Summer is in full swing! Glorious sunshine (in some parts of the country), England beating the Germans and the Ukrainians and restrictions soon to end (allegedly!).

With it being so hot, spending time in the kitchen can be pretty unbearable, as can the thought of eating a big meal. With that in mind I’ve put together this sharing platter that can easily replace a full meal and makes a great gazing board to share with friends over a glass of grape juice or to be nibbled whilst watching the football this week.

I made this board using some of our afternoon tea and lunch box bits, as well as the Boxed Fresh ingredients. You can use your own favourites, or contact us at Jo's Kitchen Carlisle to order our delights!

Beetroot Houmous

I had a beetroot in the fridge from a previous box, proof, as if any was needed, of the great quality of Boxed Fresh produce, and roasted it in the oven.

-1 cooked beetroot

-Houmous

Blend the beetroot and mix through the houmous, I usually go for 1/3 beetroot to houmous.

Celeriac Remoulade 

A classic dish that has a million different variations, this version uses crème fraiche and horseradish.
It is light and fresh, but if you prefer, you can use mayonnaise and whole grain mustard. It is a perfect accompaniment to meat and cured fish. I used a Japanese mandoline to slice the celeriac into thin strips called julienne and apple, but you can also use a grater.

-1/2 celeriac

-1 apple

-1tsp Chopped chives

-1tsp horseradish

-3tblsp creme fraiche

-Salt

-Lemon

Julienne or grate the celeriac into a bowl and lightly season with the salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, this will allow the celeriac to “cook” and soften. Julienne or grate the apple into the bowl with the celeriac and add the crème fraiche, horseradish and chives. Gently mix and adjust the seasoning using the salt, lemon and horseradish.

Asparagus In Ham

 
Cook the asparagus using the steaming method in last week's recipe and wrap in a cured ham such as prosciutto or serrano.
In a hot frying pan roll the wrapped asparagus until the ham begins to colour, serve warm or cold.

Crispy Kale

Only use an enclosed air fryer. Do not attempt to make this in an open fryer as the kale has a high water content and will spit hot oil everywhere.
Fry the kale until it goes a translucent shade of green, strain and season with a little salt and pepper.