If you envisage throwing a bright and vibrant garden party, spring is the perfect time to do it. With the sun shining brightly in the sky and everybody craving fresh flavours after a season of winter comfort food, you’re sure to set taste buds tingling. Some of the greatest ways to discover new recipes is by browsing Pinterest or in your favourite mags, this time of year magazine subscriptions uk have issues overflowing with fantastic ideas, or alternatively in posts like this one. Here are a 3 Garden party recipes perfect for spring…
Pesto mini pizzas (serves 8) Garden parties call for finger food. A table laden with delectable appetisers will allow your guests to mingle with one another, unrestricted by formal table settings and cumbersome crockery. Create a feast for the eyes and get mouths watering with this mini pizza recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 quantity of Pizza dough divided into 8 small balls
- 1 large jar of prepared pesto
- 1 large jar of good quality passata sauce
- 250g grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 jar of capers or olives
- 1 chopped pepper
- 1 chopped onion
Method:
- Roll each dough ball into a flat circle. Leaving a small area around the outer edge of the dough, cover each base with a thin layer of passata before adding a thin layer of pesto.
- Add a small quantity of capers or olives, chopped pepper and chopped onion to each pizza base. Don’t add too much, else the dough will not rise.
- Sprinkle on a generous dusting of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the dough is brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Sugar snap salad (serves 8) This salad is crunchy, zingy, fresh and even tastes like it’s doing you good! Every component of this dish boasts fantastic health benefits, so check out the full recipe here and serve it to your guests.
Ingredients:
- 700g sugar snap peas
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 400g radishes
- 400g crumbled feta cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A pinch of salt
Method:
- Fill a large bowl with ice water. Cook the peas in a pot of boiling water until tender (approximately 2 minutes). Drain and transfer into the ice water to cool. Once cool, drain and transfer onto kitchen towel to dry.
- Once dry, toss the peas, radishes, mint and crumbled feta cheese in a bowl.
- Whisk the oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and add to the salad. Stir to combine. Add more lemon juice, salt and pepper if required. Add ground sumac for a little extra flavour, or check out these other spices if you’d prefer to use something else in your store cupboard.
Raspberry spritzers (serves 8) No garden party is complete without a delicious drink to greet your guests upon arrival. This recipe is a crowd pleaser, and with a simple swap for non-alcohol drinkers you’ll find it’s virtually fuss free.
Ingredients:
- 400g raspberries
- 5 tablespoons caster sugar
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 300ml cold water
- 750ml chilled rosé wine or Prosecco
- 750ml lemonade or soda water
Method:
- Use a blender to combine the raspberries, caster sugar, orange juice and cold water into a syrup. Strain to remove seeds.
- Add a small quantity of the syrup to the bottom of each glass.
- Fill the glass to two thirds with wine or Prosecco, adding lemonade or soda water to top up.
- For non-alcohol drinkers, use syrup, lemonade and soda water exclusively.
- Finish all drinks with an ice cube and a few raspberries in each glass, and a mint leaf to add colour and contrast.
Stay fabulous
Christine
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