This one is doing my head in...
It could be a leading simile with a small fruit, answer being a definition of course.
Leading similes:
Head
First
Front
Top
Atop
Major
Star
With small fruit:
Apple
Cherry
Grape
Currant
Orange
Pear
Berry
Or it could be a double def of leading and small fruit course, maybe a fruit meal?
Or it could be a word meaning leading that is a combination of a small fruit simile and course simile. I don't think it is this way because of the word 'with'
I've gone through so many options. Any other letters yet?
The closest I've got is front runners (Leading:Front small fruit course - runners loosely runners are a ' course for vine fruits and veges. ) but thats not it.