Three quick and easy canapés to enjoy with friends and family this summer. Originally served at the private viewing of Rewind Rewild, an exhibition of rewilding at OmVed Gardens.
Vegetarian Canapés
Cauliflower Served 3 Ways
Enjoy the benefits of cauliflower in a delicious snack.
Serves12 people
Ingredients
cauliflower 1
dried bay leaves 10
sea salt 2 tbs
extra virgin olive oil 200ml
Method
Trim the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut the inner core from the florets. Wash and chop the outer leaves, stems and core into 3cm sized cubes/pieces, place in lightly salted cold water and bring to the boil and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes. Break the florets into bitesize pieces, with any trimmings added to the simmering water.
Break the bay leaves and place them into a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and add 1 tb of the sea salt, grind to a powder. Place the cauliflower florets into a mixing bowl and drizzle in half of the olive oil, add 2 tsp of the ‘bay salt’ and mix well. Arrange the seasoned florets onto a baking tray and roast them in an oven at 200 deg c for 15 minutes. Making sure you get a lovely dark golden colour to the florets. Reserve warm.
Strain the simmering core and leaves of the cauliflower and remove as much of the cooking water as possible. Place these pieces into a high-powered blender and puree on a high setting, drizzling in the remaining olive oil as it purees and season lightly with the ‘bay salt’.
Place the warm puree into a squeegee bottle with a narrow top. To serve, squeeze a button sized amount of puree onto a serving tray for as many florets as you have. Then place a roasted floret onto each button of puree. Use a cocktail stick in each floret to serve and sprinkle a small amount of the ‘bay salt’ over the whole serving tray.
Vegetarian Canapés
Linseed Cracker with Smashed Butter Beans and Pickled Plum Ginger’
Have the protein rich bean in a delicious snack.
Serves12 people
Ingredients
Cracker
Golden Linseed 60g
ground golden linseed 40g
buckwheat flour 50g
ground caraway 2tsp
chopped fresh thyme leaves 1tsp
sea salt 1tsp
Topping
dried butter beans, soak overnight, drain, rinse and cook till tender (90mins) 100g
white miso paste 2tbsp
Dijon mustard 1tbsp
cider vinegar 1tbsp
extra virgin olive oil 2tbsp
finely grated fresh ginger 3tsp
plum seasoning 1tsp
sprouted radish seeds 3tsp
Method
Soak the whole linseeds in 110ml of boiling water for 15 minutes.
Place all of the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, then place the soaked linseed into the mixture and ix together.
In two batches and between two pieces of non stick parchment paper roll the dough out thinly into a giant cracker, peel off the top layer of parchment and bake the cracker at 180 deg c for 20 minutes.
Leave to cool then break the cracker into bite sized irregular pieces.
Place the cooked butter beans into a bowl and with the end of a rolling pin, smash the beans into a rough paste, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Check the seasoning. Mix the plum paste and grated ginger together.
Place a teaspoon of the butter bean paste onto each cracker and then top that with a small amount of the ginger paste, arrange 3 spouts on top of this and serve.
Beetroot Tartar with Vegan Mayonnaise, Chopped Capers, Garden Chives and Fresh Horseradish
This beetroot tartare is one of those dishes that looks fancy but is really, simply, all about highlighting the vegetable. Some herbs, fresh horseradish root, a pop of acidity, and a hit of salt are all beets need to make them sing! The lemon-horseradish (cashew) cream just puts them over the top.
Serves 12 people
Ingredients
Vegan mayonnaise
soy milk 200ml
white wine vinegar 25ml
Dijon mustard 25ml
fresh beetroot, cooked until tender in simmering water (90mins) 250g
capers in brine, strained 50g
chopped fresh garden chives 2tb
fresh horseradish 20g
freshly cracked black pepper 1tsp
sea salt 1tsp
Method
Remove and compost the tops and tails of the cooked beetroot and cut the beetroot into 1cm sized cubes, or even finer if you can.
Place the beetroot into a mixing bowl, Chop the capers and add them to the mixing bowl with the chives, salt and pepper.
Check for seasoning and place a dessert spoon of the tartar onto serving spoons and grate some fresh horseradish over the top.