Nibbles are always a winner at parties and if you've started your Big Wild Sleepout party with some games or challenges, your guests will definitely be ready to refuel.
Broad bean, feta and sage crostini
These really taste of summer and are an excellent way of using up slightly tough broad beans and slightly stale bread. You can make both the crostini and the topping in advance.
MAKES ABOUT 20 CROSTINI
½ sourdough baguette1 fat clove garlic, cut in half1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
BROAD BEAN TOPPING
200g/7oz shelled broad beans1 small clove garlic, finely chopped2 teaspoons finely shredded sage leaves4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil85g/3oz barrel-cured feta cheese, crumbled1–2 tablespoons lemon juicesalt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to fan 180°C/gas 5. Cut the bread into about twenty 1cm/½ in thick slices. Rub with the cut clove of garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Once cold, store the crostini in an airtight tin if not using within a few hours.
2 To make the topping, drop the broad beans into a pan of boiling water. Return to the boil, cover and simmer for 2–3 minutes or until tender, then drain and cool under cold running water. Pop each bean out of its pale green skin to reveal the bright green inner kernel.
3 If you have a pestle and mortar, gently crush the broad bean kernels, in batches, aiming for a crumbly, rough texture rather than a smooth paste. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Put the garlic, sage and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the mortar. Gently crush and mix into the broad beans. Mix in the crumbled feta cheese. Add lemon juice to taste, along with the remaining olive oil. Season to taste. If not serving immediately, cover and chill.
4 If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, roughly crush the beans with a potato masher, and crush the garlic and sage with the back of a spoon.
5 Shortly before you’re ready to serve, bring the broad bean mixture up to room temperature and spoon on to your crostini.
Recipe taken from Simply Baking Cookbook by Sybil Kapoor, published by National Trust Books. Photography by Karen Thomas