Three great homemade dips to try

That’s the picnic sorted...

Breadsticks and dip. Picture: Guy Bailey

Home-made breadsticks and dips make perfect picnic food. Store the dips in glass preserving jars – they look great on a picnic rug.

BREADSTICKS

*500g white bread flour

7g sachet dry yeast

1½ teaspoons salt

350ml tepid water

Olive oil

Polenta, poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Sea salt

Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the water to the flour mixture. Using a dough hook, mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a lightly floured bench and knead for 2-3 minutes. Divide into 12 equal portions. Roll into balls, then place each ball on a lightly floured surface and roll into a sausage shape about 25cm long. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with polenta (or poppy or sesame seeds) and sea salt. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 220C (fan). Bake 10-15 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Makes 12

*Tip: make sure to weigh the flour carefully – accurate quantities are important in baking.

Breadsticks with dips. Picture: Guy Bailey

BEETROOT DIP

200g cooked beetroot

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 spring onions, chopped

3 tablespoons Greek-style yoghurt

Pinch of chilli flakes

2 teaspoons lime juice

Cut the cooked beetroot into chunks and put in a small food processor with the garlic, spring onions, yoghurt, chilli flakes and lime juice. Season well, whiz until smooth and scrape into a jar.

CHILLI AVOCADO DIP

2 avocados, diced

1 fresh jalapeño or green chilli, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon crushed, toasted sesame seeds

Put all ingredients except sesame seeds into a large mixing bowl then mash together with a fork, leaving a few larger pieces of avocado for texture. Garnish with sesame seeds.

CARROT DIP

400g carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

2-3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon clear runny honey

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan until golden (optional)

Preheat oven to 200C (fan). In a baking dish, toss the carrots with the olive oil. Roast 30-40 minutes, until tender. Remove from oven and crush with a fork. Stir in cumin, paprika, ginger, garlic, honey and lemon juice. Season to taste. Alternatively, blitz roasted carrots in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pine nuts, if using.