Prep time:

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 40

60g Plain Sifted Flour

Salt, Cayenne Pepper

45g Cold Butter, diced

60g Parmesan Cheese, grated

1tsp Black Olives

For the Topping:

15g Parsley

2tbsp Pine Nuts

4tbsp Parmesan, grated

1 Garlic Clove

1tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Creamy Goat's cheese

Caroline Cowan from Brick House Farm now owns The Woolpack Hotel in Tenterden. She’s a great cook and hostess so we asked her to put together some mouthwatering morsels to kick start the winter party season with a culinary bang...

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C
  2. Place flour, pinch salt and cayenne, butter, Parmesan and 1tsp black olives in a food processor. Pulse to form a smooth dough.
  3. Roll out dough on a floured surface to a 0.5cm thickness. Stamp out 40 rounds with a 3.5cm pastry cutter. Place rounds on baking parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. Bake until golden brown about 8 minutes. Cool completely before topping.

For the topping:

  1. Place all ingredients, apart from the goat’s cheese, in a food processor and pulse to a thick paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Use a teaspoon to top shortbreads with pesto and goat’s cheese. Serve at room temperature.

  • words:
  • pictures: David Merewether

Pot-roast chicken pot au feu

Pot au feu is a classic French dish literally translating to ‘pot in fire’. All the flavours of a well-bred free-range chicken mingle together with summer baby vegetables, herbs and white wine. The technique may be French and harking back...

Cured trout, crème fraîche & pickled kohlrabi, cucumber & dill

This easy starter is impressive in looks and taste; taking only minutes to prepare, it does need to be chilled overnight in the fridge and is a perfect light and summery dish to have ready to serve when your guests...

Gooseberry & elderflower fool

Gooseberries often lose out in the popularity contest to other soft seasonal fruit. These tart and firm little berries just need a little heat and sweetness to reveal their charms. Here Robin pairs the tasty fruit with the classic pairing...