Festive Entrees and Starters

East Coast –Festive Entrees/ Starters…

The Simplest…

Melon with Parma Ham & Dried cranberries

This is best served soon after plating…

Half the melon & scoop out the seeds

Slice melon into slices and then into large cubes

Pop about 6 pieces onto individual plates

Carefully drape a few slices of Parma Ham on top of the melon

Scatter about 6 dried cranberries per plate

Mixed salad leaves with crumbled Stilton cheese, Pinenuts & Semi Sundried Toms..

– serve it with crusty bread

This is best served soon after plating…

1 handful of baby leaves pp

1 tbls of stilton cheese pp

1 teasp of pine nuts pp

3 or 4 Sunblushed toms pp

1 tbls of olive oil pp

1 teasp of lemon pp

1 teasp of balsamic pp

Combine the olive oil with the lemon & balsamic …you could give it a good shake up in a clean sterilized jar. This is your dressing… Can be made 2 days in advance & left in the fridge.

Pop the leaves into a bowl, sprinkle with the dressing and gently toss or just shake the bowl, you can get a very nice even coverage of the leaves using this technique.

Pop the leaves into bowls/plates

Crumble the Stilton using your finger tips .

Scatter the Stilton, sundried toms & pinenuts over the leaves

This is a fantastic easy but tasty salad.. a great starter prior to the main event… the Stilton could easily be substituted for goats or buffalo mozzarella cheese…

Smoked Salmon, Dill & Lime Pate

200g smoked salmon

150g cream cheese

Juice of 1 lime

4 teasp of dill

Salt & black cracked pepper

Pop the cream cheese & lime juice in a blender and whiz until smooth

Next pop in the smoked salmon & dill until you reach the consistency you like…

Season with salt & pepper to taste

Serve in little pots garnished with fresh dill and with toasty bagels, pita breads or simply brown bread on the side with a slice of fresh lime!

Keeps for about 4 days in the fridge….