Fancy 'Cue: Grilled Peaches + Crottin, Walnuts, & Truffle Honey

Pitted Fresh Peaches, Photo: NK  

Stone Fruit. 

Stars of summer. 

Making sweet and savory dishes everywhere that much more sumptuous...

like our Apricot Frangipane Tart
or Stone Fruit, Burrata, Prosciutto & Arugula Salad. 

Today's subject? 

Juicy and ripe Peaches.

Together with just a few other high quality ingredients, these beauties make one striking and simple grill-able side-dish. All in under twenty minutes.

Elegance has never been so easy.

Let's get to work:

Grilled Peaches with Crottin, Walnuts & Truffle Honey

Serves 3-4 as a Side Dish 

Ingredients:

Photo: NK   

3 Medium-sized Ripe Peaches, sliced in half and pitted.

3.5 Ounces Goat Cheese, room temperature (we like Crottin).

1/3 Cup Walnuts, chopped

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, for brushing

Salt and Pepper

Regular Honey or Truffle Honey, for drizzling

Method:

1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. 

2. Brush cut side of each Peach half with Olive Oil and then sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. 

Truffle Honey, Photo: NK 

3. Grill Peaches cut side down for 10-12 minutes on the hot part of the grill. Don't attempt to move them during the cooking or they will stick. They will release more easily once true grill marks appear. When ready to remove Peaches, you may need to help them off just a bit using a metal spatula. You can also grease the grill grates with oil if you prefer.

4. Arrange Peaches on serving plates and spoon about a heaping teaspoon of Goat Cheese into the middle of each Peach half.

5. Sprinkle with chopped Walnuts and a bit more Salt and Pepper. 

6. Finish by adding a few drizzles of Truffle Honey or Regular Honey across each Peach.

Grilled Peaches with Crottin Goat Cheese, Chopped Walnuts, and Truffle Honey, Photo: NK 

7. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream, Photo: NK 

See? 

Even the easiest summer dishes can be absolutely sublime when super-fresh fruits are involved.

Just like this gorgeous Strawberry Pie made by my mom-in-law. 

The recipe, passed down through generations, originated from Sarah Gibbs of Pomeroy, Ohio. 

Delicious and simple never go out of style.

A Luxe Hors D'Oeuvre - The Perfect New Year's Party Offering

With 2011 drawing to a rapid close, we here at NK are getting ready to face the sobering reality of New Year's resolutions. Among other goals, we'll be trying to shave off some of those extra holiday pounds and attempting to return to our usual frugal approach to elective spending. After a solid month of revelry and excess - two of my favorite pastimes - we hope to tighten our belts in more ways than one.


But New Year's Eve is just one of those nights that calls for celebration. For me, that means special food.


Even if your holiday dinner or evening plan is intended to be easy on the wallet, I am a big believer in including, if you can, one item that just feels luxurious. If you are attending or hosting a budget-friendly NYE party in the home, why not create one lovely hors d'oeuvre that befits this special night? 


For us, this year's "special bite" will be Truffle Tremor, Hot Soppressata and Pepper Jelly Crostini. 
I love this hors d'oeuvre because it combines humble and luxurious ingredients to create a very unique and delicious taste. The result will be a peppery, smoky, sweet, and savory bite that always gets raves.  

Truffle Tremor, Soppressata and Pepper Jelly Crostini, Photo: NK

Truffle Tremor is a wonderful aged goat cheese from a company called Cypress Grove. Flecked with black truffles, this creamy, slightly salty chèvre is really something to talk about. It is mouthwatering on its own with just a piece of crusty bread, which was how I first experienced it a year ago. After a few bites, I found myself scouring the web for ways to put it in a more complex dish. Finally, I happened upon a Truffle Tremor crostini recipe on www.denverpost.com.


Below is NK's slight adaptation on this luxurious party app that is sure to wow! 


Truffle Tremor, Hot Soppressata and Pepper Jelly Crostini 
Adapted from The Denver Post
Serves 6 - 8


Ingredients:
One foot-long baguette sliced in to 1/4 inch pieces 
1/2 pound Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor Cheese (chilled for easy slicing)
1/4 pound thin-sliced Hot Soppressata, rounds cut down the middle into half moons
1 Jar Red Pepper Jelly - we prefer Stonewall Kitchen brand: Check them out here
A handful of Baby Arugula or other spicy flavored micro greens (optional)
White or Black Truffle Oil (optional)


Method:
Slice your bread. 
Toast it, or if using optional Truffle Oil, brush the bread with Oil before toasting, finishing with a very light sprinkle of Sea Salt. 
Remove cheese from the fridge and cut off the back portion of the rind for easier slicing. 
Warm a flat edged knife in a cup of hot water and cut thin, triangular slices of cheese. Wipe your knife and rewarm in water between each slice. 
Note: If slicing proves difficult or cheese breaks apart, feel free to let it come to room temperature and spread it/press it onto the bread - it will be just as tasty! 
Place a triangle of cheese in the middle of your bread round.
Place two half moon pieces of soppressata onto the cheese folded in half, or in whatever formation looks nice, pressing the pointed edges into the cheese to affix. 
Pop in a few arugula leaves (to enhance the spicy flavor and for color).
Dot with red pepper jelly to taste.  

Pepper Jelly pictured with beautiful
handmade napkins from Boxwood Linen
Check Boxwood Out Here Photo: NK

Serve and Enjoy.


Happy New Year to you and yours from NK!