Social Distance Drinks Party!

Delicious ideas to make your Social Distance Drinks Party that extra special. From ways on how to jazz up your olives, a gooey baked vacherin cheese (great for when it's a bit chilly!), five minute hummus, rosemary crispbreads, gazpacho with pinxtos and that all important playlist to get everyone in the mood.

3 Ways To Make Olives

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Watch Clodagh make this on IGTV here.

200g green or black olives tossed in any of these marinades

ITALIAN

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan, allow to cool and pour over the olives

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced

2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

SPANISH

Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the olives

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp preserved lemons, finely chopped

2 tsp toasted almonds, finely chopped

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

MOROCCAN

Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the olives

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsps Harissa

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

BAKED WHOLE VACHERIN MONT D’OR WITH ROSEMARY CRISPBREADS

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Watch Clodagh make this on IGTV here.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crispbreads

100ml warm water

½ teaspoon fast-action dried yeast

210g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling and brushing

3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped, plus extra sprigs, to decorate (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Baked Cheese

1 whole Vacherin Mont d’Or

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon finely choppedrosemary leaves

50ml dry white wine

METHOD:

1. To make the crispbreads, pour the water into a bowl, sprinkle in the yeast andwhisk together well. Leave for 5 minutes until the mixture starts to foam.

2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour the yeastmixture into the well and add the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stir together until a dough forms – it should be moist but not sticky. Tip the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea-towel or clingfilm and place in a warm, dry spot, such as an airing cupboard, for an hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with greaseproof paper (or use two baking sheets). Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll out each piece on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle measuring about 24 x 10cm. Transfer to the lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the chopped rosemary and some salt. Bake for 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove from the oven andleave to cool on wire racks.

4. To prepare the baked cheese, remove the lid from the cheese box. Make several slits in the top of the cheese with a sharp knife and sprinkle over the crushed garlic, chopped rosemary and white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Place the lid back on the cheese box, sit the box on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until melted.

5. To serve, remove the lid from the cheese box and place the box on a wooden serving board, then arrange the crispbreads around the cheese and scatter over some sprigs of rosemary for decoration, if you wish.

5 Minute Hummus

INGREDIENTS:

2 x 400g / 15 oz tins of cooked chickpeas/ garbanzos

2 garlic cloves, peeled juice and zest of 2 lemons

1 tablespoon peanut butter or tahini

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

200ml / 1 cup olive oil (or sunflower/ canola)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1.Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until well blended. If needed add a small drop of water to get a smooth consistency.

ALTERNATIVES!

Add any of these herbs: basil, parsley or coriander.

Swap out the smoked paprika for chilli powder, or fresh chilis

Add cooked beetroot (for a fun pink hummus), roast butternut squash or roasted peppers

If you’re low on your olive oil, then use half canola, vegetable or sunflower oil. * Add a handful of hazelnuts, almonds or pine nuts

GAZPACHO WITH PINXTOS

This is a really fun spread, that looks fantastic, tastes delicious and really easy to pull together. I use sprigs of fresh rosemary instead of wooden skewers - remove two-thirds of the leaves (sprinkle them over the mozzarella, olives or sun-blushed tomatoes). The sprig of rosemary not only looks great but it also scents whatever you skew on to it. Pour your chilled gazpacho into small glasses. Then invite everyone to help themselves to build their own pinxtos. Otherwise you can have the pinxtos done in advance. Skewer any of the pinxtos below onto the sprig of rosemary.