Simple tips for preparing a picnic lunch

Chef Andrea Nicholson has some tasty, delicious must-haves for your picnic including tasty tuna sandwiches and amazing devilled eggs.

Lemon Tuna Salad

 Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 red chili, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 large stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cans of albacore tuna
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup taggiashe black olives or nicoise olives
• 8 slices hearty bread (Italian, French, ciabatta, or country white)
• Watercress or arugula

Directions

1. Place lemon juice, chili, lemon zest, and mayonnaise in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a large bowl. Add the onions, celery, olives and parsley and set aside.
2. Drain the canned tuna well and place into the wet ingredients. Divide the tuna salad among 4 slices of bread. Top the salad with a few sprigs of watercress and top with the remaining bread.

Bacon Devilled Eggs

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives & chervil
• 3 strips of smoked bacon, cooked until very crispy and crumbled
• 2 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped
• salt and pepper
• capers and chives, for garnish

Directions

1. Place eggs in cold water and bring up to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes, shut off heat, strain and pour cold water over top until the eggs are cold.
2. Peel eggs and cut in half. Scoop out cooked yolks and blend with mayonnaise, mustard, chives and chopped capers and season to taste. Place egg filling in a piping bag and pipe back into egg whites. Garnish with the bacon bits and chive. Wrap and chill until ready to serve.