The beauty of this recipe is that it can be adapted three (or more) ways to complement a delicious summer spread of delectables of your choosing. One dough is used to make sesame grissini, olive oil salted cracker tongues and poppy, pepper and linseed cracker rounds and squares. 

No preservatives, no packaging, substantial savings, and the joy of knowing you created them yourself. 

This cracker plate is an ode to beetroot and all things purple, and how beautiful are those colours with so many punchy flavours. I have included the recipe for two easy vegetarian beetroot dips, and added herbed cream cheese, pancetta wrapped grissini, beetroot marinated boiled eggs and a pretty bresaola rose. Something for all palates. 

Made even more special with a grind of salt and pepper using my favourite matching red London pepper mills.

Kitchen Tools Recommended: 

• 2 large oven trays
  
• Rolling pin
  
• One food processer
  
• Cole and Mason London Salt and Pepper mills in Red
  

Ingredients

Crackers:

Base dough:

• 500g plain flour
  
• 1.5 tsp sea salt
  
• 250ml cold water
  
• 40g olive oil

Grissini:

• ¼ cup sesame seeds
  
• 1 egg white

Olive oil and salt tongues:

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• Sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Poppy and linseed crackers: 

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  
• 1 tablespoon linseeds
  
• Several good grinds of pepper

Beetroot, walnut and tahini dip:

• 200g oven roasted and cooled beetroot
  
• 50g tahini
  
• 25 g lemon juice
  
• 50g walnuts (plus extra for sprinkling)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (extra to taste)
  
• Walnut oil

Beetroot and white bean dip: 

• 100g oven roasted and cooled beetroot
  
• 1 drained tin of white beans
  
• 1 clove of fresh garlic
  
• 30 ml lemon juice
  
• 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• Pomegranate seeds to decorate
  

Method: 

For the base cracker dough:

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt.
   
2. Make a well and add water and oil.
   
3. Mix and knead to a smooth ball (or use the dough hook of stand mixer).
   
4. Wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.
   
5. Divide the dough into thirds.

For the Grissini variation:

1. Divide one of the thirds into 16 balls and keep them covered. 
   
2. Roll each ball into a long tapered thin sausage on a floured bench.
   
3. Place on a greased baking tray.
   
4. Brush each stick with egg white and sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds. 
   
5. Bake at 175 degrees Celsius FF for 20 minutes or until golden. 

For the salted olive oil tongues:

1. Divide the dough into 8-10 balls.
   
2. Dust your bench with flour regularly as you go and roll each ball in one direction using a rolling pin until you have a long and thin tongue shaped cracker. Lift, dust and roll to prevent the dough from sticking. 
   
3. Place on greased oven trays.
   
4. Brush with plenty of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt flakes.
   
5. Bake at 175 degrees C, FF for around 10 minutes. 

For the poppy and linseed crackers: 

1. Knead the poppy seeds into the dough.
   
2. Halve the dough and roll thinly (around 1mm).
   
3. Sprinkle on half the linseeds, grind pepper over the top and roll again to embed the seeds and spice into the dough.
   
4. Cut into squares or rounds using a knife, or a good ravioli cutter for an interesting edge. 
   
5. Transfer to greased baking trays.
   
6. Bake at 175 deg C FF until golden – around 10 minutes.

To make the dips:

1. Peel the cooled beetroot and cut into large cubes.
   
2. For each dip place all the ingredients into the small bowl of a food processor and whiz until smooth and combined. 
   
3. Add extra lemon juice to taste and if the dip is too firm, add a little hot water to loosen it.
   
4. Taste as you go and adjust salt and pepper. 
   
5. Serve the beetroot, tahini and walnut dip with a drizzle of walnut oil, and a few nuts.
   
6. Serve the beetroot and white bean dip with a little olive oil, small cubes of cooked beetroot and pomegranate seeds.
   

Tips:

• Crackers can be made in advance but always taste best the fresher they are. 
  
• Feel free to make you own variation by adding different seeds, herbs and spices such as fennel, black sesame, caraway, or cumin for instance.
  
• The grissini are particularly good wrapped in a good pancetta or prosciutto.

Olive oil tongues inspired by Ottolenghi.