Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss.  Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

 

From Southern Living

Tip of the Week:  Upgrade the Classic Cheese Tray!

In the last tip, I shared my favorite dinner party plan that included suggestions for assembling a diverse cheese platter.  Taking the cheese platter a step further, I’ve recently been reading about interesting pairings for different types of cheeses and am excited to share these fun gourmet upgrades to the traditional cheese tray!

Pairings for Blue Cheese

• shavings of dark or milk chocolate
• honey and/or a honeycomb (Savanah Bee Company, Honeycomb Jar)
• nuts with a sweet coating like See’s Peanut Brittle or a combination of figs and walnuts

Pairings for Goat Cheese

• honey
• a sweet jam like Harvest Song’s Tea-Rose Petal Jam
• or a drizzle of fruity olive oil and fresh cracked pepper

Pairings for Triple Crème

• drizzle with balsamic vinegar, bake and serve warm (A great vinegar to try is the Cherry Balsamic Vinegar from Oliviers and Co.)

Pairings for Cheddar

• a jam like Stonewall Kitchen’s Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
• a wine jelly from Colorado Mountain Jams and Wine Jellies or red-pepper jelly

Pairings for Pecorino

• a honey mustard like this one sold by Bella Cucina

Pairings for Manchego

• an olive spread or tapenade like Olivade’s version
• or honey and almonds

Pairings for Parmesan

• an apricot fig chutney

Pairings for Feta

• tomato chutney such as the savory relish from Tait Farm Foods

Pairings for Camembert

• ripe Asian pears

Even if you just try one or two of these pairings at your next event, the results will be worth the effort and no one will consider your “cheese and crackers” ordinary!

• Rinse and hull two pints of strawberries.
• Fill a small serving bowl almost full with sour cream.
• Top off the sour cream with a thick layer of brown sugar

Serve the strawberries on a large platter with the sour cream bowl in the middle.

Guests will not believe what a GREAT combination this is!  If you’re skeptical, try it!

Do you have an appetizer you’d like to share, we’d love to hear!  Click below and send in your recipe!

Ingredients

• ½ cup sour cream
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms – chopped and sautéd in butter
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8-10 slices cooked, crumbled bacon

Directions

• Mix and scoop into oven proof dish
• Bake at 350 degrees farenheit for 20 minutes
• Serve with crackers

Ingredients

• 1 c. pitted green olives
• ¼ c. chopped onion
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. capers
• 2 t. lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• ¼ t. crushed red pepper
• 1 15 oz. package folded refrigerated unbaked pie crusts (2 crusts)
• Milk
• Sesame seeds

Directions

• Place the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and blend with on/off turns until the mixture is finely chopped.
• Unfold one crust on a lightly floured surface according to package directions.
• Spread ½ of the olive mixture evenly over the crust.
• Cut the pastry into 12 wedges (pizza style).
• Starting at the wide ends, loosely roll up wedges.  Place rolls tip sides down on a greased baking sheet.
• Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.
• Brush rolls with milk and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds.
• Make ahead tip: cover and chill up to 24 hours.