Food: Light bites
Apple and walnut cups
MAKES 24
- Have ready 100g sour cream and 25g chopped walnuts. Select 24 red or green chicory leaves that will hold a filling (from about 3 heads of chicory; reserve the heart for another use).
- Core a crisp eating apple (or two), cut into very thin slices and toss with a squeeze of lemon. Lay a couple of apple slices on each chicory leaf, then dollop on about 1⁄2 tsp sour cream.
- Season the chopped nuts with salt and cayenne pepper and sprinkle on top.
Egg and bacon mayonnaise
MAKES 24
- Boil 6 medium eggs for 9-10 minutes in a small pan of water, then drain, refill with cold water and leave to cool.
- Shell the eggs, discarding 2 of the whites, and mash the remainder quite finely in a bowl using a fork. Add 4 heaped tbsp mayonnaise and some salt and pepper and combine.
- Fry 100g bacon lardons in their rendered fat in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat until golden, stirring occasionally.
- Drain on a double thickness of kitchen paper and leave to cool. Select 24 red or green chicory leaves that will hold a filling (from about 3 heads of chicory; reserve the heart for another use).
- Drop a teaspoon of the egg mayo in the centre of each chicory leaf, scatter over a few lardons, or if these are very chunky just one. Finish with a few slivers of finely sliced spring onion.
Blue cheese celery bites
MAKES 12
- Have ready about 100g creamy gorgonzola and a few de-stoned medjool dates cut into fine slivers.
- Trim and prepare 12 x 5cm lengths celery from crisp green stems (save the tougher outer stalks for soup or another use). Spread some gorgonzola along the inside of each piece of celery, and decorate with a couple of slivers of date.
Celery prawn tartares
MAKES 12
- Rinse and pat dry 150g shelled cooked small prawns. Prepare 1 tbsp finely chopped small capers and 1 tbsp finely chopped cocktail gherkins.
- Trim and prepare 12 x 5cm lengths celery from crisp green stems (save the tougher outer stalks for soup or another use).
- Combine the chopped capers and gherkins in a bowl with 2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise, and fold in the prawns. Use to fill the celery pieces.
- Finish with an extra scattering of capers and a little chopped celery leaf.
