Tomato and basil galettes
Recipe by:
Norma MacMillan
Galette is the French term for a flat, round pastry or cake. The galettes here are made from wholemeal scone dough flavoured with a little Parmesan cheese. They make a delicious base for a tomato, basil and pine nut topping. Serve as a snack or starter, or as a light lunch with a mixed leaf salad. They're also good cold.
Fennel mini quiches
Recipe by:
marniclarno
A delicious way to serve fennel. Bake in mini muffin tins, individual silicone moulds or small ramekins.
Broccoli Soufflé
Recipe by:
hilde
Soufflé isn't the easiest recipe to make, but once you've got the process sorted, it's really quick and always impressive. You can also make the souffle with other vegetables or just with cheese.
Tuna Tartare
Recipe by:
matoutina
A super-tasty starter, which is light and easy to make. Raw tuna is mixed with coriander, ginger, sesame seeds, yellow pepper, olives and olive oil. Serve with a fresh crusty baguette.
Smoked Salmon Amuse Bouche
Recipe by:
matoutina
An elegant bite-sized hors d'oeuvre, which will be welcomed at any dinner party. Smoked salmon is served with a horseradish cream in a starter spoon. You can also serve the salmon on top of crostini, if desired.
Eggs en Cocotte with Smoked Salmon
Recipe by:
matoutina
This is a wonderful French starter that's packed full of flavour. Ramekins are filled with smoked salmon, horseradish cream and whole eggs. They are then gently cooked in a water bath.
Savoury Fois Gras Custard with Lentil Mousse
Recipe by:
matoutina
These little savoury egg custards are packed full of flavour. They are easy to make and do really well as an appetiser or starter. Fois gras infused egg custards are baked, then served with a creamy lentil mousse.
Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Tartines
Recipe by:
Capucine
A tartine is a French open-faced sandwich with a fancy topping. Baguette slices are topped with cream cheese, smoked salmon and cucumber. Simple and delicious. These do well as party nibbles.
Easy cheese soufflé
Recipe by:
anizou
This souffle recipe is deceptive - it is actually very easy to make. Cooking a soufflé simply requires some time and attention as you will need to watch the soufflé whilst it's in the oven. Use Gruyere as stated, or try another cheese - Emmental also works well!
Fennel and Apple Summer Salad
Recipe by:
annef
This is a delicious crunchy salad that's sweetened with fresh raspberries. You can't really make it in advance but if you have to - pour a few tablespoons of French dressing or a balsamic based vinaigrette and then chill it. Delicious served with pork.
Scallop and Orange Salad
Recipe by:
Anizou
Pan fried scallops are served with crisp lettuce and orange segments. Perfect as a light starter.
Pear and Roquefort Salad
Recipe by:
Anizou
I like this salad because you don't really need a vinaigrette with it, but if you want, you can make as much as you need with 3 parts olive oil and one part red wine vinegar.
Summer Tomatoes with Basil Salad
Recipe by:
annef
Such a simple, yet incredibly tasty salad in summertime when the tomatoes are over-ripe and packed with flavour!
Creamy Smoked Salmon Starter
Recipe by:
Capucine
This is a very easy recipe and a simple starter for dinner parties or Christmas. It's important to drain as much water out of the cucumber before serving - otherwise, it could be too watery.
French Cheese Fondue
Recipe by:
etoiledemer
A mixture of Comté, Beaufort and Fribourg are the perfect mix! They are all strong flavoured, semi-hard cheese that melt well. Serve with bread cubes for dipping.
Apple and nut baked Brie
Recipe by:
matoutina
I adapted this from another recipe I found on the site. We ate our baked Brie with green salad and everyone really liked it, even my teenage daughter who does not like Brie! It can also be served with boiled potatoes for a super-easy and quick meal that's a nice change from the usual.
Tuna rillettes
Recipe by:
Aeroz
Easy and quick to do, these tuna rillette starters are refreshing and perfect for a cocktail with friends.
Simple salmon rillettes
Recipe by:
sabine
This is an easy make ahead starter or nibble. Simply make the salmon mixture up to a day ahead, then spoon onto pieces of toast before serving. Garnish with a sprig of dill for a pretty presentation!
Salmon tartare
A beautifully simple preparation of raw fish that is a celebration of freshness. The thing I love about this dish is the magic worked by the lemon juice. As well as imparting sharp fresh flavour, the acid in the lemon juice affects the protein in the fish, causing a "cooked" texture on the surface of the meat whilst leaving the centre rare and soft.