Name: Chicory boats with feta, walnut and pomegranate
Ingredients: 165g walnuts; 1 tbsp maple syrup; ½ tsp olive oil; flaked sea salt and black pepper; 15g coriander leaves; 15g dill leaves; 15g mint leaves; 6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped (125g); 100g feta, crumbled; 165g cream cheese; 100g cucumber, grated and liquid squeezed out; 130g pomegranate seeds (ie, from about 1 pomegranate); 4 heads red and white baby chicory, leaves separated

Chicory boats with feta, walnut and pomegranate

Canape / Party food Vegetarian

Serves 15

Prep 20 Min

Cook 15 Min

Assembly Time 10 Min

There are a couple of rules when it comes to party food: the most important, serve food that can be eaten by hand or put in a vessel that can itself be eaten – washing-up, done! The filling for these nibbles can be made two or three hours before assembly, if you want to get ahead. Another option is to serve the filling by itself, as a dip, or spoon it into pre-cooked pastry cases (whisper it: vol-au-vents)

Ingredients

165g	walnuts
1 tbsp	maple syrup
½ tsp	olive oil
	flaked sea salt and black pepper
15g	coriander leaves
15g	dill leaves
15g	mint leaves
6	spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped (125g)
100g	feta, crumbled
165g	cream cheese
100g	cucumber, grated and liquid squeezed out
130g	pomegranate seeds (ie, from about 1 pomegranate)
4	heads red and white baby chicory, leaves separated

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F. Mix 65g walnuts in a small bowl with the maple syrup, olive oil and a teaspoon of flaked sea salt, then arrange in a single layer on a lined oven tray and bake for 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes, until deeply golden and sticky. Remove, leave to cool for 10 minutes, then roughly chop.

2. Put the remaining 100g walnuts in a food processor with all the herbs and spring onions, and pulse until roughly chopped. Tip into a large bowl, add the feta, cream cheese, cucumber, three-quarters of a teaspoon of flaked sea salt and a good grind of pepper, and mix well. Stir in 120g of the pomegranate seeds.

3. To assemble, divide the filling between the chicory leaves – you’ll need a teaspoon or two of the mix on each leaf – then arrange artfully on a platter. Scatter the chopped walnuts and remaining pomegranate seeds on top, and serve.