Creamed olives, tomato, and arugula artisanal toast

Canapés are amongst my favourite hors d'oeuvres, always packed with flavour, infinite varieties and fun. Canapés are an open canvas for a skilled chef, offering them the opportunity to experiment with ingredients and create unique and amazing combinations.

This straightforward recipe highlights that concept. Creamy cheese, packed with tangy olives and bitter greens, is topped with pine nuts and tomatoes for added freshness. I used arugula in this instance, but you can use any bitter green, such as kale (slightly blanched), dandelion greens (slightly blanched), fresh fenugreek (raw), or other bitter greens as available. In addition, the base can be any hearty bread of your choice or even crackers. This canapé is beautiful on the palate; the contrasting flavours come together well, with tart, bitter, and nutty notes, complemented by the crunch of toast.

This is my favourite canapé book; it is a small, beautiful cookbook filled with wonderful recipes from a chef who understands the art of composing these perfect bites. The recipes are quite simple but always pop with flavour, and the photographs are stunning (trying to get there myself). If there is one canapé book on your shelf, this should be it.

For more recipes from this amazing cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted green olives, finely minced

1 cup cream cheese

2 tablespoons EVOO

A handful of arugula, finely sliced

1 teaspoon white pepper

Salt, if needed

4-5 slices of country bread, toasted

Cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

Mix the olives, cream cheese, olive oil, most of the arugula (reserve some for garnish), pepper, and salt until well blended. Taste and adjust for salt and other flavourings. The cheese should be tangy from the olives and with a touch of spice from the white pepper.

Layer the cream cheese mixture on the toast and decorate with the tomatoes, remaining arugula, and pine nuts.

Serve immediately.