Goat Cheese & Fig Bruschetta

Toasted walnut bread spread with soft, tangy goat's cheese and topped with slices of ripe fig, a drizzle of honey and a few thyme leaves. The cheese is creamy and slightly sharp against the sweet, jammy fruit, and chopped toasted walnuts add crunch and a gentle bitterness. A twist of black pepper brings everything together into a lovely sweet-savoury bite.

It's served as three pieces on a slate with a handful of dressed rocket and a few extra walnut halves. It's an elegant starter, especially in late summer and autumn when figs are at their best. Of our bruschette, this is the sweet-leaning, cheeseboard-style one, made on nutty walnut bread instead of plain toast.

• What's inside: walnut bread, soft goat's cheese, fresh figs, honey, toasted walnuts, thyme, black pepper; rocket
• Flavour: sweet, tangy, nutty
• Portion: three bruschette, a starter for one
• Served: at room temperature, on a slate with rocket
• Goes well with: a Pear Fruit Spritzer or a Rooibos Vanilla Herbal Tea