effortless!
Summer sharing
A light alfresco lunch for six
effortless!
Easy on the eye and simple to make, thanks to shop-bought ingredients and no fiddly techniques. These recipes can be made ahead or require 30 minutes or less of prep – they’re go-to ideas for entertaining special guests.
Crudités with chipotle aïoli
Make double the aïoli if your guests are likely to be hungry.
15 MINUTES | SERVES 6 AS A STARTER | EASY | V
Mix 250ml of mayonnaise, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 tbsp of chopped chives and 1-2 tsp of chipotle paste. Season, then add just enough lime juice to balance the flavour. Spoon into a serving bowl or several smaller bowls. Trim the vegetables to serve as crudités – these could include fennel, carrots, courgettes with flowers, radishes, celery with leaves or cooked green beans, fresh peas, radicchio leaves and asparagus. Arrange on a platter around the bowl or bowls of aïoli.
PER SERVING 289 kcals | fat 31.2G | saturates 2.4G | carbs 1.4G | sugars 1.2G | fibre 0.1G | protein 0.6G | salt 0.2G
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Choose veg for flavour and to fit a theme. There’s a wealth of varieties available now, so explore the produce aisles. Slice veg and pull off whole leaves to showcase its colours.
Burrata with lemon and olive jar dressing and tomato salad
20 MINUTES | SERVES 6 AS A SIDE | EASY | V | GF
Tip 6 tbsp of the brine from a jar of green olives (we used Perelló Picante) into a jar with 75ml of olive oil and the zest of 2 lemons. Season with plenty of black pepper and shake well. Cut the pith off the zested lemons, then cut the fruit into segments and add these to the dressing. Finely slice 8 of the olives from the jar and stir them through the dressing. Blend 1 small burrata with 200ml of double cream or stracciatella di burrata until just thickened, then spread this over a platter. Thinly slice 600g mixed ripe tomatoes and arrange them over the burrata mixture. Slightly tear open another 6 burratas and nestle them into the tomatoes, then spoon over the dressing, making sure it runs into the open burratas. Scatter over a handful of basil, grind over some black pepper and serve with flatbreads or focaccia brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with grated parmesan (or a vegetarian alternative) and black pepper.
PER SERVING 488 kcals | fat 48.6G | saturates 22.6G carbs 5.6G | sugars 4.6G | fibre 1.7G | protein 6.2G | salt 2G
Brioche ice cream sandwiches
To make this recipe even easier, skip baking the buns and use shop-bought brioche buns instead.
20 MINUTES + DEFROSTING + PROVING + COOLING | SERVES 6 | EASY
Defrost a pack (2 x 220g) of The Northern Dough Co Buttery Brioche Dough in the fridge overnight or for four hours at room temperature, or make up a shopbought brioche dough mixture following pack instructions. Shape the dough into six large or 12 small buns, then arrange on one or two baking trays, spaced well apart. Leave to prove following pack instructions until puffed up. Mix 1 beaten egg with 1 tbsp of whole milk, brush this over the buns, then sprinkle with 3 tsp of sugar nibs or demerara sugar, if you like. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and risen. Cool completely, then split the buns almost through the centre. Open out and spread the buns with 1 tsp of lemon curd, pistachio cream or raspberry purée, if you like, then stuff with a scoop of lemon, pistachio or raspberry gelato and sandwich the buns back together. Serve immediately.
PER SERVING 581 kcals | fat 26.7G | saturates 10.6G carbs 71.4G | sugars 38.9G | fibre 1.8G | protein 12.9G | salt 1G
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Leave the ice cream sandwiches to defrost slightly before serving so guests don’t bite into a rock-hard centre. Choose ice creams with a similar texture so you know they’ll all behave the same way.
Get the look
Inspired by our tableware style? Here’s how to create a similar look at home.
1. Real poppies from New Covent Garden Market in Vauxhall, London, prices vary, newcoventgardenmarket.com. Display a bunch of one type of flower in a vase rather than a mixture – at this time of year you’re spoiled for choice on which to choose. Clear vases show off stems and, if you’re sitting at a table, allow guests to see each other better.
2. Tiller stone napkin set, two for £25, daylesford.com.
3. Terracotta side plate, £30, sofiaceramics.com.
4. White oval platter, £55, sofiaceramics.com.
5. Fresh field flowers, prices vary, petalon.co.uk.
6. Broadwell large glass vase, £18, gardentrading.co.uk.
7. Ash meze board, £40, gardentrading.co.uk.
Got a clever tip to make entertaining effortless? Share your brilliant ideas with the olive team by emailing oliveweb@immediate.co.uk and you could WIN a prize worth £143 (see here for details).