Recipes: Mango Chutney Cheese Ball - Creamy Pesto Cheese Torte with Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam - Creamy Smoked Salmon & Ancho Chili Spread - Warm Tart Cherry Brie with Apples and Rosemary - Havarti Cheese Ball - Ginger Wasabi Chicken Salad - Meatballs with Hot Pepper Jelly - La Tur Cheese Two Ways - Buttermilk Blue Cheese and Cranberry Spread - Warm Brie with Wild Main Blueberry Jam - Warm Brie with Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam - Pine River Swiss Almond Cheese Ball

Wow!  It was great hearing customers tell me they've prepared the recipes I've sampled out and that they were a hit with family and freinds.  I even had a couple of husbands tell me their wives prepared a few recipes and they enjoyed them.  It seems the Hibiscus, Warm Brie and Almond Crostini was very popular and a number of customers asked me for more jars.  THANK YOU one and all!  It makes me happy to know that the sampling is helping you with party ideas.

I had a difficult time keeping food samples on the table, but did my best.  When what I prepared was gone I swtiched to a Warm Bries.  Those are very easy to do on the spur of the moment.

Recipes from this weekend follow.  They were all enjoyed, but a few were runaway favorites.

The first favorite was Mango Chutney Cheese Ball, a recipe I adapted from Stonewall Kitchen's Major Grey's Chutney Cheese Spread.  This was not only delicous, but the PERFECT pairing for Coppola's Sofia Rose.  It was also nice with Coppola's Sofia Riesling.

Mango Chutney Cheese Ball

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. shredded Adam’s Reserve 
     Sharp cheddar cheese

2 Tbl. diced red onion

½ tsp. Madras curry powder

¼ c. Stonewall Kitchen 
     Mango Chutney

TFM Honey Roasted Cashews, chopped

TFM Original Entertainment Crackers

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except cashews and crackers.  Mix until well blended.  Form into two cheese balls.  Cover and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, roll cheese balls in cashews.  Place on serving plate.  Serve with Entertainment crackers.

Yields:  2 cheese balls

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The next customer favorite was from Earth & Vine using Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam.  The product was not on the store shelves during my tasting, but by the time I left Fresh Market the truck had arrived and the shelf was fully stocked. (You can find Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam in the section with the mustard.  Next to Mint Jelly.)  This recipe was a crowd pleaser when I did it August.  It just screamed "Holidays!" to me so I had to do it again.  Creamy Pesto Cheese Torte with Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam.

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This time every year The Fresh Market has a recipe booklet for Easy Holiday Recipes, December 2013.  I prepared two recipes from that booklet.  I had to prepare this first one because it uses Earth & Vine's Red Bell Pepper and Ancho Chili Jam.  (Yes, I do enjoy that product.)  This was the PERFECT pairing for Clos du Bois Chardonnay.  Enjoyed by everyone!

Creamy Smoked Salmon & Ancho Chili Spread
8 oz. TFM cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ c. Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
3 oz. smoked salmon, roughly chopped
3 Tbl. Earth & Vine Red Bell Pepper & Ancho Chili Jam
1 pkg. TFM Seed Overload Lavash Crackers
1 Tbl.  chives, finely chopped

Mix together cream cheese, Fage Greek Yogurt, cracked pepper and Red Bell Pepper & Ancho Chili Jam until thoroughly combined.  Gently fold in smoked salmon.  Spoon a samall amount of cream cheese mixture on crackers and place each cracker on a serving try.  Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Yields:  4 to 6 servings

For this recipe I suggest you increase the amount of chives.  I found 1 tablespoon was not enough.

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The following recipe is also from the Fresh Market recipe booklet, Easy Holiday Recipes, December 2013. 

Warm Tart Cherry Brie with Apples & Rosemary

1 (13.2 oz.) wheel of Brie, room temperature

2 Tbl. TFM Canola Oil

1 Honeycrisp apple or tart crisp apple of your choice, 
     peeled, cored and diced

1 c. Terrapin Ridge Farms 
     Tart Cherry Apple Rosemary Glaze

2 Tbl. fresh rosemary, chopped and divided

½ c. pecans, coarsely chopped

Wildly Delicious Sea Salt - Lemon & Thyme

1 pkg. TFM Seed Overload Lavash Crackers

Using a  serrated knife, remove the rind form top of brie wheel and discard.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat for 2 mintues.  Add oil and swirl to coat.  Add apples and cook until they begin to brown slightly, about 2 - 3 minutes.  Add Terrapin Ridge Apple Glaze, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, and pecans; stir to combine.

Allow mixture to come to a low boil then remove from heat.  Place Brie on a serving platter and pour warm sauce down over the Brie.  Garnish with remaining rosemary and sprinkle with Lemon & Thyme Sea Salt.  Serve with apple slices and TFM Seed Overload Lavash Cracker.

Yields:  6 to 8 servings

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With all the sampling I'm doing, I find that customers not only enjoy recipes that are easy to prepare, but they like cheese balls and spreads.  So I give you ...

Havarti Cheese Ball
16 oz. cream cheese, softened

8 oz. Castello Havarti with Herbs and Spices, shredded

½ c. grated Parmesan Reggiano

4 oz. hard salami, diced

½ c. TFM Red Pepper Stuffed Green Olives, diced

Sliced almonds, toasted

TFM Original Entertainment Crackers

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except almonds and crackers.  Mix until well blended.  Form into two cheese balls.  Cover and refrigerate. 

When ready to serve, roll cheese balls in almonds.  Place on serving plate.  Serve with Entertainment crackers.

When I prepared this recipe I tasted it for seasoning and balance.  It was tasty.  However, after sitting overnight, I thought the green olives were a little over powering.  For me personally, I'd decrease the amount of green olives.  Maybe 1/4 to 1/3 cup.  Customers didn't comment on the green olive flavor, but did say they enjoyed the cheese ball.

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I don't know about you, but I needed a change of pace from cheese (and cream cheese).  I adaped the following recipe from Robert Rothschild's Cucumber Canape with Ginger Wasabi Tuna Salad.   Customers enjoyed this. 

Ginger Wasabi Chicken Salad

12 oz. (from) TFM Rotisserie Chicken, 
     chopped

¾ c. Robert Rothschild Farm 
     Ginger Wasabi Sauce

¾ c. diced celery

½ c. diced red onion

¼ c.  mayonnaise

3 oz. crystalized ginger, diced

Sesmark Rice Crackers 

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except ginger. Mix until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, place chicken salad on each cracker.  Put cracker on serving platter.  Garnish each cracker with crystalized ginger.

I modified this recipe, slightly, from Stonewall Kitchen's Major Grey's Chutney Cheese Spread.   To see the original recipe you can go to their website.

Robert Rothschild Ginger Wasabi Sauce (located with the canned tuna) is quite tastey.  I could see myself using it as a change of pace from cocktail sauce for shrimp.  However, I would have enjoyed a little more wasabi flavor (as a few of my customers also commented).  My suggestion, if you enjoy wasabi, add some Wasabi paste to the mayonnaise befroe mixing it in to the salad.  Also, if you are prepare this ahead of time and put it on the crackers, place a piece of lettuce on the cracker and then the chicken salad.  If the chicken salad sits on the cracker for a long period of time, the rice crackers lose their crunch.

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Sticking with the "I need a break from all things cheese", I prepared a Stonewall Kitchen recipe for meatballs.  Very easy and quick to prepare.

Meatballs with Hot Pepper Jelly
1 (16 oz.) pkg. Bove's frozen Italian Meatballs, defrosted
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Hot Pepper Jelly

Preheat oven to 350^o.

Place all ingredients in an oven proof bowl/dish.  Heat in oven until meatballs are heated through, approximately 20 to 30 minutes.  Transfer to a serving dish.  Serve.

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With the cheese case looking so amazing, I continuallybrowse it to see what's new.  La Tur Alta Langa caught my eye because its packaged like a cupcake.  I first sampled this at Fresh Market, Parham.  La Tur is a cow, sheep and goats milk cheese with a neutral flavor. 

La Tur Cheese 2 Ways

#1 - Plain and simple
       1 La Tur cheese
       1 jar Stonewall Kitchen 
            Hot Pepper Peach Jam

Spread some jam on a serving plate.  Place cheese on top of jam.  Spread remaining jam (to taste) on top of cheese.  Serve.

#2 - Basil Pesto and 
       Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

       2 containers Cibo Basil Pesto

       1 jar Stonewall Kitchen 
            Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

       1 La Tur Cheese

Place cheese on a cutting board.  Starting at the top make three horizontal slices, giving you four slices of cheese.  Place bottom slice of cheese on a serving plate.  Spread with Basil Pesto.  Top with second slice of cheese.  Spread top of second cheese slice with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.  Top with third slice of cheese.  Spread with Basil Pesto. Top with last slice of cheese.  Top with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.  Serve.

La Tur is a soft cheese.  I found the best way to slice it horizontally was using thread.  After I pulled the thread through the cheese I used a spatula to remove the slice. 

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Buttermilk Blue Cheese and Cranberry Spread

8 oz. Buttermilk Blue Cheese

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Orange Cranberry Marmalade

½ c. pecans, chopped

1 c. dried cranberries

¾ c. smoked almonds, chopped

1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and sliced

Place blue cheese, cream cheese, and marmalade in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix until well blended.  Mix in pecans and cranberries.  Spread cheese mixture on each apple slice and place on a serving plate.  Garnish with smoked almonds.  Serve.

This recipe was ... let's just say Nicole (cheese specialist) saved it by suggesting I serve it on apple slices. Great idea!  I could use a break from crackers.  Most customers enjoyed this with few "this is interesting" comments thrown in.  If you enjoy blue cheese, this might be for you.  P.S.  don't ask me why I used two types of nuts.  IDK.

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 Everyone seems to enjoy baked and warm Brie at the holidays.  I also needed a party idea that I could sample last minute.  Hence the next two recipes.

Warm Brie with Wild Main Blueberry Jam
1 small Ile de France wheel of Brie
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen 
     Wild Main Blueberry Jam
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
½ c. coarsely chopped salted cashews
Wildly Delicous Sea Salt - 
     Lemon & Thyme

Preheat oven to 400^o.

Cut top off Brie and place brie on a baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated  oven for 5 to 6 minutes to soften*.  Remove from oven and  place on a serving dish.  Top with cashews.  Spread jam over top.  Garnish with thyme leaves and sea salt.  Serve.

*If you leave this in the oven too long the Brie will ooze all over.

The flavor on this was fun and yummy.  Customers preferred this over the three Bries I prepared. It had layers of flavor - sweet blueberries, savory thyme, and a touch of salt.   The sea salt gives it a nice little crunch and played well with the sweetness of the jam and creaminess of the Brie.

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Warm Brie with Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam
1 small Ile de France wheel of Brie
1 jar Stonewall Kitchen 
     Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam
1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 400^o.

Cut top off Brie and place brie on a baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated  oven for 5 to 6 minutes to soften*.  Remove from oven and  place on a serving dish.  Top with almonds.  Spread jam over top.  Serve.

*If you leave this in the oven too long the Brie will ooze all over.

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Last is a stand-by for when I was out of samples.  It was definitely a grab and go.

Pine River Swiss Almond Cheese Ball

1 container Pine River 

     Swiss Almond Cheese

¾ c. sliced almonds, toasted

Remove cheese from container and shape into a ball.  Roll in almonds.  Place on serving dish.  Serve.