Starters

If you're planning a dinner or food event and need some inspiration for a starter, browse the list below.

Allegra McEvedy's Cuban Corn

This is a rocking bit of street food from the streets of Havana, but the closest I’ve ever been to Castro is a fab and funky little café on Spring St. in New York’s Nolita called, weirdly, Café Habana
 

Barny Haughton's September Garden Salad

This is a salad of thinly sliced raw September vegetables which have been tossed in a lemony olive oil dressing. The colours, still summery but with hints of harvest festival, are wonderfully appealing and vibrant.
 

Darina Allen's Ballymaloe Country Relish

Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the carrot, onion and herbs, bring slowly to the boil, simmer for 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and allow to infuse for about 10 minutes if you have enough time.
 

Darina Allen's Cheddar Cheese Croquettes

We get into big trouble if these crispy cheese croquettes are not on the Ballymaloe lunch buffet every Sunday. They are loved by children and grown-ups, and are a particular favourite with vegetarians. Make tiny ones for can...
 

Darina Allen's Chilled Ruby Beetroot Soup

Hopefully your decision to make this soup will coincide with a warm day, as scorching shaded lunches or long balmy evenings are the perfect weather conditions for enjoying this soup, though I can enjoy it almost as much in l...
 

Darina Allen's Pesto

Homemade Pesto takes minutes to make and tastes a million times better than most of what you buy. The problem is getting enough basil. If you have difficulty, use parsley, a mixture of parsley and mint or parsley and coriand...
 
Darina Allens White Soda Scones

Darina Allen's White Soda Scones

Great with olives, sun dried tomatoes or caramelized onions added, the possibilities are endless for the hitherto humble soda bread
 
High Weald Dairys Sussex Slipcote Bonbons

High Weald Dairy's Sussex Slipcote Bonbons

This recipe comes from High Weald Dairy whose Sussex Slipcote was a 2012 Organic Food Award Winner. The name ‘Slipcote’ is an old English word meaning little (slip) piece of cottage (cote) cheese.
 

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Lemony Courgettes on Toast

Courgettes are very gluttish – one minute you’re wondering if you’re ever going to see any peeking out from under the leaves in your patch, and the next minute you’ve got armfuls of them and your friends and neighbours are p...
 

Lynda Brown's Bread and Butter Pickle

Freezer pickles are a quick, modern way to achieve wonderfully fresh-flavoured condiments with bit. This pickle, which is so popular in sandwiches, can also be served with salads, cold meats, cheese, or barbecued fish.
 

Lynda Brown's Oven-drying Tomatoes

Dried ripe tomatoes, with their rich flavour and chewy texture, are now a fixture of modern cooking. Using a very low oven heat to semi-dry tomatoes gives a result similar to that of sun-dried tomatoes. Do a trial batch firs...
 

Lynda Brown's Sweetcorn and Pepper Relish

As its name implies, relish packs a tangy punch of flavour. Made from diced fruit or vegetables, it is part pickle, part chutney, but cooked for a shorter time than a chutney. It is a classic accompaniment to barbecued food ...
 
Raymond Blancs Chicory, Walnut And Roquefort Salad

Raymond Blanc's Chicory, Walnut And Roquefort Salad

Here is one of the simple recipes that I am sure you will enjoy.
 
Sharpham Parks Chickpea and Spelt Soup

Sharpham Park's Chickpea and Spelt Soup

This recipe comes from Sharpham Park whose Organic Pearled Spelt was one of the 2012 Organic Food Award Winners.
 

Sophie Grigson's Baja Sauce

This is a rich, silky sauce for tacos and other Mexican treats. My family love it with practically any barbecued meats or vegetables. Make it as hot or as mild as you fancy, depending on the chilli level of the rest of the f...
 

Sophie Grigson's Green Bean Sabzi

An Indian sabzi or sabji is nothing more than a spiced vegetable dish, usually quite homely, and very good to eat.
 

Sophie Grigson's Pico de Gallo (Mexican salsa)

Pico de gallo literally means rooster’s beak, but is the Mexican name for the classic salsa. You can make all kinds of variations (spring onions instead of red onions, no chilli, more chilli, replacing some or all of the tom...
 

Sybil Kapoor's Roasted Tomato Soup

This is a great way to use up a glut of tomatoes and it freezes perfectly. Roasting helps bring out the tomatoes natural sweetness. To dress up, add a swirl of double cream and a few snipped chives to each bowl when serving....
 

Tom Herbert's Large Combine Harvester Loaf

A wonderfully tasty, seedy, oaty, spelt loaf. This loaf will take a little under three hours from an itching-to-bake start, through to the first hot butter slathered, nutty, seedy, blissful bite.
 

Tom Herbert's Lush Large Loaf

The foundation stone for great home baking. This recipe for one large loaf is basic, simple, reliable, forgiving and extraordinarily versatile.
 
Valentine Warners Courgette Soup with Chard Bruschetta Tarragon and Lemon

Valentine Warner's Courgette Soup with Chard Bruschetta Tarragon and Lemon

So often I get asked what to do with the glut of courgettes that fill a grower’s arms, apron or basket. Here is a recipe based on a soup that I ate in Italy. It was so good I ordered it again that night (I ate in that same r...
 

Contact

For more advice and support with your event contact Abi Edgar in the Membership Team on 0117 314 5181.

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