Finger food for summer

Summer is - in theory - with us, though you might not think it by the temperature and the recent torrential rain throughout Europe. I was in Sicily last week and even there we were shivering in our boots. These recipes for nibbles should help to get you in summer mood, whatever the weather in your neck of the woods.

PUFF PASTRY ‘RAVIOLI’

• Heat the oven to 220oC
• Stamp out 24 rounds from the pastry with a scone cutter or glass –
• Halve the goat’s cheeses horizontally; cut the salmon in 2 cm cubes
• Put a halved goat’s cheese/salmon cube on 12 of the pastry rounds
• Daub cheeses/salmon with chosen topping, brush the exposed pastry edges with water and put the second pastry round on top
• Press edges together firmly with a fork to seal
• Brush the popovers with egg and sprinkle on sesame or poppyseeds 
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up
• Serve piping hot on a napkin-lined board or tray


SMOKED SALMON OR PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS


Makes 12 parcels
24 green asparagus spears
6 slices smoked salmon (or prosciutto)
1 packet Chavroux (soft fresh goat’s cheese)
chives to tie up the wraps

• Snap off woody ends of asparagus and cut in 2-3 pieces depending on size
• Cook in boiling salted water till just tender – 12-15 minutes max.
• Allow asparagus to cool, split in half lengthwise
• Cut smoked salmon or prosciutto to fit, spread with a little Chavroux, stuff with asparagus and roll up into little bundles
• Tie with chives

STUFFED TOMATOES/CHICORY LEAVES/CELERY STICKS
WITH QUAILS’ EGGS


Makes 20
10 cocktail tomatoes OR 20 small chicory leaves (red and/or white) OR a head of celery
20 quails eggs
Fillings:
Tarama/crab paste/hummus/tzatziki/herby cream cheese 
Garnishes: celery salt/lumpfish roe/chopped fresh herbs 

• Halve cherry tomatoes and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon; or separate celery sticks and cut in 4-5 cm lengths
• Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and boil the eggs for 3 minutes
• Tip away hot water, replace it with cold to stop the cooking, peel the eggs under cold running water
• Put a good teaspoonful of the chosen filling in each tomato/at the end of each leaf/on celery stick and top each with a quail’s egg
• Sprinkle with celery salt/lumpfish or salmon roe/herbs


TORTILLA OR CREPE WRAPS WITH CHICKEN OR PRAWNS


Makes 24 bites
4 crêpes or flour tortillas
Filling
2 small chicken breasts or 300g cooked prawns, peeled
2 avocados 
salt and pepper
a splash of harissa 
plenty of fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped 
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise

• Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, brown in hot oil and than bake in 80 C oven for 45 minutes (or grill briefly if you prefer); shell the shrimp 
• Dice shrimp or chicken, mix with avocado, salt, pepper, harissa (chile paste), chopped coriander and enough mayonnaise to bind
• Fill the crepes or tortillas with the mixture, roll up tightly, fix with toothpicks and chill the wraps
• Cut each wrap in 6 slices and up-end them to serve


SPRING ROLLS WITH THAI CURRIED PRAWNS


Makes 10 rolls, to be cut in half
300g cooked prawns, peeled
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Thai green curry paste
½ a cucumber, peeled and grated or finely diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
lots of chopped coriander or mint
juice of ½ a lemon or 1 lime
optional: 1 tbsp Nam Pla (Thai fish sauce) 
10 soft lettuce leaves, ribs removed
12-14 rice wrappers

• Filling: mix prawns with mayonnaise and green curry paste
• Add cucumber and herbs and sharpen with lemon or lime juice and fish sauce (if used). Season to taste
• Soften wrappers one by one in hot water (some usually break, so there are more than you need), remove, pat dry on a teatowel
• Line wrappers with lettuce leaves, roll up as tightly as you dare and chill them
• Cut in half to serve 


TOFU CUBES IN SESAME CRUST WITH SOY SAUCE


Makes 20
1 x 250g pack marinated spiced tofu
flour 
2 eggs
sesame seeds
oil for frying
soy sauce for dipping

• Cut tofu in 20 cubes and put in a bowl
• Put some flour in a plastic bag with some salt and pepper
• Crack eggs onto a flat plate and whisk up with a fork
• Put sesame seeds on another plate
• Shake the tofu cubes in the plastic bag of flour, tip them into a colander and shake well to remove excess flour
• Dip the cubes in beaten egg and roll in sesame seeds
• Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the tofu cubes till evenly golden, turning often
• Serve with soy sauce 


POTATO CRADLES WITH ANCHOIADE/PESTO AND SOUR CREAM

Makes 20
10 new potatoes (or rattes, or other firm potatoes)
1 jar anchoiade (anchovy paste) or pesto
4-5 tbsp crème fraîche épaisse
chervil or flat-leaf parsley

• Scrub the potatoes in their skins and cook in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes or until just tender
• When cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise
• Mix together the anchovy or pesto and crème fraîche, spoon on top of halved potatoes and serve
• Garnish with chervil or flat-leaf parsley