The joy of the jam …

a canapé

What could be more convenient than a jar of jam in the fridge and a packet of flatbreads in the freezer?

Toast your flatbreads and spread with goats' cheese or, if you are not a lover, use what you do enjoy – cream cheese or Boursin would float my boat, then add the jam and finish off with greenery of your choice – rocket would give a peppery hit – if you're not a fan then shredded iceberg, chopped flat leaf parsley or coriander. Conversely you could toast the bread then spread with the jam and sprinkle a crumbly cheese – Wensleydale or Stilton or feta.

Cut into bite size portions to serve as a canapé or pizza style slices for a snack.

If you're not a lover of flatbreads then you could invest in part baked baguettes, sliced or not (incidentally a gluten free version works brilliantly for canapés)

You can make this as easy or as complicated as you like.

Add :

Finely chopped chilli – red and/or green

Olives, pitted and chopped – you can buy them in jars of

different sizes ready pitted and sliced

Mediterranean vegetables, roasted and finely diced

Parma ham, salami or pepperoni cut into small triangles

or any other antipasti that you enjoy

Anchovies, chopped finely

capers, chopped

artichoke hearts

You can get great deals on packets of mixed antipasti at this time of year – really convenient and slim to stash in the fridge or the freezer.