Pan Bagnat

Pan bagnat is a great idea for a picnic or a lunch al fresco. The name means "bathed bread" (or "wet bread") and the sandwich is a speciality of Nice, France. It's very easy to make and you can fill it with pretty much whatever you like.

Simply take a large crusty loaf of bread - it needs to be thicker than a baguette.

Slice in half and scoop out most of the soft bread inside. Don't waste it though - this is the best bit! You can eat it as it is or dunk into soup or use to make breadcrumbs.

Spread the bread with something moist - I used red pesto from a jar on one side, and drizzled olive oil on the other, though you could just butter it.

Next start layering in your fillings. Hard boiled eggs (sliced) work well, and any raw vegetables, meats, or fish like tuna - plus plenty of salad. Here I started off with slices from a ball of mozzarella.

I chopped some olives and put them on half the sandwich - this is big enough to serve four to six people.

I layered some wafer thin honey roast ham into the sandwich. Sliced salami would also be good.

Some sliced ref pepper for a bit of crunch

And finally some little gem lettuce, with balsamic glaze drizzled over the top.

Place the top half of the bread onto the sandwich and press down so you have a tightly packed loaf.

If you're going on a picnic and don't want to take a bread knife you can slice the pan bagnat into thick slices before you go. I love how you can see all the layers of the filling - this is an easy way to get children to eat more salad or vegetables as it's fun to make and eat.