Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Heading to New York City this summer? Seek out Prospect Park in Brooklyn: a masterpiece of landscape architecture at the green heart of NYC's largest borough.

Photographer and stylist, Julia Gartland, decided to hold an informal, pot luck picnic in Prospect Park for July's The Simple Things.

And what a location it is. According to Adrian Benepe, "Olmsted and Vaux designed Central Park, learned from their mistakes, and then designed Prospect Park." Indeed, this 585-acre oasis is an ambitious feat of design, packed with attractions such as the Long Meadow, a 90-acre meadow; Prospect Park Zoo; The Boathouse; Brooklyn's only lake, covering 60 acres; and the Prospect Park Bandshell, which hosts free outdoor concerts in the summertime.

Over ten million visits each year prove the Prospect Park has something for everyone, locals and tourists, young and old, from skating to birding to pedal boating to picnicking on the Long Meadow on beautiful days. The Park also boasts a stunning variety of natural and geological features, such as Brooklyn’s only forest, rolling meadows and shaded hillsides.

Find out more about Prospect Park, and read an extract from Prospect Park: Olmsted & Vaux's Brooklyn Masterpiece by David P. Colley (cover pictured).

Turn to page 26 of July's The Simple Things for beautiful photographs and recipes to inspire your own portable feast - on sale 27 June 2014.

A midsummer night's feast: wine matches

Enjoy a laid-back celebration in the lingering dusk with super-chilled drinks and plenty of nibbles with our midsummer night's feast. This isn't a time to think about your five-a-day. Instead, make it a solstice to remember with decadently moreish savouries and summery sweet treats.

String up lanterns in a sheltered corner and lay on drinks and nibbles for an informal party for friends; young children will be thrilled at being out in the garden after dusk. Even if you don't quite make it through to the dawning of Midsummer's Day (24 June), you'll need breakfast to set you up for the longest day of the year.

Turn to page 26 of June's The Simple Things for a midsummer menu to remember, which includes the following recipes:

Gougeres

Spicy nougatine

Orange & yoghurt cake

Chocolate mousse

Babas au gin & tonic

Sweet chilli bruffins

Croissant pain-perdu

Making the menu? You'll need a few wine suggestions to go with the food.

Gougères with a side of Red Wine - Naudin Tiercin Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2011

Made from the Pinot Noir grape, this wine has just a subtle hint of spice, which picks up on the gentle kick of the chilli and paprika, yet the juicy berry fruit flavours in the wine give it a light and fresh quality that won’t overpower the wonderful cheesy bites!

Roast Garlic Bread - Coulaudin Bussy Chablis Premier Cru 2010

This Premier Cru Chablis sublimely combines a fresh, lemony character, with a strong backbone of acidity which perfectly cuts through the intensity of the garlic and makes for a very moreish combination.

Orange and Yoghurt Cakes - Bach Extrisimo Semi Seco Cava NV

The slight sweetness to this Cava makes it the perfect partner for these little delights. The gentle effervescence reflects the light, crumbly texture of the crumb and the delicate almond and citrussy flavours of the wine highlight the wonderful zesty orange of the cakes.

Recipe: Piquant vegetable salad, and a vegetarian Mediterranean menu

Rustle up a weekend menu for family and friends - that just so happens to be vegetarian - then get the garden games out. Long, light days full of the promise of early summer and bank holiday weekends that top and tail the month - isn't May just the best? This is no time for slaving over the stove, though. What you need is food that's high in flavour and low on fuss to allow maximum time for chatting and quaffing. Fresh and colourful dishes with a Mediterranean influence will keep any post-lunch slump at bay, should the afternoon call for an impromptu game of ping-pong or boules.

Opt for an informal table with terracotta plant pots holding the cutlery and fresh herbs replacing flowers. Vintage crockery finishes the rustic, playful feel, while a freshly mixed mojito delivers a touch of holiday decadence. Double bank holidays - we'll drink to that.

Turn to page 26 of May's The Simple Things for recipes to recreate the full menu below (buy or download now):

Panzanella

Falafel with flatbreads

Hummus, Tahini sauce and Harissa

Piquant vegetable salad

French lemon tart with berry coulis

Mojitos

Piquant vegetable salad

A shredded veggie salad adds a pop of flavour and a burst of colour (serves 4 as a side salad)

Ingredients:

Half a cauliflower, finely sliced 2 carrots, peeled and grated 1 beetroot, peeled and grated

For the dressing:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tsp agave syrup

Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl.

Combine all dressing ingredients, adding to the salad before serving.

For more information about National Vegetarian Week, including tips on how to go meat-free, visit the website.

Recipe: Dark chocolate and raspberry tarts

With four cake and biscuit recipes to choose from, April's issue of The Simple Things is a baker's dream come true. Want more? These dark chocolate and raspberry tarts are pastry perfection Already baked the Lemon & Blueberry Cake, Courgette & Lime Cake, Giant Empire Biscuits, and Raspberry & Coconut Cake featured in the April issue of The Simple Things? Here's another sumptuous recipe from Three Sisters Bake by Gillian, Nichola and Linsey Reith.

As Gillian says, 'We love food which looks as good as it tastes, and these dainty tarts certainly qualify in this category. They are so pretty, in fact, that we served them at an Alice in Wonderland-themed party we hosted at the café. Needless to say they went down a treat.'

Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts (makes eight)

For the pastry:

235g (8 oz/scant 2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting 50g (2 oz/1/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 150g (5 oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed 1 large egg, at room temperature

For the dark chocolate and raspberry filling:

150 g (5 oz) good-quality dark chocolate, (50–60% cocoa solids) 100 g (3. oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 1 large whole egg and 1 large egg yolk 30 g (1 oz/1⁄6 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 12 tablespoons homemade or good-quality raspberry jam Cocoa powder/icing (confectioners') sugar, for dusting 8 fresh raspberries, to decorate

Equipment:

12-hole muffin tin Baking beans

Method:

To make the pastry, place the flour and sugar in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter bit by bit and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse until the pastry starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Shape it into a ball, wrap in cling film, then chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180°c (350°f/Gas 4) and grease the muffin tin.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is about 5 mm (¼ in) thick. Cut out 8 circles with a 9cm (3 1/2") round cookie cutter, and gently press the pastry circles into the greased muffin tin. Line each tart case with greaseproof (wax) paper, fill with baking beans and 'blind' bake for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Remove the tin from the oven, take out the greaseproof paper and baking beans, and set aside to cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 170°c (335°f/Gas 3).

Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Stir occasionally until the butter and chocolate have melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside to cool slightly.

Using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg, egg yolk and sugar in a large bowl until glossy, then fold the whisked egg mixture into the melted chocolate and butter mixture.

Put a tablespoon of jam into each baked tart case. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cases, right up to the top and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool, decorating with fresh raspberries before the chocolate has fully set, then dust with either cocoa or icing sugar.

For the rest of the mouth-watering cakes and biscuits from the very talented trio behind Three Sisters Bake, turn to page 37 of The Simple Things issue 22.

Buy now, or have a look through the digital sampler:

Share some strawberry margaritas

The sun has truly come out from hiding this week, and we cannot think of a better way to celebrate than sharing this recipe for a fruity strawberry and lime margarita. Cheers!

Serves 6 300g fresh or frozen strawberries 2 tbsp honey 240ml tequila Half a bunch of mint leaves

1. Fuse the honey, tequila and strawberries in a blender – add a little ice if using fresh, or a splash of water if using frozen. 2. Garnish with chopped mint and strawberry slices.

This recipe was taken from Issue 08 of The Simple Things, download it now.

Remember to always enjoy alcohol responsibly.

Pumpkin recipe round-up

Halloween is nearly here! Welcome to our pumpkin recipe round-up. We love carving pumpkins but hate waste, so in the spirit of thriftiness, we've hunted out the best pumpkin recipes for you so that nothing ends up in the bin!

There's no reason to wait until the evening to get into the Halloween spirit, so start early and kick the day off with pumpkin waffles from Pasty Affair. Served with plenty of maple syrup and flavoured with warming cinnamon and spice, we can't help thinking that these would be the perfect start to any chilly autumn day.

A Subtle Revelry has come up with a recipe for pumpkin bourbon cocktails which caught our eye. This slushy cocktail combines pumpkin and bourbon with brewed black tea. We can't quite imagine how this will taste, but we do firmly believe that nothing can't be improved with a cup of tea, so we'll definitely be trying it out.

Just because you're past the years of trick or treating doesn't mean Halloween can't include a few sweet treats! The Sweetest Occasion has lived up to its name with its mini pumpkin cheesecake pecan tart recipe. Is it a cheesecake? Is it a pumpkin pie? Is it a pecan tart? All we know is that this many yummy  desserts combined into one recipe can only be a good thing!

When we said we didn't want to waste anything we really weren't kidding. Our final offering comes from House of Earnest, who've done their very own round-up of pumpkin seed recipes. One medium pumpkin yields enough seeds to make all three flavours, so you can even try them all! Sensational seasonal snacking.

Book launch: Cupcakes and Cashmere

Today, we thought we'd take a little break from our Simple Things magazine excitement to let you know about another fab launch.

Cupcakes and Cashmere is now not only the title of one of our favourite blogs, but it's also the title of a fabulous book! Creator Emily Schuman's first book promises more of what she does best on her blog - cute and quirky fashion, unique interiors ideas and chilled out entertaining.

Have a rifle inside and hear what Emily's thoughts on the Cupcakes and Cashmere blog. Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see her simple ideas for home-made cards, too - we love.

Throw a retro outdoor cinema party

Outdoor entertaining is one of summer's top simple pleasures. We're massive fans of lively barbeques and lazy picnics, but for an extra-special event, we love this outdoor cinema party idea.

Channel old-school cool by setting up a projector in your back garden, draping old crates and boxes with tablecloths and popping up some deck chairs, mismatched cushions and plenty of blankets to keep people comfy and cosy. Keep the retro theme going with your snacks - jars of flavoured popcorn, old fashioned sweeties and bottles of pop.

This awesome party idea comes from Bash, Please for Design*Sponge, with photos from the super-talented Brandon Kidd.

Stitch some mitre-edged cloth napkins

There’s no denying that cloth napkins add a special touch to a meal. Crafty blogger Elisabeth from My Growing Home has created a helpful guide on how to sew linen napkins, guest posted over at Design Mom.

She’s included special instructions on how to sew mitre-edges for a super-neat professional finish. We won’t lie, the photo guide looks a lot more like origami than we’re entirely comfortable with, but we're assured that it’s far simpler than it appears.

We love the quirky charm of mismatched napkins, and hate wasting material, so we’ll be using this tutorial as an excuse to dive into our stash of fabric scraps.

Deck the house out in Jubilee designs

It’s another Jubilee themed post, sorry. We can’t help it, we’re caught up in all the excitement! This time, its a round up of all the best products inspired by Her Majesty. Back to normal tomorrow, we promise.

First up, this pop art postage stamp bunting from Etsy's LottieDots1. Crafter Laura’s design has a cool, retro feel that will definitely stand out in the midst of all the red, white and blue.

Secondly, we’re buying into the age-old tradition of commemorative tea towels. Our favourites are Rocket St. George’s Singing in the Reign design (love a good pun), Lovely Jubilee from Hunted and Stuffed (there we go again) and this commemorative Corgi tea towel, also from Rocket St. George.

Finally, we’ll be rounding off our day with a lovely cup of tea, which we will be sipping from a delicate corgi teacup purchased from Emilou Makes on Etsy. With a raised little finger, of course.