Finger, Fork & Knife

Bright colours, luscious goats curd, beetroot, basil and toasted almonds – this bruschetta recipe is loaded with all sorts of good stuff. Spoonfuls of earthy, bright purple pesto served on a thick slab of chewy multigrain sourdough and finished off with hot-smoked salmon, rocket and a burst of lemon juice. This recipe is fresh, filling and packs a punch.

125g beetroot

½ clove of garlic, chopped

2 tbsp basil infused olive oil

¼ cup almonds or walnuts, toasted

2 tbsp fresh parmesan cheese, grated

1 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup fresh basil, mint, or combination of both

Good quality sourdough bread, thickly sliced

1 clove garlic

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

½ cup goats curd

½ cup rocket leaves

6 cherry tomatoes, roasted

Hot-smoked salmon, flaked

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto:

Preheat oven to 180C

Pop the beetroot in a roasting dish and cook for approx. 1 hour until tender. Once roasted remove from oven and set aside to cool completely then use your fingertips to rub off the skins. Cut the beetroot into medium-sized chunks.

Place the beetroot, oil, nuts, garlic, parmesan, lemon juice and herbs in a food processor. Pulse mixture until smooth.

For the bruschetta and to serve:

Preheat oven to 180C

Lay the slices of sourdough on a baking tray and pop in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and toasted to your liking. Remove from oven.

Rub the slices of bread with the garlic clove then drizzle with oil. Spread the beetroot presto over each piece of bread then top with salmon, goats curd and rocket. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little more oil and lemon juice and scatter roasted cherry tomatoes around each plate to serve.

Serves 2