Blue Cheese with Candied Pecans and Blackberries
Roasted Vegetable and Cannellini Bean Dip with Crostini
Parmesan Crackers with Thyme and Black Pepper
Blue Cheese with Candied Pecans and Blackberries
These candied pecans take little time or effort to make and add an elegant touch to a cheese plate. I love the combination of tangy blue cheese with something sweet, blackberries in this case, with something crunchy, candied pecans. Depending on the time of the year I use different cheeses, different nuts and a different source of sweetness- sometimes honey or a good jam. There are endless combinations.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pecan halves
- 1 egg white
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, gently toss together all of the ingredients and spread out on an unlined baking sheet. Bake the pecans for 20 to 25 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown. Use a metal spatula to toss the nuts half way through baking. Allow the nuts to cool completely on a clean plate, then transfer to an airtight glass jar. These nuts will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Roasted Vegetable and Cannellini Bean Dip with Crostini
This dip is actually better if made a day ahead of time. The flavors seems to meld together better after an overnight visit in the fridge. The crostini, too, can also be made a day ahead of time and kept in an airtight container. That way everything is ready to go.
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, peeled and cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 small white onion, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons pepper
- 1 fifteen ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon to garnish
- 3-4 basil leafs, finely chopped to garnish
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a large baking sheet toss together the chopped eggplant, red and yellow bell peppers, and onion with the olive oil and half of the salt and pepper. Bake the vegetables for 35 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and let cool completely.
In a large food processor fitted with a steel blade, blend together the cannellini beans, roasted vegetables, garlic, remaining salt and pepper, tomato paste, and olive oil, until smooth. Taste for more salt and pepper.
Serve this dip in a small serving bowl and drizzle the remaining olive oil and chopped basil atop the dip. Place the dip in center of a large platter with the crostini arranged around it. You can make this dip a day or two ahead of time. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 french baguette
- extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the baguette about 1/3 inch thick at an angle. Arrange the bread slices on a large cookie sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp.
Parmesan Crackers with Thyme and Black Pepper
These bite size crackers are so easy to make and are absolutely delicious. Even better, when they are baking your home will be consumed with the fragrance of salty parmesan cheese. These crackers are perfect for entertaining because the dough can be made ahead of time (it will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months). I suggest baking these crackers just before guest arrive, so they too can enjoy the parmesan perfume.
Makes 40 small crackers
Ingredients
- 3 oz fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems and finely chopped
To make the dough, combine the butter, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and thyme in a medium size bowl. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and gently stir until just combined. Transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper, and shape the dough into a log (with either round or squared edges). Roll the dough tightly into the parchment paper, and tuck in the sides of the parchment paper, so that the dough is covered completely cover. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and large a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the refrigerated dough in the freezer for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/3 inch slices. Place the cracker slices 1 inch apart and bake for approximately 15 minutes, rotating the sheet pan half way through cooking. The crackers should be slightly golden brown. Remove the sheet pan with the crackers from the oven and allow the crackers to sit on the sheet pan for 1 minute, and then remove the crackers to a wire rack to cool completely.
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