Which tasty snacks hit the spot after eating supper with the family and dissecting your latest good read over a glass of wine with friends.
October is a busy month for literature festivals in Yorkshire. There’s a small one in Beverley spanning a long weekend; a medium sized one in Morley stretching to a week; a very long one in Sheffield spreading from late September to December and then there’s Ilkley – the county’s liveliest, most prestigious festival with over 200 literary events packed into just seventeen days.
Literature festivals signal the time of year when you can stock up on reading material for the cold months ahead and search for the next best read for your book club. Book clubs have gone from strength to strength in the UK over recent years. It is hard to know precisely how many book clubs there are in the UK but one estimate I read was there are currently in the region of 50,000.
Book clubs are not only about trading literary passions but other things too - friendship, relaxation and in my case enjoying some really tasty food and a glass of wine or two.
But what is the best food to serve at a book club when you have probably just had a meal with your family and are not quite ready for a bedtime snack? It’s a tricky one. Here are some winning recipes for you to try.....
My advice is as always to keep it simple, fresh and pretty. You can do a mad dash round the supermarket and scoop up some camembert and hummus if you like but with a bit of forward planning it might be just as quick to make up something more tantalising.
Below are three suggestions for deliciously tasty pâtés which you can spread on artisan biscuits or serve with crusty fresh bread. I served the beetroot and walnut spread at our last book club and everyone loved it. The salmon is a classic and easy to make and the mushroom is unusual because a hint of nutmeg and thyme just lifts its flavour to something very special.
Try to make at least one simple dish yourself. Everyone loves something freshly cooked and then depending on time you can mix and match with shop bought goodies.
Another popular, simple and spectacular dish is another classic - freshly baked easy, cheese straws.
For an indulgence I love little squares of moist chocolate brownie, strewn with basil leaves. Basil gives a gorgeous hint of clove as you bite through the rich sweet chocolate, and a splash of brilliant colour.
Everyone also loves to pick at a platter of autumn fruit - figs, late raspberries and blackberries are all good now.
Smoked salmon and horseradish pâté
Serves 4
Ingredients
100g smoked salmon trimmings
25g unsalted butter, at room temperature
yolk of 1 hardboiled egg (free range)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp creamed horseradish
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped dill, parsley or chives. Serve with artisan cheese biscuits or good crusty bread.
Beetroot, walnut and coriander spread
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 small to medium sized beetroot, washed and leaves removed
50g walnut pieces
¼ tsp salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh coriander
1 tbsp parsley
½ tp ground coriander
1tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 190C/gas mark 5. Place the beetroot on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes until the flesh begins to soften. It does not have to be soft all the way through. When cool peel and coarsely grate the flesh. Set aside. Place the walnuts, salt, garlic, herbs in a pestle and mortar, or food processor, and grind to a paste. Mix the walnut paste with the grated beetroot and add the red wine vinegar, olive oil and pepper. Serve on artisan biscuits, rye bread or pumpernickel.
Mushroom, thyme and nutmeg pâté
Serves 4
Ingredients
10g butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 banana shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ tsp chopped thyme
200g chestnut or Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Splash of white wine
50g light Philadelphia cream cheese
75g cème fraîche
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Method
Place the butter and olive oil in a saucepan and warm carefully. Add the shallot, garlic, thyme and mushrooms to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add a splash of white wine and continue to cook uncovered until the mushrooms and shallot are soft. Remove from the heat and cool. Roughly chop the mushroom mixture in a food processor. Add cream cheese, crème fraîche and about ¼ teaspoon of grated nutmeg to the mushroom mixture and stir well. Season to taste. Serve on biscuits, toast or fresh bread with a dribble of truffle oil if you have it.
Really easy, cheesy straws
Serves 4
Ingredients
320g ready rolled, all butter, puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
80g very strong flavoured Cheddar cheese, finely grated
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Lay the pastry on a floured work surface and brush lightly with beaten egg. Sprinkle the pastry liberally with grated cheese. Cut pastry into ribbons about 20cm long and 1.5cm wide. Lift the ribbons of pastry from the work surface and twist before laying them on a baking sheet. Some of the cheese may fall off but can be reapplied before putting in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown. When straws are cooked remove from the baking sheet with a palette knife and place on a cooling rack.
Chocolate brownies with basil
Serves 4
Ingredients
350g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
250g unsalted butter
3 free range eggs
250g soft, dark brown sugar
100g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Small pot of fresh basil
Method
Preheat oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Lightly grease a 22cm square tin. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 minutes until they become foamy and you can make a trail with the mixture. Fold the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the mixture and stir well until all the ingredients are combined. Pour this mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place in the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the surface just begins to crack. You want the centre of the brownie to remain gooey. Allow to cool in the tin and then cut into small squares and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
