If you're eating al fresco and there's a lot of you, then "self contained" food is what you need and these scrummy stuffed pittas are just perfect for the job.
Salad leaves, saffron lamb and pitta bread
SERVES 4
Marinated Lamb1 onion, roughly grated565g/1¼ lb lean lamb fillet, diced2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oiljuice of 1 lemonblack pepper to tastea large pinch of saffron threadsa pinch of sea salt
Final Dish200ml/7fl oz natural Greek yoghurt½ teaspoon cumin seeds150g/5½ oz mixed salad leaves, such as mizuna, rocket, baby chard, land cress and claytonia1 cucumber, peeled2 red onions, thickly sliced into rings4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil8 home-made pitta breads 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)
1 Put the grated onion in a bowl with the lamb, olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper. Grind the saffron and salt with a pestle and mortar or in a small bowl with a teaspoon, and mix into the lamb. Cover and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
2 Preheat an oven-top grill-pan or a barbecue to a high heat. Put the yoghurt in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, beat in 5 tablespoons cold water. Season to taste. Place the cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan. Set over a high heat and toast them, giving the pan an occasional shake. As soon as the cumin seeds smell delicious, grind to a powder, either with a pestle and mortar or under a small rolling pin. Sprinkle over the yoghurt.
3 Wash and dry the salad leaves. Rip into easy-to-eat lengths and place in a large mixing bowl. Slice the cucumber into half moons and mix into the leaves.
4 Place the red onion rings on a plate, coat in 2 tablespoons olive oil and season. Place on the hot griddle or barbecue and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Tip into the salad.
5 Place the lamb chunks on the hot griddle pan. If you are using a barbecue, you may need to thread the meat on to skewers to stop it slipping through the grill bars. To serve medium rare, cook for 3 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, or until grilled to your liking. Then mix into the salad.
6 Meanwhile, warm the pitta breads in a toaster or on the edges of the barbecue. Toss the salad in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and season to taste. Split open the pitta breads, stuff with the lamb salad mixture and drizzle with some of the yoghurt. Serve immediately with plenty of napkins.
Recipe taken from The Great British Vegetable Cookbook by Sybil Kapoor, published by National Trust Books. Photography by Karen Thomas