‘Picky bits for tea?' Elly Smart's no-fuss vegan spread with smoked tofu and balsamic onion

The Guardian

a day ago

There are many reasons we opt for a picky bits tea. Maybe there are some leftovers from a party that need using up. Perhaps you're too tired to curate an actual meal, and you'd rather just stick your hand into the fridge and see what comes up. You might even be like me – the season of opening the doors to the garden (or balcony) is upon us, we smell the summer air, and just know that the oven isn't being touched today.
There are few words that get me more excited than ''picky bits for tea?'. Growing up, I think that was my mum's favourite line after a long day. We'd have an array of cold cuts, cheeses, dips and a couple of token carrots that may or may not get touched.
I was a huge meat eater as a child and well into my teen years before I discovered veganism, so I've had to do a bit of a taste bud overhaul since those days when dinner was mum-made.
Veganism forces you to get creative. When I ate 'everything', I had the same meals on repeat each week, but once I went plant-based, in 2016, I discovered the power of diversity. I couldn't believe how creative and exciting being in the kitchen felt once I cut out a large majority of my food groups.
Picky bits as a vegan in those early days wasn't a whole lot of fun, as the options were pretty limited – I'd be lucky if I could find a vegan sausage. Now, we are totally spoilt for choice. Ocado has been my go-to weekly order for years for that very reason; it is filled to the brim with super-exciting new vegan products. So if you're looking for a vegan picky bits tea, look no further than Ocado …
Deli bits are the foundation of any respectable picky bits tea, and all of these umami-packed gems will do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to injecting flavour and colour into your spread. In my books, picky bits are synonymous with M&S semi-dried tomatoes, Ocado grilled peppers antipasti, and a load of Ocado pitted green olives. I've added some M&S balsamic marinated onions too, as I love that hit of acidity to cut through a lot of the richer flavours. The soundtrack to a picky bits dinner is the crunch of your favourite crisp, mine is always Sea salt & balsamic vinegar of Modena Kettle chips, and a lovely little dip to dunk them in, such as the Happy Pear red pepper hummus.
As I mentioned, now we have all the options to choose from, and most meat alternatives are super comparable to the real thing. I usually prefer to go for more wholefood plant proteins such as tofu and tempeh, which are both 'complete' proteins. This means they contain all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make itself, super important to get in for anyone on a vegan diet. Even though this may take a while to get behind, once I introduce you to pre-flavoured tofu you will never go back. It's a common misconception that you can't eat the stuff cold, but you absolutely can. Ocado stocks wonderful tofu from Taifun, in smoked, sun-dried tomato and basil flavours. Perfect in a picky bits set-up, simply slice and layer with your favourite dips and toppings. For crudites, you can add some red pepper, mini cucumber and carrots.
Now, you can't do a picky bits dinner on your own, so when the girls are together it's essential you've got a good drinks roster. For me the holy trinity is a gorgeous pale rosé such as M&S La Balconne organic Provence rosé, something pre-mixed and easy to bring like the premixed Pimm's No1 cup & lemonade, and something grownup but non-alcoholic like an elderflower spritz, which I make with ⁠Belvoir organic elderflower cordial and soda water
Someone is going to be tagging you in this lovely spread, so to make sure everything is looking photogenic, I always have colourful paper plates and napkins in the cupboard. I'm currently obsessed with the adorable Talking Tables strawberry paper napkins, which complement the English summer beautifully. Now I just need my Ultrasun SPF 30 family sunscreen and I'm picky bits ready.
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