watercress, to garnish (optional)
crackers or breadsticks, to serve
Grate or crumble the Stilton, place in a bowl with the cream cheese and butter and mix well to a creamy consistency. Stir in the walnuts.
Either spoon the mixture into a small dish and smooth the top, or press it into a fat sausage shape and wrap it in a piece of foil, twisting the two ends like a cracker. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Cut the roll into slices to serve, garnished with watercress, or serve from the bowl, with crackers or breadsticks.
Tapenade v
This can be served as part of a selection of starters or dips, or as part of a tapas platter, perhaps with some crunchy salted almonds, celery sticks, radishes and spring onions. The better the olives, the better the flavour. You can use pitted ones if they look good, or buy them intact and pit them yourself (if you don’t have an olive pitter this is an arduous task, however).
SERVES 4–6
300g (11oz) green or black whole olives, or 225g (8oz) pitted olives
3 tbsp capers, drained, or rinsed and drained if preserved in salt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, stalks removed
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
a dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)
If using whole olives, remove the pits then purée with capers, garlic and parsley together with an electric hand blender or in a food processor.
Add the oil and blend well again to make a beautiful, thick mixture. Sharpen with a squeeze or two of lemon juice and perhaps a little dash of Tabasco for an extra kick, if you like.
Tzatziki
Creamy yet light and refreshing, this is great as a dip with pieces of pitta bread as part of a tapas selection, along with juicy black olives, stuffed vine leaves (see page xxx), some cherry tomatoes and any anything else you fancy.
SERVES 2–4
cucumber
salt
250g (9oz) thick full-fat Greek yoghurt
1 small garlic clove, crushed
freshly ground black pepper
tsp red or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint or chives
Peel the cucumber and grate it coarsely. Put the grated cucumber into a sieve, mix with a pinch or two of salt, then cover with a small plate with a weight on top and leave over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes to draw out the extra liquid. Pat dry on kitchen paper.
Mix the yoghurt, cucumber and garlic together in a bowl, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Put into a serving bowl and scatter with chopped mint or chives. Serve chilled.
Spicy vegetable and nut pâté with yoghurt sauce
Another easy one to make, this pâté consists of crunchy vegetables and nuts, flavoured with curry and garlic.
SERVES 6
25g (1oz) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot (about 50g (2oz)), finely chopped
1 stick of celery, chopped
green pepper (about 50g (2oz)), de-seeded and chopped
red pepper (about 50g (2oz)), de-seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp mild curry powder
125g (4oz) hazel nuts, roasted and chopped
225g (8oz) ricotta cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SAUCE
5cm (2in) cucumber
200ml (7fl oz) natural yoghurt
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
Line a 450g (1lb) loaf tin with a strip of non-stick baking parchment to cover the base and come up the two narrow sides.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry all the vegetables for 2–3 minutes; they should soften a little, but still be very crunchy.
Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for 1 further minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin – it won’t fill it – and smooth the top. Cover with foil and chill in the fridge for several hours.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Peel and finely chop the cucumber and mix with the yoghurt and mint. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, slip a knife round the edges of the pâté to loosen it, then turn it out of the tin and cut into slices. Place one slice on each plate with some of the sauce on the side.
Bruschetta v
Bruschette are easy to do and make a great snack, starter or canapé. The bases can be made in advance – they will keep for a week wrapped in foil or in an airtight container – and topped just before serving, so that they stay crisp. Choose up to four of the suggested toppings opposite.
FOR THE BASES
1 baguette, cut diagonally into 1cm (in) slices
olive oil, for brushing
Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (300°F), gas mark 2.
Brush the bread on each side with olive oil, place on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until crisp. Alternatively, you can grill the bread on both sides, or toast it in a toaster first and then brush it with the oil.
Unless I’m just making one or two for a quick snack, I prefer to do them in the oven because it’s easier and they become really crisp and dry. This also means that you can make them in advance as described above.
