It’s the easiest party you’ll ever throw – all it takes is a table, a few chairs and something delicious to share. The Big Lunch returns this weekend (7-8 June), inviting neighbours across the UK to come together over food and friendship. Whether it’s a full street bash or a few snacks on the front step, it’s a chance to break the ice, not the bank, and feel part of something bigger.

Now in its 16th year, the Eden Project’s initiative has become a national fixture, with more than 10 million people joining in last summer. This year’s event is backed once again by Co-op, Greene King and the Pears Foundation – and while it’s all about community, the food doesn’t hurt either.

To help get you started, we’ve rounded up a handful of brilliant recipes perfect for sharing. From Prue Leith’s vibrant watermelon and halloumi salad to Poppy O’Toole’s viral smashed potato nachos, this is food designed to get people talking. There’s also a hearty veggie burger from Tom Kerridge, a clever cauliflower salad from Yotam Ottolenghi, Raymond Blanc’s summery cherry clafoutis and Nicola Lamb’s foolproof Earl Grey scones for something sweet with your cuppa.

All that’s left to do? Send out the invites (verbal will do), make a little space and enjoy the simple pleasure of eating together.

Prue Leith’s summer watermelon and halloumi salad

“Watermelon seems to me the essence of summer. During my South African childhood, we’d cool ourselves with long slices eaten in our hands. When I came to England, watermelon was often a disappointment – pale and tasteless – but it’s much better now (the darker the flesh, the sweeter it will be).

“I once had to make a dish on Saturday Kitchen for the adventurer Ben Fogle, who had declared watermelon his least favourite food. I changed his mind by wrapping fat sticks of watermelon flesh in prosciutto, frying them and serving them with feta and pomegranate. I could have given him this dish, which makes an interesting starter or a satisfying veggie main.”

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour

200g/7oz halloumi, sliced

Vegetable oil, for frying

200g/7oz watermelon, skin removed and cut into thin slices

30g/1oz rocket (arugula) leaves

20g/¾oz/2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

About 10 mint leaves, torn

For the pickled shallots:

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

½ tsp salt

2 shallots (or 1 small red onion), finely diced

For the dressing:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp clear honey

Salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Make the pickled shallots. Tip the vinegar, sugar and salt into a small saucepan and add 3 tablespoons of water. Stir, then place on a medium–high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and add the shallots (or onion). Set aside to cool.

2. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Tip the flour into a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dip the halloumi slices into the flour to coat.

4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the halloumi slices and fry on each side for a few minutes, until golden and crisp. Leave to cool.

5. Arrange overlapping layers of halloumi, watermelon and rocket (arugula) on a large serving plate.

6. Drain the shallots (or onion), and sprinkle them on top of the salad, along with the pomegranate seeds and mint leaves. Drizzle the dressing over or serve it on the side.

Tip: If you are making this in advance, let the halloumi cool before arranging the plate (warm halloumi will wilt the rocket). If you want to serve the halloumi hot, just add it to the rest of the salad at the last minute.

Tom Kerridge’s halloumi and aubergine burgers

“These burgers are so good that they will impress all your guests, not just vegetarians. Halloumi and aubergine are charred on the grill for a great balance of textures. The toppings here are extra special: smoky garlic and herb mayo, a fiery roasted chilli butter, and peppery rocket that brings a pop of freshness to every bite.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 large aubergines

2 × 250g blocks of halloumi, each halved horizontally

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the roasted chilli butter:

3 long red chillies

100g butter, softened

½ tsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the garlic mayonnaise:

1 large whole garlic bulb

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked

2 handfuls of hickory wood chips (for the barbecue)

100ml mayonnaise

Juice of ½ lemon

To assemble:

4 burger buns

60g rocket

Method:

1. First, make the chilli butter. Place the chillies on a hot barbecue and cook for about 10 minutes, turning often, until blackened all over. Pop them into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and let steam for a few minutes.

2. For the garlic mayo, cut the top off the garlic bulb to expose the clove tips. Sit, cut side up, in a small heavy-based frying pan, drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.

3. Scatter a large handful of hickory wood chips onto the barbecue coals for extra smokiness. Place the frying pan on the barbecue over indirect heat. Put the lid on the barbecue and cook the garlic for 45 minutes or until it is soft.

4. Meanwhile, peel, deseed and finely chop the chillies. Place in a bowl with the softened butter, smoked paprika and chopped parsley. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5. Remove the pan from the barbecue and transfer the garlic to a plate. Leave to cool. Once cooled, squeeze the soft garlic flesh out of the skins into a bowl and mash well with a fork. Add the mayo and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and mix to combine.

6. Halve the aubergines lengthways and then cut a 2cm thick steak from each half.

7. Cook the aubergine and halloumi steaks on the barbecue over a medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely browned and tender. Turn and brush them with a little chilli butter as they cook but allow the halloumi to caramelise before flipping it over.

8. Towards the end of the cooking, lightly toast the burger buns on the barbecue, cut side down, then remove and smear the cut surfaces with any remaining chilli butter.

9. To assemble, spread some garlic mayo on the burger bun bases. Add an aubergine steak, a halloumi steak and then a big handful of rocket. Spread some more garlic mayo on the bun lids. Sandwich the burgers together and secure the lid with a wooden skewer. Tuck in!

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cauliflower, pomegranate and pistachio salad

“It was a little moment of revelation, I remember, when I first combined roasted cauliflower and raw grated cauliflower in the same dish. So different from one another, but working so well combined.

“This is lovely as it is, served as part of a spread, or spooned alongside some roast chicken or lamb. Don’t throw away the leaves of the cauliflower here. They’re lovely to eat, roasted and crisp, or grated raw as you would the rest of the cauliflower.

“If you want to get ahead, roast the cauliflower up to 4–6 hours in advance. Keep at room temperature and then just combine with the remaining ingredients when ready to serve.”

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower (800g)

1 medium onion, roughly sliced (130g)

80ml olive oil

25g parsley, roughly chopped

10g mint, roughly chopped

10g tarragon, roughly chopped

Seeds from ½ medium pomegranate (80g)

40g pistachio kernels, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1½ tbsp lemon juice

Salt

Serves: 4

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C fan.

2. Coarsely grate a third of the cauliflower and set aside in a bowl. Break the remaining cauliflower into florets, roughly 3cm wide, and add these to a separate bowl with the cauliflower leaves, if you have any, and onion. Toss everything together with 2 tablespoons of oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt, then spread out on a large parchment-lined baking tray. Roast for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Once cool, put the roasted vegetables into a large bowl with the 50ml oil, the grated cauliflower and the remaining ingredients, along with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss gently, just to combine, then transfer to a platter and serve.

Poppy O’Toole’s smashed potato nachos

“A nacho dish… without the nachos. Hear me out, though. Sometimes I find with nachos that the toppings are insanely good, but then you dig a little deeper and are faced with those sad, bland tortilla crisps that no amount of cheese can save.P

“I’ve rectified that. Say goodbye to the crisps and hello to golden, crunchy, smashed potatoes.”

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1.2kg Maris Piper potatoes, halved (no need to peel)

Salt and black pepper

For the spiced oil:

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic granules

2 tbsp olive oil

For the pickled red onions:

1 red onion, finely sliced

Juice of 3-4 limes

Pinch of caster sugar

To serve and garnish:

1 ripe avocado

½ red onion, finely diced

Juice of 1 lime

Small bunch of coriander, leaves finely chopped

3 slices of American processed cheese

Splash of whole milk, or as needed

Sour cream

Sliced pickled jalapeños

Sliced red chilli sliced spring onions

Method:

1. Get your potatoes into a saucepan of heavily salted, cold water. Place the pan over a high heat and bring the water to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave on a gentle boil for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes fall off the tip of a knife. Drain in a colander. Place the colander over the pan on the turned-off hob and leave to steam-dry with a tea towel over the top for 5–10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6.

3. On a large baking tray, space out the potatoes and use the bottom of a jar or tin to press them down and crush them so they have lots of edges to go crispy.

4. To make the spiced oil, mix together the smoked paprika, garlic granules and a big pinch each of salt and pepper with the olive oil. Use some of this to brush all over the potatoes, then roast them in the oven for 30-40 minutes, before flipping them over, brushing with a little more spiced oil, and roasting for 15-20 minutes more, until the spiced oil has turned a dark red and the potatoes are cooked and crispy.

5. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the pickled red onions (you want just enough lime juice to cover them) and leave them to soften and infuse for at least 10 minutes, then set aside.

6. Destone the avocado and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Smash the avocado with a fork and mix through the red onion, lime juice and chopped coriander. Season well with salt and pepper.

7. In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave the American cheese slices with the splash of milk, on full power in 30-second bursts. Stir after each burst, until the cheese has melted to a sauce. Add in a bit more milk if it is a little thick.

8. Layer up the potatoes with the pickled onions, dollops of guacamole and sour cream, and a few jalapeño and chilli slices, then drizzle with the cheese sauce and garnish with a sprinkling of spring onions.

Raymond Blanc’s cherry clafoutis

“A clafoutis is a baked dessert featuring ripe, seasonal stone fruits traditionally, such as black cherries but other stone fruits, such as peaches, plums, apricots or figs, work beautifully too.

“Clafoutis has been a staple dessert on our menus at Brasserie Blanc.”

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 mins, plus 2 hours macerating | Cook time: 30–35 mins

Special equipment: 20cm round ceramic or cast-iron baking dish (5cm deep), cherry stoner

Ingredients:

For the cherries:

450g best-quality ripe cherries (such as Montmorency or Morello), stoned

50g caster sugar

A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

For preparing the dish:

10g unsalted butter, melted

30g caster sugar, plus extra to finish

For the batter:

2 organic/free-range medium eggs

45g caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

20g unsalted butter

20g plain flour

50ml whole milk

75ml whipping cream

Pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. To prepare the cherries: gently mix the cherries, sugar and lemon juice, if using, in a bowl. Cover and leave to macerate for 2 hours. While macerating, the sugar slowly permeates the fruit and intensifies the taste. Preheat the oven to 180C fan.

2. To prepare the dish: brush the inside with the melted butter. Add the sugar and tilt the dish to coat the sides and base evenly; shake out the excess.

3. To make the clafoutis: the clafoutis mixture can be prepared a day in advance. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan and cook to a beurre noisette - the foaming butter will turn a hazelnut colour at 150-155C. This butter will lend a wonderful roundness and nutty flavour to the clafoutis. Add the flour to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk until smooth, then slowly incorporate the milk, cream, salt and beurre noisette. Stir in the cherries with their juice and then pour into the prepared baking dish.

4. To cook the clafoutis: bake for 30-35 minutes until the clafoutis is lightly risen and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. The centre is always the last part to cook, so you must test it. Note that a dip in the middle suggests the clafoutis is undercooked.

5. Leave to stand for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with caster sugar if using and serve just warm.

Nicola Lamb’s Earl Grey scones

“I think people often fear scones – we’ve been told so many times to avoid overworking the dough for fear of producing rocks, but please don’t be scared to work the dough. I think most errors actually come from underworking! Your enemy is dry bits and I promise these won’t be heavy – there’s plenty of raising agents in there to lighten things up.”

Makes: 5-6 scones

Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Mix scones: 10 mins | Cut and rest: 30 mins | Bake: 15 mins | Leave to cool: 20 mins

Equipment:

6.5cm round or fluted cutter

Ingredients:

For the scones:

220g plain flour

6g Earl Grey, finely ground (about 2 teabags)

30g caster sugar

16g baking powder (about 4 tsp)

2g fine salt (about ⅓ tsp)

75g butter, cold

130g crème fraîche

Egg wash

Plus:

Creme fraiche

Raspberry rhubarb jam

Stewed plums

Method:

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, Earl Grey, caster sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined.

3. Cut the cold butter into small, 1–2cm pieces, then rub into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the crème fraîche to the mixture and stir until just combined. You can use a round-bladed knife to cut through the dough to stir it together.

5. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Knead the dough gently by folding it over on itself several times until it is smooth and no dry bits remain, about 1 minute or so. Then, using a rolling pin or your palms, flatten it into a 2.5cm thick dough. You want to make sure the dough is evenly combined and there are no dry bits or areas where the dough isn’t in one piece, otherwise it will split open during baking.

6. Using a 6.5cm round or fluted cutter, cut out scones decisively from the dough and place them upside down on the prepared baking tray. You can re-roll the scraps. They often turn out a bit oddly shaped but are still very delicious.

7. Rest the scones for about 20 minutes whilst you preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan.

8. Brush the tops of the scones with a little egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 12–14 minutes or until they are golden brown. They should be towering.

9. Once baked, remove the scones from the oven and transfer them onto a wire rack to cool. Serve with crème fraîche, jam and plums.

10. Store for 2 days in an airtight container, though you will lose crispness.

Ready to pull up a chair? Whether you’re planning a full-blown street party or just sharing a plate of scones with your neighbours, The Big Lunch is your invitation to connect. For free resources, planning tips, and even more recipe inspiration, head to edenprojectcommunities.com/the-big-lunch.

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