Add these dips and pickled asparagus bites to your next summer platter.

Recipes: Kathy Paterson for the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards

Allow your platter creativity to flow with a little planning and some simple tricks. We all eat with our eyes so try topping dips with herbs, baby vegetables, seeds and nuts along with a splash of oil to ensure they are so much more appealing.

Assemble platter just before serving so everything is as fresh as it can possibly be. If you are entertaining a lot of people then make up smaller platters and make more so everyone can get to them easily. If seated, offer small plates and a knife to each person so they can help themselves to more than one thing at a time.

This platter includes medal-winners from the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, such as:
Augustines of Central Picked Asparagus
Proper Hand Cooked Chilli Lime Tortilla
Proper Hand Cooked Crisps Sweets & Beets
Proper Hand Made Cracker Bread
Akaroa Salmon
Pinoli Pine Nuts
L’Authentique Chicken & Sage Paté
Augustines of Central Rhubarb and Rosé
Nieuwenhuis Farmstead Cheese, Marinated Cloud (Fresh Goat Cheese in oil)
Salami
Cherry Tomatoes (we used Curious Croppers)
Fresh seasonal vegetables (we used green beans and snow peas)
Fresh herbs for garnish

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Chickpea Dip

A creamy and luscious puree, and if you use a deep green, grassy and peppery extra virgin olive oil, the depth of flavour is pure savoury deliciousness.

This dip was created to accompany a platter of outstanding NZ produce.

Serves 6 as part of a shared platter

INGREDIENTS

325g jar chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
juice of 1 lemon
125ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
a few mixed colour cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons Pinoli premium pine nuts, toasted
1 handful baby nasturtium leaves or small rocket leaves
1 large sprig fennel fronds or use a sprig or 2 of dill
Proper Hand Cooked Crisps Sweets & Beets

METHOD

Put the chickpeas in a small food processor with the garlic and lemon juice. Process until roughly mashed then drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and add salt to balance the lemon and oil. Process well until the puree is very smooth, creamy and luscious.

Put in a shallow bowl and smooth the top. Drizzle with a little extra oil then top with the cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and leaves. Tear the fennel fronds over the top. Serve with Proper Hand Cooked Crisps Sweets & Beets.

Tips:
– Finely grate the lemon zest before juicing the lemon and sprinkle over the finished dish.
– Add some finely sliced cucumber along with extra cherry tomatoes to extend the dish.

Avocado Dip

You can’t go past this platter favourite. Our recipe is a slight variation on traditional guacamole so give it a whirl. This dip was created to accompany a platter of outstanding NZ produce.

INGREDIENTS

2 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 small green apple, peeled, cut and cored and roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
2 avocado, halved, stone removed
juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
1 handful coriander leaves
extra virgin olive oil
Proper Hand Cooked Chilli Lime Tortilla

METHOD

Put the spring onion, apple and chilli in a food process and process to chop a little more, but still leave some texture. Scoop the flesh from the avocados and add to the processor along with the lemon or lime juice and a little salt. Process until the rough puree.

Put in a shallow bowl and top with the coriander leaves. Splash with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve with Proper Hand Cooked Chilli Lime Tortilla.

Tips:
– Taste adding extra lemon juice is you need more tartness.
– We’ve topped with a few baby nasturtium leaves as well. They have a wonderful pepperiness to them, but you could use rocket leaves.

Augustines Pickled Asparagus Bites

These delicious littles bites were created to showcase Augustines of Central Pickled Asparagus and are perfect for inclusion on a platter of outstanding NZ produce.

INGREDIENTS

Neutral oil for shallow-frying
300g packet wonton pastry (wrappers)

To assemble:
Mayonnaise
Salami slices
Augustines of Central Pickled Asparagus

METHOD

Heat 3cm of oil in a deep-sided frying pan until hot. In batches, so not to overcrowd the pan, cut 3-4 wonton pastry wrappers into triangles and put straight into the hot oil. Shallow-fry until they colour to a deep golden brown, turning once or twice.

Drain on crumpled kitchen paper and season with a little salt. Repeat with as many wonton pastry wrappers as you need. Store, well drained of oil, and airtight. These can be made ahead of time.

Make these the last addition to your platter. Spread a little mayonnaise onto each wonton triangle and top with salami and pickled asparagus.

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Recipes developed by Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards to showcase outstanding New Zealand produce. Find more recipes at outstandingfoodproducer.co.nz