4 three-course menus for June

Thea Everett

Deputy editor (audiences) Thea loves to be in the kitchen and has a particular interest in cooking on a budget and deep frying. She thinks Sri Lankan and Indian food is the food of the gods. She looks after the brand’s social channels and newsletter – and contributes features and recipes.

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The long-awaited start of summer is finally here! Make the most of it with these 4 three-course seasonal menus for June. They’re ideal for eating outdoors, for dinner or lunch with a group of your favourite people.

From fantastic barbecues to easy make-ahead picnics, we’re welcoming all forms of alfresco dining with open arms.

Get your suncream and your hat, it’s time to head outside…

The vegetarian alfresco menu

Basking in the sunshine – preferably with a cool drink in hand – while gorging on delicious food simply can’t be beaten. Alfresco eating is only option a few months a year, so we say: go for it!

A make-ahead menu is the way to go, for the ultimate relaxed evening. Nibble on these warm, butter-drenched flatbreads, plonk these paneer and pepper skewers on the table and round off the dinner with Sarit Packer’s amazing apricot and amaretti cheesecake. It’s next-level good.

Picnic fare needs to be able to travel well and our menu does just that

The perfect picnic

Picnic fare needs to be able to travel well and these three picks are all robust enough to last in your cooler bag.

There’s no such thing as too much cheese on a picnic. Sharing is caring with our feta and herb bread, then serve up slices of our leek, comte and thyme quiche. And it wouldn’t be a picnic without a slice of CAKE. Our seasonal gooseberry and ginger loaf cake.

The barbecue banquet

Surprise your guests with a fruity but tangy starter in the form of Clare Thompson’s strawberry, cream and watercress salad recipe. Get the marinating done the day before, then finish off Genevieve Taylor’s tandoori venison kebabs on the barbie to impart extra smoky flavour. Serve with naan for a perfect main.

And because you’ll probably want something refreshing after all of that, how about Ravinder Bhogal’s mango-misu? It’s the ideal use of mangos during the much-anticipated Indian mango season, and it’s the kind of pud you’ll want seconds of.

The alfresco winner

You can’t beat charred corn on the cob drizzled in lashings of melted butter. Fill brioche buns with tender pulled pork and a gooseberry chutney for a sweet and sour delight that puts the seasonal fruit front-and-centre in our best ever pulled pork buns. And for an impressive dessert you can whip out with a little boozy kick, try this strawberry daiquiri tart.