Recipes: Roasted Garlic Onion Spread - Creamy Pesto Cheese Torte with Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chile Jam - Savory Coleslaw - Toasted Lemon Pound Cake with Hibiscus Mascarpone

Below are the recipes from my Labor Day weekend tasting (August 30th and 31st).  All were enjoyed by customers and are easy to prepare. 

I prepared Roasted Garlic Onion Spread for a prior tasting.  It was such a success I decided to serve it again.  Not only is it a nice starter for a party, but Stonewall Kitchen's Roasted Garlic Onion Jam would even be great by itself on burgers.

Roasted Garlic Onion Spread

1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. sour cream

1 c. smoked almonds, coarsely chopped

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well blended. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with almonds. Serve with crackers or TFM French Rounds.

I used a heavy hand on the  smoked almonds.  The combination of almonds with roasted garlic and onion was Mmmmm delicious.

For more recipes using Stonewall Kitchens Roasted Garlic Onion Jam go to their website.

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This is a recipe from Earth & Vine's recipe booklet.  Quite tasty and easy to prepare.  A definite crowd pleaser.
Creamy Pesto Cheese Torte with Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chile Jam

1 lb. cream cheese
½ c. butter, room temperature
1 c. pesto
½ c. toasted pine nuts
1 jar Earth & Vine Red Bell Pepper Ancho Chili Jam

Whip cream cheese and butter together until creamy.  Add pesto and pine nuts and mix until incorporated.  

Line a springform pan or cake pan with plastic wrap.  Press mixture into mold.  Cover and chill overnight.

Unmold torte on a plate large enough to fit with extra room around edges.  Top with Earth & Vine Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam.

Serve with TFM French Rounds or crackers.

Yield: 12 servings

This was THE hit of the tastings.  Delicious and easy to prepare. Customers could not stop raving about it and were telling each other, "you have to taste this."  Mark this as a keeper for the holidays.

For more recipes using Earth & Vine Red Bell Pepper Ancho Chile Jam go to their website.

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I adapted Savory Slaw from a Cuisine at Home recipe. Coleslaw reminds me of summer and grilling outside.  I had to include a recipe with Hatch Chiles today.  

Savory Slaw

½ c. mayonnaise

3 Tbl. fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes)

2 Tbl. honey

1 tsp. Kosher salt

¼ tsp. Instant Gourmet Grande Southwest seasoning

1 lb. pkg. coleslaw

3 to 4 Hatch Chiles, roasted, peeled, stemmed, and seeded

10 scallions, sliced

¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, salt, and Southwest seasoning together in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat.

Yields: 4 servings

As much as I wanted to do a recipe with Hatch chiles I was not able to use them.  This is another easy to prepare and tasty recipe. To prepare this when Hatch chiles are not in season, you can either leave them out (as I did) or substitue diced jalapenos.  

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Wine table with Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

Last we have dessert.  

Chef Fred presenting dessert.

Toasted Lemon Pound Cake with Hibiscus Mascarpone Topping

1 TFM Lemon Pound Cake

1 jar Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

8 oz. container Mascarpone

¼ c. butter

Drain Hibiscus flowers and reserve syrup.  Set flowers and syrup aside.

In small mixing bowl, add Mascarpone and 6 tablespoons Hibiscus syrup.  Stir unitl well blended. Set aside.

Slice pound cake into 9  slices.

In a hot, medium sauté pan, melt 1/2 to 1 tablespoon butter.  Add pound cake, without crowding pan.  Lightly brown cake and flip to brown other side.  Remove to a dish and repeat with remaining pound cake.

When all the pound cake has been toasted, put on individual serving plates.  Top with strawberries and Hibiscus Mascarpone.  Garnish with a Wild Hibiscus Flower.  Serve.

A simple dessert to prepare and quite tasty.  You may want to purchase 16 oz. of Mascarpone.  Then you can fill each Hibiscus flower garnish with a little Mascarpone and use the rest for Hibiscus Mascarpone topping.  I doesn't hurt to have additional delicious topping.

Lastly, I was not able to prepare Hatch Chile Mayonnaise or the Prosecco drink, so I do not have the recipes for this post.  I may do them at a later date.

Thank you to Stonewall Kitchen, Earth & Vine, and Wild Hibiscus for sending me recipe books, broccures and cards to give to customers.  When I decided to sample their products with my wine tastings I reached out to them.  I appreciate their support.