For those of you in the Northern Hemisphere bragging about sunshine, summer fruits, warmer weather and the renaissance of gin and tonic I have one thing to say to you - enjoy because it isn't going to last forever!

No, I'm not bitter and twisted at all, I'm just patiently biding my time.

So, now that we've got that out of the way I wanted to share with you this lovely dip that we often have in the warmer months with our evening aperittivi  - or apéritif or aperitivo depending where you're from. Hence, this soft white cheese and walnut dip works incredibly well with those Spicy Moroccan Olives I introduced you to just recently.

Soft White Cheese & Walnut Dip

Recipe adapted from Turquoise (2007)

Ingredients

250g goats milk fetta, crumbled

1 cup walnuts, shelled

4tbsp natural organic yogurt

½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Juice of half a lemon

2-3tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Place the shelled walnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5 -10 minutes or until golden. Once cool, chop the walnuts finely and then toss them in a sieve to remove any remaining skin.

2. Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mash together with a fork. Season to taste and serve with fresh crusty bread.