Spread the hummus thickly on top of the crostini or bruschetta. Sprinkle some paprika pepper over the top, then drizzle a little olive oil on top of that.

Decorate with the black olives and a sprig or two of flat-leaf parsley.

— 8 —

MUSHROOM PATE

225g / 8oz mushrooms

25g / 1 oz butter

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 eggs or 4 quail’s eggs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

crostini or bruschetta (see here)

black olive pâté

Wash and dry the mushrooms then chop them finely (use a food processor for this if you have one). Melt the butter in a saucepan, put in the mushrooms and garlic and cook them over a fairly high heat until the mushrooms are tender and any liquid they produce has evaporated – this may take 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 10 minutes or the quail’s eggs for 21/2 minutes. Shell them and slice them fairly thinly, or cut the quail’s eggs in half. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the mushroom mixture then either leave it to cool slightly or spread it on the crostini or bruschetta while still hot. Top with the egg slices and a little black olive pâté.

— 9 —

PLUM TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Plum tomatoes usually have flavour and nice firm texture, but you could use other well – flavoured tomatoes.

4 fresh plum tomatoes

salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

50g / 2oz Mozzarella cheese (packed in water)

crostini or bruschetta (see here)

8 fresh basil leaves

Slice the tomatoes into rounds, put them on a plate and sprinkle them with salt, pepper and a few drops of olive oil. Cut the Mozzarella cheese into small pieces.

Arrange the tomatoes on top of the crostini or bruschetta then du! the cheese over the tomatoes.

Tear the basil leaves over the top of the tomatoes and cheese and grind over some more black pepper to taste.

— 10 —

GOLDY GREENY SPREAD

A strange and interesting recipe, adapted from New Food For All Palates by Sally and Lucian Berg (Gollancz, 1967). Frozen beans are fine for this.

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tbls olive oil

125g / 4oz green beans

1 egg, hard-boiled

salt and freshly ground black pepper

crostini or bruschetta (see here)

Fry the onion in the oil until golden brown and crisp (this is very important for the flavour).

Cook the green beans in a little boiling water for 3–4 minutes, until tender, then drain.

Shell and roughly chop the hard-boiled egg. Put the beans, egg and half the onion into a food processor and whizz to a purée. Season to taste.

Spread on top of the crostini or bruschetta and top with the remaining onion.

— 11 —

PECORINO AND PEAR ON WATERCRESS

125g / 4oz soft pecorino cheese

crostini or bruschetta (see here)

a little milk (optional)

a few watercress leaves

1 ripe dessert pear

50g / 2oz hard pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

freshly ground black pepper

Spread the soft pecorino cheese over the crostini or bruschetta (mix the cheese with a little milk first if necessary).

Press the watercress into the cheese. Peel, core and thinly slice the pear and arrange on top.

Sprinkle generously with the grated cheese and grind some pepper over, then serve straight away or flash under a hot grill to melt the cheese.

A selection of Crostini, topped with Mushroom Pâté, Plum Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil, and Goldy Greeny Spread

QUICK PIZZAS

It’s unrealistic to try and make a pizza from scratch in 30 minutes but you can make a good quick tomato sauce, spread it over a read-made base, add a topping and flash it under a hot grill. Although you can buy pizza bases, I like to use a range of different breads, such as granary, ciabatta and muffins. The bases and toppings in the following recipes can be mixed and matched, if you prefer, to suit whatever ingredients you have to hand.

To make a quick lettuce salad, cut 1 or 2 little gem lettuces across into thick slices; wash and drain in a colander, then put into a bowl, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss lightly.

TOMATO SAUCE

1 tbls olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 × 400g / 14oz can tomatoes

8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion then cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, until tender but not brown.

Stir the garlic into the onion, cook for 1–2 minutes longer, then stir in the tomatoes, together with their juice, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes roughly, if you are using them, and add these to the pan too.

Let the mixture simmer away for about 10–15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 2 MUFFINS, OR 1 GRANARY OR CIABATTA PIZZA

MUSHROOM PIZZA

225g / 8oz button mushrooms

2 tbls olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 muffins

125g / 4oz Cheddar or other cheese

tomato sauce (see above)

Wash and slice the mushrooms then fry them in the olive oil for 1–2 minutes until they are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the muffins in half and toast on both sides under the grill. Thinly slice the cheese.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread it over the muffins. Top with the mushrooms and cheese and heat under the grill for a few minutes, until the pizzas are piping hot and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

SERVES 2

RED AND YELLOW PEPPER PIZZA

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 oval or round granary loaf (400g / 14oz)

olive oil

tomato sauce (see above)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g 12oz Parmesan cheese

a few fresh basil leaves

Cut the peppers into quarters, put them cut-side down on a grill pan and grill for about 10 minutes or until the skin has blistered and charred in places. Remove from the grill and, when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, remove the seeds and stem, and slice the peppers.

Cut the loaf horizontally in half, scoop out a little of the crumb, then brush the inside with olive oil and toast it under the grill. Toast both sides if you want a crisp pizza base.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread this evenly over the bread and top with the peppers, mixing up the colours. Season the peppers lightly, then grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the pizzas.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Tear a little basil over the top and serve.

SERVES 2–4

CIABATTA PIZZA WITH ARTICHOKES

The nicest artichoke hearts to use for this are the ones that you can buy preserved in oil. Any that are left over keep well in the fridge. Alternatively, drained canned artichoke hearts make a good substitute.

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

olive oil

1 ciabatta loaf

tomato sauce (see opposite)

125g / 4oz Mozzarella cheese

125g / 4oz artichoke hearts, sliced

Fry the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until softened, about 5–7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the loaf horizontally in half, brush each cut surface with olive oil and toast it under the grill. Toast both sides if you want a crisp pizza base.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread it evenly over the bread. Slice the cheese and arrange it on top of the sauce, then top with the artichoke hearts and fried onion.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

SERVES 2–4

GORGONZOLA AND WALNUT PIZZA

1 oval or round granary loaf (400g / 14oz)

olive oil

tomato sauce (see opposite)

125g / 4oz Gorgonzola cheese

50g / 2oz walnut pieces

Cut the granary loaf horizontally in half, scoop out a little of the crumb, then brush the inside with olive oil and and toast it under the grill. Toast both sides if you want a crisp pizza base.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread this evenly over the bread. Slice the cheese and arrange it on top of the sauce, then top with the walnuts.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

SERVES 2–4

PESTO PIZZA

Bottled pesto is readily available nowadays, and some Italian delicatessens and large supermarkets stock fresh pesto sauce. If you have time, you might like to make your own (see here).

1 ciabatta loaf

olive oil

tomato sauce (see opposite)

75g / 3oz Parmesan cheese

2–4 tbls pesto sauce

a few black olives (optional)

Cut the loaf horizontally in half, brush each cut surface with olive oil and toast it under the grill. Toast both sides if you want a crisp pizza base.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread it over the bread. Slice the cheese into thin slivers and arrange on top of the sauce, then drizzle the pesto over everything and add the olives if you’re using these.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

SERVES 2–4

TWO-CHEESE PIZZA

2 muffins

125g / 4oz Mozzarella cheese

50g / 2oz Parmesan cheese

12 black olives

tomato sauce (see here)

Cut the muffins in half and toast them on both sides under the grill.

Meanwhile, think slice the cheeses and halve and stone the olives.

Heat the tomato sauce and spread it over the muffins, then top with the slices of cheese and the olives.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

SERVES 2

SWEETCORN AND CHERRY TOMATO PIZZA

2 muffins

125g/4oz Cheddar cheese

6 cherry tomatoes

tomato sauce (see here)

50g / 2oz canned or frozen sweetcorn kernels

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the muffins in half and toast them on both sides under the grill.

Meanwhile, grate the cheese and slice the cherry tomatoes.

Heat the tomato sauce and spread it evenly over the muffins, then top with the grated cheese, sweetcorn and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

SERVES 2

RED PEPPER, AUBERGINE AND GOAT’S CHEESE PIZZA

Light rolls or baps, or pieces of French stick or ciabatta bread, split in half, also make good bases for these toppings.

1 small red pepper

1 medium aubergine

olive oil

2 muffins

tomato sauce (see here)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

50g / 2oz goat’s cheese log

Cut the pepper into quarters then put it cut-side down on a grill pan. Cut the aubergine into slices about 3mm/1/8 inch thick and lay these on the grill pan too. Brush the aubergine slices on both sides with olive oil then grill on high for 5–10 minutes, until the skin on the pepper is blistered and charred in places and the aubergine is golden brown and tender. Remove from the grill but leave it on. Cover the pepper with a damp cloth.

Cut the muffins in half and toast them on both sides under the grill.

Heat the tomato sauce then spread it over the muffins and top with the aubergine slices. Remove the loose skin and seeds from the pepper, cut it into long, thin strips and arrange on top of the aubergine. Season with salt and pepper.

Break off small pieces of goat’s cheese and dot them over the top of the pizzas. Grind a little black pepper coarsely over the goat’s cheese then heat the pizzas under the grill for a few minutes until they are piping hot.

SERVES 2

Two-Cheese Pizza, Sweetcorn and Cherry Tomato Pizza, Red Pepper, Aubergine and Goat’s Cheese Pizza

SNACKS ON TOAST

TOASTED CHEESE

This simple version of cheese on toast is quick and easy lo make and you can vary it by using different types of bread and cheese, substituting beer, wine or cider for the milk, and adding extra ingredients such as tomatoes, onion, herbs, mushrooms, chutney or pickle – whatever takes your fancy.

1–2 slices of bread

75–125g / 3–4oz Cheddar cheese, grated

1–2 tbls milk

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill and toast the bread on one side.

Mix the cheese with the milk to make a paste then season with freshly ground black pepper.

Spread the cheese mixture on the untoasted side of the bread, grill until puffed up and golden brown then serve at once.

SERVES 1

VARIATIONS

1 WITH ASPARAGUS

This is an extremely nice variation if you are making toasted cheese for more than one person and want something that is extra special. Allow about 3–4 asparagus spears per person, trim them then cut them into 2.5cm/1 inch lengths and cook in boiling water for 2–4 minutes, until just tender. Drain and serve heaped on top of the toasted

2 WITH CIDER AND APPLES

Use cider instead of the milk. Peel and core a small, mellow eating apple such as Cox’s, then cut it into thin rings or slices and arrange it on the toast. Cover with the cheese mixture and grill until the cheese is puffed up and golden brown and the apple is tender.

3 WITH OLIVES

I like this best made with feta cheese, which you can crumble rather than grate. Add 6–8 black or green olives, or a mixture of both, to the cheese.

4 WITH ONION AND MUSTARD

Mix the cheese with beer instead of milk and add 1/2–1 teaspoon of made mustard and 1 finely chopped small onion.

5 WITH CHILLI

De-seed and finely chop 1 small green chilli and add it to the grated cheese.

MOZZARELLA IN CARROZZA

Mozzarella in Carrazza means ‘Mazzarella in a carriage’, a poetic and apt description.

Use the best Mozzarclla you can find – certainly one packed in water – for this delicious mixture of hot moiling cheese and crisp fried bread.

125g / 4oz Mozzarella cheese

4 slices of bread, crusts removed

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