Savour the date
A BIRTHDAY, ANNIVERSARY OR REUNION – WHATEVER THE OCCASION, IT CALLS FOR FRIENDS, FIZZ AND CAKE
Sometimes it takes a significant life event to prompt friends to get together – a birthday, a house move or decades of friendship. Whatever the reason, good food makes your get-together even more memorable. We’re not talking hours spent in the kitchen, but unusual and eyecatching dishes that are straightforward to prepare. Prettily filled pastry-case nibbles, chilled soup in teacups and a rainbow Mediterranean salad all fit the bill. Even our showstopper cake is a simple sponge made spectacular with clever decoration. Just what a summer party needs. »
Chilled cucumber soup REFRESHING IN EVERY SENSE, SERVED IN VINTAGE TEA CUPS Serves 6
2 cucumbers 300g Greek yogurt 3 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1 garlic clove, peeled 10g dill, fronds picked 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves picked 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¼ tsp salt ½ red onion, finely diced Pea shoots, to garnish 1 tbsp dried rose petals, to garnish
1 Roughly dice the cucumber and put in a blender with all the ingredients except the garnishes. Blitz for 2 mins on high until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and chill for 2–8 hours to enhance the flavour.
2 Serve chilled in tea cups and garnish with pea shoots and dried rose petals.
Beetroot & horseradish bites NIBBLES THAT PUNCH ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT IN TASTE AND COLOUR Serves 6
250g cooked beetroot, peeled 3 tbsp horseradish sauce 1 pack of 24 mini croustades (savoury pastry cases) 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley Dice the beetroot into tiny (approx 5mm) cubes. Wear an apron to avoid beetrooty stains. Fill each of the pastry cases with the beetroot cubes and top them with a small (pea-sized) dollop of the horseradish sauce. Serve the bites on a pretty plate with a sprinkling of chopped flat leaf parsley for added flavour and colour.