With the opportunity to invite friends and family into our outdoor spaces and the weather on our side, many of us will be welcoming the alfresco season with open arms. Ahead of the Easter weekend, friend and photographer Kym Grimshaw is sharing a fuss-free seasonal spread to share with guests this spring.

Inspired by the Scandi tradition of the Smörgåsbord, here are a few simple recipe options for everyone to tuck into, most of which can be prepared beforehand. Less time in the kitchen means more time enjoying the spread with everyone else!

The crudité board

A seasonal selection of prepared vegetables makes a stunning centrepiece for your table. Feel free to mix and match to your taste, but anything with a good crunch is preferable. Here, Kym’s opted for radishes, baby carrots and endives, but the possibilities are endless. For the dip, labneh (a Middle Eastern soft cream cheese) works beautifully with our Seeded Sourdough Flatbreads. To whip up your own labneh, simplyt :

Take 500g full fat greek yogurt and mix in ½ tsp sea salt.
Line a bowl with a muslin or cheesecloth, spoon in the salted yogurt.
Pull together the four corners of the cloth over the yogurt and secure with string to form a bag, suspend the bag over a bowl for 12 – 24 hours and leave it to drain.
Remove from the cloth and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Dress the labneh with a good quality extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, chopped toasted nuts and a sprinkling of Aleppo pepper, sumac or chilli flakes.

A simple fish plate

Serve up a simple platter of smoked trout or salmon, dressed with lemon and chopped dill. Enjoy with a spoonful of labneh on our Poppy Seed Sourdough crispbreads.

Eggs for Easter

Kym’s version of the retro classic has a flavourful modern twist and are very moreish.

Halve eight hard boiled eggs, scoop out the yolks and add to a bowl with two finely chopped spring onions, 4 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 ½ tsp of rose harissa and a pinch of salt.
Taste for seasoning before spooning the yolk mixture back into the hollowed-out egg whites. Serve with a little dill or parsley and a good grinding of black pepper.

Tuck in as they are or mash onto a sourdough crispbread for the Smörgåsbord experience.

Seasonal veg

Spring brings a bounty of seasonal delights, asparagus being a particular favourite. The early UK crops are just starting to appear at the greengrocers and as with all produce, the better the quality the less you need to do to make something utterly delicious! Discard the woody ends of the asparagus and blanch in salted boiling water for 3 – 4 minutes before plunging into an ice filled bowl of water to stop the asparagus from becoming overcooked. A little seasoning with salt on the plate and it needs nothing else.

Pick a pickle

Something pickled makes for a lovely addition to smoked fish with labneh on our sourdough crispbreads and crackers. For a fresh quick pickle, follow Kym’s steps below:

Peel a whole cucumber and thinly slice.
Toss the cucumber slices with 1 tsp flaky sea salt in a colander. Set aside for 20 mins then squeeze out any excess moisture with your hands and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Add the cucumber to a bowl with ½ sliced red onion, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and 1 tbsp caster sugar.

Additions for the table

Extra nibbles are welcome, such as olives and a selection of Peter’s Yard Sourdough Bites. A crisp white wine will also go down a treat. Style the table with fresh spring flowers, a linen cloth and napkins and a few simple tea lights for when the sun goes down. Keep side plates and cutlery on the table and let everyone tuck in!