Turkish Bread Crostini with Whipped Feta and Broad Beans

I love these vibrant, moreish mouthfuls! They are the perfect combination of a crunchy base topped with smooth creamy feta and zingy, minty, lemony beans. The beans need to be made within an hour of serving to retain their bright green colour, but everything else can be prepared in advance.

INGREDIENTS

Whipped feta
250 grams soft feta
150 grams cream cheese
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped mint leaves
finely grated zest of half a lemon
½ small clove garlic, crushed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Crostini
2–3 mini Turkish breads or 1 small Turkish loaf
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Lemon beans
500 grams broad beans (preferably fresh but frozen is fine)
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
torn mint leaves to garnish

METHOD

Spread: Blend the feta, cream cheese, mint, lemon and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste (it may not need salt, depending on the saltiness of your feta) and store in a sealed container in the fridge. This can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Crostini: Mix the oil and garlic in a small bowl. Slice the bread into ½ cm thick ovals and brush one side with the infused oil. Spread the bread out on baking trays and cook for 10–12 minutes or until lightly golden and crunchy. Leave to cool before storing in an airtight container. These can be made up to a week in advance.

Beans: Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil. Add the beans and cook for 3 minutes. While they cook, fill a large bowl with iced water. After 3 minutes drain the beans and plunge into the iced water. Leave for 3–4 minutes then drain again and gently pop the beans out of their greyish covers. (You may not need to do this if your beans are fresh and young!)

Mix the mint with the lemon zest, juice and olive oil. Season and add the beans. Stir through and check the seasoning – if you prefer a more lemony taste, add a little more lemon juice.

To serve: Spread each crostini thickly with the feta mixture and top with beans. Finish with a sprinkling of torn mint leaves, a grind of black pepper and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Makes about 20–25, depending on the size of your Turkish bread

Cook’s tip:You could also serve each element separately so that guests can make their own – provide additional options such as freshly made basil pesto, and slow-roasted vine tomatoes. Any leftover beans are delicious on wholemeal toast with the whipped feta and a poached egg.

Menu: Serve this with Spice-Crusted Lamb Rack with Spinach and Baby Beet Salad for main, and a Strawberry and Lemon Tart to finish.