Create little nibblies to go with drinks as you start the evening off with conversation.
Garden Canapés
Maybe some anecdotes on what the full moon means to you. We always have goat cheese on hand, and these chèvre “truffles” are elegant and very easy to make. Marinated lamb is also a delicious spring starter. Ours is marinated in mint, olive oil and garlic, and then threaded on a skewer and grilled over an open flame.
Johnny-Jump-Up Chèvre Truffles
Makes about 12 to 15 truffles
1 1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chive
1/2 tsp salt
Edible flowers
In medium bowl, mix cheese, pepper, chives and salt together until well combined. With clean hands, form mixture into bite-size balls and set aside on platter.
Roll the balls in any edible flowers you have. We used Johnny-jump-ups because they’re plentiful, but violets work well, too. I usually pick the flowers whole; before using, I nip the stems off with my fingers. For larger flowers, pull off the petals from the centre and lay them on a plate for rolling.
Use any remaining precious petals or flowers for garnish elsewhere.
If you don’t have any edible flowers, simply roll the cheese balls in more chopped fresh chives.
I’m Danielle French, founder and owner of South Pond Farms. South Pond was founded in 2008 as a small food delivery business. I would grow food in my garden, make prepared meals and deliver them all over the GTA. Since then, the farm has been slowly restored and converted into a culinary destination, offering special events, weddings, workshops and corporate retreats all set in our restored century barn in the rolling hills of rural Ontario. My vision is to create a connection to the land, the food we grow and prepare in our kitchen to bringing people together.
