For me and my kitchen stress head it’s all about taking it easy in the kitchen and not overloading yourself with too much to do before your guests arrive. Getting up early and prepping is key. I decided to make my own bread which is laced with pureed beetroot, later turned into my Camp Crositini served alongside a warm Cannellini & Fennel Dip.
We have aniseedy fennel with garlic, rosemary, lemon parmesan, white beans and smoked cheese, blitzed then baked in the oven making this one hot yes!
Ingredients.
2 fennel bulbs, outer leaves removed and cored cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic
440g cannellini beans, cooked
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
45g parmesan, grated (with extra for topping)
45g smoked cheese, grated (with extra for topping)
Method.
Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6
On a baking sheet combine the fennel chunks and 2 of the garlic cloves with a drizzle of oil. Season. Roast for 30 minutes, having tossed around once during. Set aside and raise the oven temperature to 230c / 210c (fan) / Gas Mark 8.
In a frying pan, pour 120ml of olive oil in over a medium heat. Add the remaining 2 garlic cloves and cook until golden.
Add in the beans and rosemary, cooking for a couple of minutes more. Remove from the heat.
In a food processor, blitz the beans and garlic, fennel and garlic, lemon juice, smoked cheese, parmesan, and 60ml more of olive oil, until smooth.
Transfer the blitzed mix into a small casserole dish, sprinkling with some extra grated cheeses. Bake until bubbling and gold for around 30 minutes.
