Labna Carrot Spread is a white bean feta smash and a selection of warmed citrus spices, marinated olives with breads and crackers to scoop it all up with.
This is to be shared with a group of friends, and added extras who meet with on a rotating venue and themed, arrangement, lots of fun and a shared interest and love of good food and entertaining. In the mix is a vegetarian and a gluten free requirement. I love these extra stipulations as it helps me think outside the square and work with new ideas and ingredients.
LABNA CARROT SPREAD
Ingredients
- 500ml plain unsweetened acidophilus yoghurt
- 2 grated carrots
- 1 clove garlic
- olive oil
- cumin seeds
- chilli flakes (optional)
– fresh herbs to garnish (this will be parsley as at the end of winter that is pretty much the only surviving herb in my garden)
I have strained though a clean muslin cloth 500ml of plain unsweetened acidophilus yoghurt overnight. This will leave me with a nice thick yoghurt to begin (don’t forget you can use the whey in smoothies or baking or maybe I will give it to my poor unsuspecting chickens).
WHITE BEAN AND FETA SMASH
There are possibly more culinary correct words than smash, but I think it describes the effect I want best with a little drama as well.
Ingredients
- 125g white beans
– you could use tinned but I like to soak and cook my own with aromatics such as garlic thyme and or rosemary and a bay leaf depending on the end flavour profile I am looking for - Handful each chopped parsley and mint
- Clove of chopped garlic
- ½ preserved lemon finely chopped
- Zest of one lemon
- Juice of one lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt pepper
Cook the beans till well done in lightly salted herbed up water, sometimes I add a good pinch of baking soda to the beans as they cook this seems to have a softening effect on the beans. Don’t do this if you want firm beans for a salad, this would fall in the category of lessons I have learned the hard way!
Cool the beans and then lightly mash so you still have plenty of texture but a cohesive mash.
At this point you can add all the other ingredients seasoning
CITRUS MARINATED OLIVES
250gm Your choice of olives plain or mixed well drained
½ tsp freshly toasted fennel seeds
zest of one orange
olive oil to cove
mix and leave at least overnight
