Goats' cheese and beetroot stack 'water lillies' gluten-free appetisers

Perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of Charles de Gaulle's famous declaration concerning the politics of France...

"Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays où il existe variétés 365 de fromages?"

..is that each time you find it quoted, the number of cheeses seems to have changed. However this is not so strange because France has not just hundreds of different kinds of cheeses but dozens of varied shapes, coatings and stages of maturity and each of those create their own specific cheese. For a maker of appetisers, goats' cheese is a gift because apart from the pyramides, crottes, crottins.., it is also lovingly crafted into, bouchon, bûche and bûchette, all three just waiting to be sliced up and made into canapés.

Here I'm using a bûche, a speciality from the Poitou-Charentes and which comes in a very handy size to make stacks. This is a very quick and easy appetiser to put together. The beauty is in growing small, delicious and perfectly lovely Chioggia aka Candy Cane beetroot, of which I am inordinately proud.

INGREDIENTS

(makes 20)

1 bûche de chèvre
20 slices of cucumber
10 black olives
1 small Chioggia beetroot
1 dessert spoon apple cider vinegar
2 dessert spoons olive oil
½ teaspoon of whole grain mustard

Once again I went to town with my new cutters.

METHOD

Cut the cucumber slices into flowers with the medium sized cutter.

Use the smallest of the star cutters to create  shapes from the sliced beetroot.

Slice the goats' cheese into twenty and place a slice of cucumber onto each.

Alternate with toppings of black olive and Chioggia stars. Mix the oil, vinegar and mustard to form a vinaigrette and add a little of each to the beetroot to resemble stamens.

Serve chilled. These are simple easy and refreshingly delicious and if you've never eaten raw beetroot before you are in for a treat. I always use a mustard vinaigrette with raw beetroot because they compliment each other so well.

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from my 100 Gluten-Free Organic Party Foods Challenge!

All the best,
Sue

MORE APPETISERS USING CHEESE

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Fresh Figs, Smoked Salmon Wraps. Gluten-free

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Mini Scottish Oat Cakes with Roquefort Salad - Gluten-free

The sixth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. As the oatcake recipe was handed down through families, it is difficult to know its exact origins...read more

60's Cocktail Party Classic:  Cheese, Ham & Pineapple Sticks

The twentieth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. A 60's cocktail party classic, cheese and pineapple on a stick but this time with marinated cheese...read more

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RETURN TO 100 GLUTEN-FREE PARTY RECIPES CONTENTS 

©  Sue Cross 2017 

Sixties Cocktail Party Classic: Cheese and Pineapple Sticks. Gluten-free Appetisers

The Sixties was about youth. Couture and cuisine came not from designers and chefs but from the street. Food and fabrics were noisy and boisterous, juxtaposing clashing colours and big bold patterns. It seemed as if the 'Established Order' had turned a somersault and had landed upon its head. The Sixties was a decade of the Feast of Fools, following the dictates of the young and redolent of the Twenties and hence the return of the flapper dress and the cocktail. As has often been written of that previous period; 'the party was in full swing and everyone who had been invited had arrived.'

For this recipe I've taken a cider braised ham so it doesn't quite have the authenticity of the lurid pink of the 60's product but in keeping with the spirit of the age I've accompanied them with some long retro pink flamingo skewers!

Left Twiggy, the face of the 'Swinging Sixties' in  Biba, the epitome of the London fashion scene. Biba started out in mail order with just one pink 'Mod' gingham dress, similar to one worn by Brigitte Bardot, they received 4,000 orders on the first day. Biba was so successful it ended up in Kensington High Street in the former home of an earlier icon, beloved of Agatha Christie's, Miss Marple; Derry and Toms. Big Biba had a roof garden complete with pink flamingos!

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Szechuan or black pepper (freshly ground)

Method

For the Marinade:

Mix all the ingredients together to form the marinade.

Ingredients 

For the Sticks: 

(makes 24 appetisers)

Cocktail Sticks
180g of Gruyère or similar hard waxy cheese
Mix and Match was a big 60's thing so as long as it's brightly coloured  a selection of the following:
Ham
Cherry Tomatoes
Cubes of Cucumber
Black Olives
Red Pepper
Cubes of Pineapple

Method

For the Sticks:

Cut the Gruyère into cubes and pour over the marinade. Make sure each cube is well coated and then cover. I marinated the cheese for around 2 hours and that gave me a great mustard taste but obviously you can experiment with a longer marinating period if you wish.

Thread a cube of marinated Gruyère onto each stick and then add the other ingredients in a fiendishly studied but seemingly haphazard way. Mix in some longer sticks, preferably with something colourful attached like my flamingos! Do not have too much symmetry.

For a real authentic 60's look, the sticks should be served by pressing them into a half grapefruit or water melon, in the manner of porcupine quills.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from my 100 Gluten-Free Organic Party Foods Challenge!

All the best,
Sue

MORE THINGS ON STICKS!

Radish Sail Boats Laden with Ricotta. Gluten-free

The fifteenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Contrary perhaps to perceived wisdom, that picnics are a warm weather event, there is nothing quite...read more

Devils on Horseback

The seventh recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Nowadays served as an appetiser, this is a variation on the Victorian savoury Angels on Horseback itself a popular final dish served in a formal 19th century dinner....read more

Sausage & Mash on a Stick

The thirteenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. A British traditional recipe on a stick. One of the Tavern dishes which was not pastry-based and is still a favourite pub meal today...read more

Marinated Feta on Sticks - Gluten-free Cocktail Party

The tenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. The Feta I'm using is a classic Greek one with 30% goats' and 70% ewes' milk...read more

Fresh Figs, Smoked Salmon Wraps. Gluten-free

The twenty-second recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. For a Winter party there is nothing more refreshing than a reminder of Summer; sun-kissed figs...read more

RETURN TO MAIN CONTENTS PAGE 

RETURN TO 100 GLUTEN-FREE PARTY RECIPES CONTENTS 

©  Sue Cross 2017 

'Twiggy in Biba' Thanks to Pinterest Board of feedly.com

Radish Sail Boats Laden with Ricotta - Gluten-free Beach Party

Contrary perhaps to perceived wisdom, that picnics are a warm weather event, that is unless you are thinking of hot coffee and sandwiches consumed in the car looking out on a troubled sea, there is nothing quite like a Winter picnic on the beach. Whilst others here in France are snoozing and sleeping off the previous night's feasting, on Christmas Day Andy and I have been known to walk down the 2 kilometres to the beach lugging a basket full of goodies. To this end I decided to make these tasty 'sail boats' as part of my gluten-free challenge and being light and juicy they are just the thing to eat on the hoof for a brisk walk along the shore.

Although I've seen photographs of stuffed round radish, I only had to look at these perfectly named variety 'Flamboyant' to think 'boat'. They are easy to eat despite looks, just pull out the stick, eat the sails and cockpit and then the boat and cargo, or vice versa. Unlike my previous offering this recipe is, quick, simple and easy to make and they use minimal ingredients and I hope you'll agree, for maximum impact. I served them at home on a mirror and also added a mother ship, leader of the fleet, in avocado, she carried more cargo and needed a spoon!

INGREDIENTS

(makes 20)

10 long radish
10 teaspoons of ricotta
5 black olives
10 cherry/cocktail tomatoes
2 large leaves of Batavia or similar frilly leaved lettuce
20 cocktail sticks

METHOD

Cut each radish in half longways and remove a thin section of the  'hull' so she'll sit well on the water/mirror.

Load each of the decks with half a teaspoon of ricotta.

Cut sails from the lettuce leaves. Choose pieces with one edge cut near to the rib or in its general vicinity and where the leaf is crisper and will easily run up the mast.

Cut the olives into quarters and the tomatoes into halves.

Thread the sails onto the sticks. Add the black olive and tomato cockpit and leave enough stick to spear the hull.

Go to the beach and launch!

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from my 100 Gluten-Free Organic Party Foods Challenge!

All the best,

Sue

 

MORE THINGS ON STICKS!

Devils on Horseback

The seventh recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Nowadays served as an appetiser, this is a variation on the Victorian savoury Angels on Horseback itself a popular final dish served in a formal 19th century dinner....read more

Sausage & Mash on a Stick

The thirteenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. A British traditional recipe on a stick. One of the Tavern dishes which was not pastry-based and is still a favourite pub meal today...read more

Marinated Feta on Sticks - Gluten-free Cocktail Party

The tenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. The Feta I'm using is a classic Greek one with 30% goats' and 70% ewes' milk...read more

60's Cocktail Party Classic:  Cheese, Ham & Pineapple Sticks

The twentieth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. A 60's cocktail party classic, cheese and pineapple on a stick but this time with marinated cheese...read more

Fresh Figs, Smoked Salmon Wraps. Gluten-free

The twenty-second recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. For a Winter party there is nothing more refreshing than a reminder of Summer; sun-kissed figs...read more

RETURN TO MAIN CONTENTS PAGE 

RETURN TO 100 GLUTEN-FREE PARTY RECIPES CONTENTS 

©  Sue Cross 2017 
 

Stuffed Grape 'Toffee Apples' with Wild Hazelnut Topping. Gluten-free Halloween/Bonfire Party

Sometimes it's important, albeit a little crazy, to create a recipe which should be prefaced with the words 'difficult and finicky'. This is one of them. I'd seen photographs of both  stuffed grapes and caramel candy covered grapes but I wanted to make a dessert on a stick that had both.  The grapes this year are very juicy, we've had a lot of rain and when a friend gave me a bunch of these beautifully photogenic Chasselas Rosé Royale I decided to seize the moment. This variety is both a wine and table grape and it has the advantage of being large and so foolishly I thought it would be easy to work with! My initial idea was that they would be great for a Halloween or Bonfire party but they are actually just so satisfying to sit and eat on a cold Autumn evening and congratulate yourself on having made them.

That said, they are completely delicious and if you and your guests all pitch in together it could be an idea to have an evening making them as a sort of 'grape fondu' party. My main advice is don't dip the grapes in the caramel just pour it on with a spoon and then roll in the topping. Most importantly,  make sure the grape skins are dry before you start to work on them!

Left Chasselas Rosé Royale. At this time of year many French people take a grape 'cure', a traditional detox. The organic shops thus provide as many varieties as possible.

INGREDIENTS

(makes 20)

For the Caramel:

60g - 2oz blonde cane sugar
1½ tablespoons of cold water

 

For the Sticks:

20 large grapes
10 raspberries
1 teaspoon raw cane sugar
65g - 2¼oz Mascarpone cheese
10 chopped hazelnuts
Confetti/Sprinkles (optional)
20 cocktail sticks

METHOD & Pre-Assembly

For the Sticks:

Make in this order for ease of assembly!

Shell and chop hazelnuts finely.

Mix the raspberries and the Mascarpone.

Cut the grapes in half and remove seeds with the tip of a knife.

Divide the Mascarpone mixture into 20 and using a teaspoon add to one half of a grape. 

Push a stick through the grape half and Mascarpone mixture until it comes through the other allowing enough of the stick to spear the matching half of the grape. 

Place stuffed grapes on a plate and when you have completed half of them start the caramel. Then continue with the grapes.

For the Caramel:

The great thing about caramel is that once you have completed the initial stage, you must leave it alone, so this gives you time to complete the grapes!

Dissolve the water in the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Do not allow to boil until the sugar has completely dissolved into a syrup.

Once the sugar has dissolved boil rapidly without stirring until a caramel colour appears at the edges of the syrup, at this point you can lower the heat, or in my case move it away from the main firebox. As the caramel colours develop further, swirl the pan gently a couple of times to spread the caramel evenly. When the caramel achieves the desired thickness (largish bubbles) it is ready. If it hardens in the pan whilst you are using it return the pan momentarily to a gentle heat and it will melt. 

Assembly - Finishing

Using a warmed teaspoon add the caramel to the top half of the grape.

Roll the grape in the hazelnuts or sprinkles.

Place on a dish and powder the plate with a few pieces of hazelnut and sprinkle 'confetti'.

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from my 100 Gluten-Free Organic Party Foods Challenge!

All the best,

Sue

RETURN TO MAIN CONTENTS PAGE 

RETURN TO 100 GLUTEN-FREE PARTY RECIPES CONTENTS 

©  Sue Cross 2017 

Marinated Feta on Sticks - Gluten-free Cocktail Party Appetisers

In the 1926 edition of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the inclusion of cocktails was prefaced with the words '....chiefly remarkable for the many ingredients which enter into their composition, the use of various fresh fruits in addition to lemons and oranges and the extraordinary names bestowed on many of (them)'. Cocktails and cocktail foods have a rather mythical colourful history, an international flavour and are also associated with times of upheaval, unrest and often despair perhaps they are the leitmotif for an era when people just want to eat drink and be merry.... That said cocktail parties, with or without alcohol are a great way to start on the 'entertaining-at-home' circuit. There are so many foods that can be cunningly presented on sticks, as I hope I'm going to be able to prove. Furthermore, with no cutlery/silverware and offering pretty cocktail napkins rather than individual plates, there is much less washing and clearing up!

The idea of serving food on sticks is as old as the hills but nowadays with the iconic cocktail stick and thus cocktail parties, it is perhaps the 1920s that spring to mind. On this side of the Atlantic, we might think of Evelyn Waugh and  'The Bright Young Things'.  In legend, Waugh's elder brother  Alec, is credited with throwing the first ever cocktail party. In the US cocktails are redolent of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Jazz and Prohibition. Peter Waugh's theory is that the cocktail party was indeed an American phenomenon that his father introduced into England as an antidote to afternoon tea.

Syllabub was originally a drink

The French also have a hand in cocktail legends with 'coquetier' meaning egg cup, when used by a Dr Peychaud, as an impromptu spirit measure. An apothecary/physician born in Bordeaux, Dr Peychaud re-established his business in Louisiana, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, having fled Saint-Domingue during the Slave Rebellion in 1791. As a popular orator and  Freemason, after lodge meetings a group of close friends and compatriots would adjourn to the back of his shop in the rue Royale, to partake of a few 'coquetiers'. When the circle of drinkers expanded to include English speakers the name was changed to cocktail. Peychaud's Bitters is one of the components of New Orleans' famous Sazerac Cocktails. In the US in the early 1800s, cocktails were originally referred to as 'slings' this came apparently from the German schlingen meaning to swallow something quickly! The idea of mixed fruit and alcoholic drinks and accompanying snack foods really goes back to 17th century punch drinking and the Punch Houses, popular haunts and alternatives to the possibly more sedate Coffee Houses and Cigar Divans. Above left, another precursor of the cocktail, an 18th century whipped cider syllabub with the Jamaica Tavern Coffee House c. 1868 pictured in the background.

A Foreword on Feta

The Feta I'm using is a classic Greek one and it's made from 30% goats' and  70% ewes' milk. I can attest to the common belief that Feta is sharper when it is made with a majority of ewes' milk. In fact this one was actually much tastier than any I have eaten before but it becomes even richer and more flavoursome with the marinade. The great advantage of using Feta for food on sticks is that it is easy to cut without crumbling and it sticks really well on, well...sticks.

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

(I used cumin because we really like the taste and it is a common spice used here with cheese but if you want something less spicy then fennel makes a great alternative accompaniment)

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of cumin or fennel seeds
The juice of one lime
The juice of one small lemon
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Szechuan or black pepper (freshly ground)

Method

For the Marinade:

Dry fry the cumin (or fennel) seeds and sesame until they begin to crackle and or you can smell them cooking (around 3 minutes). Allow to cool.

Mix all the ingredients together to form the marinade.

Ingredients 

For the Sticks: 

(makes 24 appetisers)

180g of Feta
24 of each of the following:
Cherry Tomatoes
Cubes of Cucumber
Black Olives
Cocktail Sticks

Method

For the Sticks:

Cut the Feta into cubes in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Make sure each cube is well coated and then cover. I marinated the Feta for around 60 minutes and it tasted delicious. The cheese still retained its distinctive sharpness and salty tang but obviously you can experiment with a longer marinating period if you wish.

Thread a cube of marinated Feta onto each stick and then add the other ingredients. You can also use longer sticks and stand them vertically as the Feta makes a solid base for the rest!

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

All that needs to be said now is Bon Appėtit!

Hope to see you here again for another recipe from my 100 Gluten-Free Organic Party Foods Challenge!

All the best,

Sue

MORE THINGS ON STICKS!

Devils on Horseback

The seventh recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Nowadays served as an appetiser, this is a variation on the Victorian savoury Angels on Horseback itself a popular final dish served in a formal 19th century dinner....read more

Sausage & Mash on a Stick

The thirteenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. A British traditional recipe on a stick. One of the Tavern dishes which was not pastry-based and is still a favourite pub meal today...read more

60's Cocktail Party Classic:  Cheese, Ham & Pineapple Sticks

The twentieth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. A 60's cocktail party classic, cheese and pineapple on a stick but this time with marinated cheese...read more

Radish Sail Boats Laden with Ricotta. Gluten-free

The fifteenth recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. Contrary perhaps to perceived wisdom, that picnics are a warm weather event, there is nothing quite...read more

Fresh Figs, Smoked Salmon Wraps. Gluten-free

The twenty-second recipe in my 100 Gluten-free Party Food Challenge. For a Winter party there is nothing more refreshing than a reminder of Summer; sun-kissed figs...read more

RETURN TO MAIN CONTENTS PAGE 

RETURN TO 100 GLUTEN-FREE PARTY RECIPES CONTENTS 

©  Sue Cross 2017