Crudites and dips

Ingredients

lightly cooked asparagus tips
flat or runner beans, topped, tailed and cut diagonally into 3-5cm/1¼-2 in pieces
individual leaves of red or white endive/chicory
individual leaves of little gem lettuce
whole radishes with the stalk attached
baby turnips, raw or lightly cooked
scrubbed baby carrots
raw or lightly cooked baby corn
thickly sliced fennel

And you don't have to stop at vegetables:
pitta bread or flour tortillas, cut into wedges, brushed with olive oil and grilled
breadsticks
mini cheese biscuits
thinly sliced French stick, brushed with olive oil and grilled until crispy

White Bean and Tarragon Dip
410g/14½oz can cannellini or butter beans, drained
200ml/7fl oz creme fraiche
½ lemon, juice only
½ tsp paprika
pinch cayenne pepper
1 small garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
a small handful of tarragon leaves, chopped
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz well until really smooth. This tastes best when served at room temperature.

Prawn and Avocado Dip with Chilli Vodka
1 ripe avocado, peeled and stone removed
2 tbsp soured cream
150g/5oz cooked prawns, finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, quartered, de-seeded and finely diced
½ red onion, very finely chopped
½ small lemon, juice only
1 tbsp chilli-flavoured vodka, or a good splash of Tabasco sauce with a little extra lemon juice
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mash the avocado with the soured cream until fairly smooth. Mix in all of the remaining ingredients and serve straight away, or chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Method