I have always been a lover of picnics. I enjoy the whole process from visiting the delicatessen and selecting tasty morsels, such as olives stuffed with lemon and sun dried tomatoes to baking a cake and making salads and quiches, and even on one occasion homemade lemonade.

The Bank Holiday is tantalisingly close, and despite it only being the beginning of the working week, I find myself taking small moments out to plan the perfect Bank Holiday Weekend Picnic. If the weather is as good as I hope for, (my fingers are firmly crossed for sun, sun and then more sun), then I will pack something chilled and alcoholic, either a light rose or a crisp Riesling that is low in alcohol to avoid the slightly fuzzy feeling that drinking in the daytime can bring. A whole cooked chicken is always a good option, with cold stuffing and a green salad lightly dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

I will be preparing a popular Lebanese salad Tabbouleh. A simple, yet perfectly balanced combination of bulgur wheat, ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs and lemon juice this makes an ideal accompaniment to a Quiche, or some cold poached fish. My favourite recipe is one that I found on the BBC website by Valentine Warner.

Potato salad made with the new season’s crop is a picnic favourite. I like adding a bit of lemon juice and either finely chopped spring onions or fresh chives to ring the changes. Another picnic food staple is the coleslaw. The humble coleslaw is the perfect fail safe option for summer barbeques, or al fresco lunches not just for picnics. I have taken to making the French version of coleslaw, Remoulade made with celeriac, a lovely delicate tasting vegetable. This recipe by Nigel Slater is especially good.

I always make a chocolate cake. As a child, the high point of the meal was cake. It had to be chocolate. I would eat my salad and cold meats with one eye firmly on the cake. Although I will always pack either chocolate cup cakes or a chocolate sponge cake iced and temptingly delicious, it is always good to give your taste buds a treat and try something new. I have always been fond of lemon polenta cake. It is good to eat, pleasing to the eye and simple to make. I have come across this variation of the traditional recipe, on the Good Food website that I will be trying myself this weekend, Strawberry Polenta Cup Cakes.

I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend with good company, good food and pretty vintage mismatched china spread out on the picnic blanket. I just hope it doesn't rain.

Have a wonderful Bank Holiday Weekend.