Marina says: “Cute, easy to pack and a total crowd-pleaser. My kids like heat, but when they were younger I used to leave out the harissa or replace it with a little tomato passata.”

Makes 12

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 675g plain flour, plus extra for kneading
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1½ tsp salt
• 75g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 350ml whole milk
• 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

For the filling and glaze:

• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp harissa
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 400g roasted red peppers (drained weight, if from a jar), cut into long strips about 2.5cm wide
• 4 tsp za’atar
• 1 tbsp honey

Method

For the dough, combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. In a small pan, gently warm the butter and milk until the butter has melted and the milk is lukewarm. Remove from the heat, then quickly stir in the yoghurt and egg and, once well combined, pour into the bowl with the dry mixture. Mix to form a sticky dough. Cover the bowl and leave to rise for one hour (or overnight in the fridge, then let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping), until light and fluffy.

Meanwhile, butter a 12-hole muffin tin. For the filling, combine the garlic, harissa and two tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Knead the risen dough on a floured worktop for a few seconds to knock out excess air then use a rolling pin to roll it out to a rectangle about 30cm x 45cm (12in x 18in).

Spoon on the harissa mixture, using the back of the spoon or a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the whole surface.

Top with the peppers, aiming to cover the surface evenly, but not worrying too much about making a neat job of it, then scatter with half the za’atar.

Starting at one of the longer edges of the dough, roll the dough up tightly like a Swiss roll, then, using a large knife, slice it into 12 buns. I find the easiest way to do this is to cut it first in half, then cut each in half again, then cut each quarter into three equal slices. Sit the buns, cut-side-up, in the holes of the prepared muffin tin.

Don’t worry if some of the buns lose their shape or even fall apart a bit; once baked, they’ll hold together, and a loose rustic look suits them. Cover with a dish towel and set aside to prove for one hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan).

Combine the honey and the remaining za’atar and one tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and use to brush the top of the buns.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until cooked through. Cool in the tin before packing for your picnic.

These are best eaten on the day of baking, but will keep in an airtight container for up to two days.

Marina says: “These galettes are so delicious. The trick is to buy the best jarred artichokes you can get your hands on and cook the potatoes using the oil from the jar. The rich, buttery artichoke flavour will seep into the potatoes, making them irresistible.”

Makes 4

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 150g wholemeal or white spelt flour
• 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 200g salted butter, cubed and well chilled
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp chilled water

For the filling:

• 160g grilled artichokes in olive oil (drained weight), drained and cut into wedges; keep the oil
• 15g salted butter
• 800g new potatoes, sliced about 1cm thick
• 4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp chopped mint, plus extra mint leaves, to serve
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

For the pastry, put the flours and cubed butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Crack in the egg, add the chilled water and pulse until the pastry comes together into a ball. Add a little extra water if the pastry is still too crumbly. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start the filling. Spoon two tablespoons of the olive oil from the artichokes into a large lidded frying pan over a medium heat. Add the butter and, once melted, toss in the potatoes and artichokes. Season with salt and pepper, cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes, occasionally giving everything a stir. At this stage the potatoes won’t be quite cooked all the way through, but that’s fine as they’ll finish cooking in the oven. Allow the filling to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan).

Combine the yoghurt, garlic and chopped mint in a small bowl and season.

Divide the chilled pastry into four even-sized balls and roll out on a floured work surface into four approximately 0.5cm thick rounds. Spread the yoghurt mixture over the rounds, leaving a 2.5cm border. Top evenly with the cooled potato and artichokes, then fold the pastry border over to enclose some of the filling. Repeat with the remaining galettes. Transfer the galettes to a baking sheet lined with baking paper and brush the pastry borders with the beaten egg. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Cool on a wire rack before packing. Scatter with fresh mint leaves to serve.

Marina says: “These tasty empanadas are really easy to make. The twisted seal might seem fiddly at first, but with a little practice it becomes child’s play. If you want to hone your technique, there are some brilliant videos online by Argentinian home cooks showing how it’s done.”

Makes 12

Ingredients

For the pastry:

• 300g plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 1 tsp salt
• 110g unsalted butter, cubed and well chilled
• 1 egg, plus 1 lightly beaten egg for glazing
• 4 tbsp chilled water
• 1 tsp white vinegar

For the filling:

• 75g cooking chorizo, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 75g potatoes, peeled and cut into pea-sized pieces
• 125g raw shelled prawns, chopped
• 45g roasted peppers from a jar, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

To make the pastry, put the flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse to a fine breadcrumb consistency.

Add the egg and pulse to combine, then add the water and vinegar, bit by bit, until the pastry is just starting to come together, adding a little extra chilled water if it is still too crumbly. Turn out, press the mixture together, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the filling, cook the chorizo in a medium frying pan with a lid over a medium-low heat for two to three minutes until starting to crisp up. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan over the heat. Stir in the onions and potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Cook, covered, over a low heat for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked and the onions translucent and really tender. Stir in the chopped prawns and as soon as they turn pink, remove the pan from the heat and add the peppers and parsley. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (180ºC fan) and line two baking sheets with baking paper. To shape the empanadas, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and cover them with a clean dish towel. On a floured work surface, roll one pastry round into a 12cm circle.

Spoon two teaspoons of the filling into the centre of the dough circle and fold in half to make a semi-circle-shaped parcel. Press the edges together firmly then twist your way around to crimp the edge; or, if you prefer, simply press the edges together using a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet and continue shaping the remaining dough balls and filling in the same way, until you have 12 parcels. The empanadas can now be covered and chilled in the fridge for up to one day before baking, if you like.

To bake, brush the empanadas with beaten egg and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Switch the position of the oven trays 20 minutes into cooking to give the empanadas a chance to brown evenly. Cool on a wire rack. The empanadas keep well at room temperature for one day.

Foolproof Picnic by Marina Filippelli (£12.99, Quadrille) is out now