A simple Mediterranean shared board with crusty bread, tender white beans, leafy greens, and good olive oil. Comforting and elegant, it’s built with ingredients that shine alongside each other.

On Crete, a proper shared table often starts with good bread, a bowl of beans, greens picked that day, and olive oil poured generously. This tasting board is a relaxed way to enjoy those essentials together: not a starter, not quite a meal, but a board everyone reaches for.

Ingredients

• 1 tin (400g) white beans (such as cannellini or butter beans), drained and rinsed
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil (such as SPHERA), plus extra for drizzling
• 200 g mixed leafy greens (rocket, spinach, or chard)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 250 g crusty country-style bread
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the drained beans, season with salt and pepper, and cook gently for 3–4 minutes until heated through.
2. Remove from the heat and crush the beans lightly with a fork or the back of a spoon, mixing in half the remaining olive oil for creaminess.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the greens and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted. Drain well and dress with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
4. Toast the bread until golden. Rub each slice lightly with the cut side of the garlic clove while still hot.
5. Arrange the beans, dressed greens, and bread on a large serving board or platter. Set out the lemon wedges. Drizzle generously with more olive oil before serving.