Fancy cheese = party, with a recipe for Goat Cheese with Pepper Jelly thrown in there

This is one of those "not really a recipe but just kind of a cool thing you do" posts, and a commandment to you to go throw a cheese party. Really, go do it right now. I was invited by a few friends to a fancy cheese party, and let me tell you, cheese brings people together. Surprisingly, everyone has an opinion about cheese, and more people than you would think have a particular type of cheese they're really particular about. You'll probably get a great combination of hard and soft, foreign and domestic, subtle and sharp, etc. Great times will be had by all.

Just tell everyone to bring their favorite cheese, you provide some bread, crackers, and fruit, and you've got a party. I decided to bring a log of goat cheese with red pepper jelly. I love the combination of the tangy cheese with the sweet, slightly spicy jelly. It also works really well with jalapeno jelly, or if you are lucky enough to live close to a Foster's Market, a bottle of their amazing Seven-pepper jelly.

There really isn't much to this. Just get some fresh goat cheese and serve it with the jelly. There. That was the recipe. Awesome. Just little tricks, though. You can slice the cheese with some unflavored, unwaxed dental floss (I keep a spool in my kitchen). I think it is best served with a fresh, crusty baguette, but you go do whatever you want. Just have your party now. Your life will be better.

Insalata Caprese Crostini (aka, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil on Toast)

I realize I have a very similar recipe on the site already, but it's summer and the tomatoes are straight from heaven (via the dirt of North Carolina's local farms), and I can never get enough fresh mozzarella (especially when it comes from the farmer's market, and you're kind of scared of touching it because it's so soft and creamy), and this one has bread involved, which is amazing, so it's different. I don't care.

At the farmer's market, Hollywood just got a grab bag of different varieties of tomatoes, so I have no idea what kinds we actually ended up using, but having a slightly different color and flavor on each slice was kind of fun. Whatever kind you use, make sure it's ripe and fresh and divine, and you'll be fine.

Some people would have put balsamic vinegar on this dish. I'm told that such is horribly inauthentic (I personally don't care a thing about authenticity), but I really think it isn't needed. The simplicity of this dish really brings out the freshness and quality of the ingredients, so a super-strong flavor like that would be too much, I think.

Insalata Caprese Crostini (aka, Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil on Toast)

for the crostini

• 1 fresh, French baguette, sliced about 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal
• extra virgin olive oil

for the salad

• Fresh, ripe, firm, amazing tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella
  
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Heat the oven on broil. Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet, and brush the tops with olive oil. Broil for a few minutes (maybe 3 -5, depending on your oven), until the tops are golden and crispy, but the interior is still soft.

Cut the tomatoes in half, then slice them into half-circles. Cut the mozzarella into similarly-shaped and -sized pieces. Top the bread with the tomato and cheese, then drizzle some more olive oil over top. Salt and pepper to taste.

Top each slice with the basil, and serve immediately (don't let them get soggy--the texture is half the fun).

Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella

While this is not nearly as much of a "recipe" as some posts on this blog, this colorful plate certainly does pack some punch when it comes to presentation. The simplicity of the flavor, color, and presentation really make this kind of a standout dish, and it so simple. The secret is all really in the quality of the ingredients: without fancy sauces or anything to hide behind, the quality of the tomatoes and cheese shines right on through. Go ahead and splurge a little on this one at the farmer's market or a high-end grocery store. You'll be happy you did.

It's great by itself, or you can serve it with some toasted bread drizzled with a little olive oil.


Tomatoes with Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients

• Fresh, slightly firm tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella (yes, it has to be fresh: there's a difference)
• Fresh basil leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper

Optional

• Toasted pine nuts
• Roasted red peppers
• Balsamic vinegar

(If you're using pine nuts: toast the nuts by placing them in a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat. Shake the pan regularly to mix them around, being very careful to not let them burn. Continue for a few minutes until both sides are golden brown. Remove from heat.)

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into me dium, even-sized slices. Layer alternately on a platter (if you're using red peppers, too, layer them in as well). Drizzle with the olive oil (and vinegar), then top with torn/chopped basil leaves (and pine nuts).

Pear - Gorgonzola Crostini

First of all, sorry for the rough picture: it was an emergency photo shoot in a low-light, party-in-progress situation. Don't let the picture sway you, these little bites are pretty awesome. The interplay between the tangy cheese, the sweet honey, the crunch in the walnuts and pear, the little zing of the olive oil: wow. I'm not gonna' lie, these were a last-minute idea. A quick search of Epicurious yielded a recipe for these zippy little crostinis. However, who in the world has figs? Well, I'm sure a lot of people do, but I didn't at the moment. I know that I like pears and gorgonzola, so a quick little substitution, and these bad boys were served. They're quite easy, and people liked them.


Pear and Gorgonzola Crostini

Ingredients

• 1 French baguette
• Olive oil for drizzling
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 - 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1 pear, cut thinly into small slices
• honey for drizzling

Slice the baguette on the diagonal into about 15 - 20 slices. Drizzle or brush with a little bit of olive oil, and toast in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes (maybe 6-7). In a bowl, break up the walnuts into small pieces and mix it together with the gorgonzola crumbles. Kind of smush it together a bit. Once the bread is done, place a spoonful of the cheese-nut mixture onto each slice. Place back in the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with the pear slices, and drizzle with the honey.