flavour, the basil grows like weeds and salads grow tasty in the rich soil.Remove from the heat.WHEN I started writing this piece, several weeks ago, it was a beautiful sunny day, light breeze, scudding clouds in a deep blue sky. I think we all remember that day, because it seems that was our summer, more or less. Now it's all thunderstorms and downpours. Seems all-too familiar. And just in time for the school holidays! Still, we mustn't let it get to us and in the spirit of ignoring the weather in the hope that it'll improve, today we're in picnic mode.Designate a tea table and place the tea sets, which include cups, saucers and teaspoons on one end of the table. Place the teapot, sugar, lemon, milk and hot water (to dilute the tea if desired) by the tea sets. Your guests may either serve themselves or you may choose to serve the tea yourself. Either way, if sugar and lemon are to be added to tea, add the sugar before the lemon because the acidity of the lemon will prevent the sugar from dissolving. It�s best to prepare the tea in a teapot as it will taste better as loose leaves, not in tea bags.For our picnic recipe, we look over the Channel to France. Today, we're making the delicious Pan Bagnat. In the original Occitan it translates as 'wet bread', which you might imagine is of more interest to ducks.Time to dust off the hamper, pop the gingham tablecloth in the washer and get the road atlas out. I'm not su Rch a big fan of the traditional picnic, I must say. Stamping on ants and trying to stop your scotch eggs from rolling down the inevitable incline while simultaneously attempting to keep an ice-bucket upright isn't really my idea of fun.Whichever theme you decide on, and whether formal or casual, gather your friends for some piping-hot tea, sweet finger foods and plenty of wonderful memories!You can make big loaf-sized ones, as I'm doing here, or little individual versions using ciabatta rolls or similar.The olive oil flows like water and every village makes use of the local boulanger - crusty, crunchy, yeasty breads made every day. So what better place than here to invent the Salade Nioise and its portable cousin, the Pan Bagnat? I can't think of many better dishes that encapsulate the summertime and take very little time to put together. Just remember that you'll need to let the sandwiches squash overnight, so plan ahead. Aprons on!Heat the olive oil and gently fry the minced garlic for a few minutes, making sure it doesn't catch.When they have cooled a little, cut in half, gently remove all the pips and membranes, then slowly scrape away the skins with a sharp knife or agile fingers.Cakes and cookies: have your guests bring their favorite cakes or cookies and place them on platters and cake stands.Dice the boiled eggs and mix into the tuna. Finely slice the onion and add to the bowl.Pan Bagnat originates in the place where its ingredients thrive, Provence. And this is as it should be, for here is where the silvery anchovy shoals shimmer in the warm waters of the Mediterranean.Stephen Jackson's Pan Bagnat You will need: 1 round or oval crusty loaf (I used an 800g crusty bloomer), 75ml extra-virgin olive oil, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 white onion very finely sliced, 3 red peppers, 2 tins of good quality tuna (ethical, line-caught, please), 8 large white anchovies, 1 tbsp large capers, rinsed well, 1 tbsp pitted and chopped black olives, 3 large ripe sliced tomatoes, 1 small aubergine, 1 courgette, 3 fresh, free-range eggs, 2 little gem lettuce hearts with the leaves separated, a few large leaves fresh basil, a handful of flatleaf parsley, salt and pepper and extra Virgin Olive Oil Method: Heat the oven as high as it will go. Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and gently simmer the eggs for 7 minutes, then plunge them into cold water. When cool, peel and reserve.In the middle of the table, place cookies, cakes, muffins and scones on platters and cake stands. You may also include small sandwiches, such as egg, cucumber and cream cheese, tuna or chicken sandwiches. To serve, layer the filling between two slices of bread and cut them into fourths.Themes for tea parties are endless! Below are some ideas:After a fun filled snack, kids would definitely love to vent out their energies by taking part in some fun filled activities. Some of the most popular games that can be played are Doc Hudson Says, Car race relay, T-Shirt painting competition etc. These games will enhance their creative skills.CAPTION(S):
* SANDWICH HEAVEN: Stephen Jackson looks across the Channel for inspiration and finds it in Pan Bagnat, a salad squashed into a loaf of bread
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