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Thanksgiving 2017 Recap...

 

 

Thanksgiving 2017 was the best one yet...family and friends sitting around talking, eating and laughing...it just doesn't get much better than that! 

Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa...

I realize that a few of you might have already turned your noses up at the title of this post...but give me just half a minute to tell you that this salsa/dip, is not only different, but refreshing, bright, creamy, with nothing but flavor in every bite!  When Stella served this to us at our book club, (thanks Stella!) she described it as, "Just a fun dip!"  She wasn't kidding, it IS fun...so fun that you'll want to double the recipe...so fun you'll want to serve this tomorrow, so your guests can whet their appetites while the bird is finishing browning in the oven...so fun that you'll want to serve this on Saturday while your caveman is watching college football; he'll reach for a chip, stick it in the dip, put it in his mouth and pull a face because he was expecting something else, something less fun, and then he'll eat every drop and go for more.  Yes, even the mister, king of all things bland, thoroughly enjoyed every grape and pepper filled bite!

Did your mom make pepper jelly?  Mine did, we always seemed to have some in the pantry - or if mom didn't make it then one of our neighbors did, it was kind of a staple at our house.  The day after I made this for the first time, mom called to tell me she had just made pepper jelly...oh to have had a jar of hers!   So this starts with pepper jelly, but I was fresh out so I bought this Tabasco brand at Safeway, it is delish and not at all hot or spicy like you might think!  The pepper jelly is combined with lime juice, cilantro, green onion, bell pepper, and grapes!

 Everything is combined in one bowl - it's so colorful!  Really truly, this one is a keeper and worth FIVE dangs on the ol' Dang Meter - it will amaze you because it's got everything goin' on...crunchy, crispy, fresh, cool, peppery and then...then there's the creaminess of goat cheese!

The goat cheese is crumbled and added to the mix but it won't stay in pieces for long - it will melt into the most creamy of concoctions, combining with the juices, and this is when this salsa goes from ordinary to extraordinary.  If you don't like goat cheese, I suppose you could use Feta...or Gorgonzola...but I'm not suggesting either will taste as good...when it comes to this recipe, I'm sticking with the original, tinker if you must but I'm not budging when it comes to goat cheese!

Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa - Recipe from Southern Living, October 2012, via Stella Jones

This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups, do yourself and everyone at your house a favor and double it!

2 tablespoons pepper jelly (homemade or store bought)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 cup quartered seedless red grapes

1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely diced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 (4-oz.) package crumbled goat cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk together pepper jelly and lime juice.  Stir in grapes, bell pepper, green onions and cilantro.  Add goat cheese crumbles and stir, the cheese will begin to liquefy, with some pieces remaining.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  Serve with crackers, baguette slices, chips, whatever flutters your heart.  Serves 4 to 6.

 

Grape, Blue Cheese and Thyme Naan...

The mister is a simple man when it comes to food, he is truly happy when his plate is filled with his all of his favorites...boiled chicken, mashed potatoes, canned green beans and buttered Wonder Bread.  All lightly sprinkled with salt...no pepper, no sauce, no gravy, no flavor.  Feel free to saw ewwwwwwwww.  When I put this appetizer on his plate you would have thought I had slapped him - his head spun around in horror!  What is this crap?!?  He's such a smooth talker.  I explained to him that this was one of the best appetizers I had ever tasted and that he would love it and then the door bell rang and I left the mister in the kitchen brooding over his strange food.  When I walked back into the kitchen not only was his portion of the appetizer gone but mine as well! 

This is deceptively delicious.  I say deceptive because everyone I have served this to has asked what it was, being unable to tell by just looking.  When I told them, usually one of their eyebrows would go up as if to say, reeeeeally?!?  Could cooked Concord grapes with blue cheese on top be that good?? 

That would be a resounding YES!  Grapes cooked with Turbinado sugar, lemon peel, and a pinch of spices make the most delicious concoction!  The grapes are spread onto toasted store-bought Naan (or you could use toasted and buttered baguette slices) and Bleu cheese is crumbled over the top, along with fresh thyme...Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm good!!

This appetizer will kick off our T-Day feast, and when we go around the table to say what we're thankful for, I'll make sure I've got a huge bite of this in my mouth when I say I'm  thankful for delicious food.  Because I am and it seems to me it would be rude to say how thankful I am for food without having something delicious in my mouth!  Just so you know, Thanksgiving is the only time when one is allowed to talk with their mouth full since it is a day of non-stop eating. This is the perfect bite of Fall, for the entire Thankful Season really, and it can be served warm, at room temperature or even cold, straight from the fridge.  This one is dang good, worthy of company...just make sure your company is worthy of this!

Grape, Blue Cheese and Thyme Naan - Adapted From The New York Times

(The New York Times recipe included making the Naan from scratch - who has time for that?!?  Also, I reduced the water that was called for and upped the grapes from 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. because it just seemed like a good idea, and it was.)

1 package store-bought Naan (usually comes with 6 pieces)

 

For the topping:

2 lbs. seedless Concord black grapes

1 teaspoon ground star anise (I borrowed this from my neighbor who had it on hand but you can find it in Asian grocery stores)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Freshly cut zest of 1 lemon, in strips, as big as you can make them

2 tablespoons raw, demerara or turbinado sugar (or you can use brown sugar)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 cup Blue cheese crumbles

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium pan over medium-high heat, combine the grapes, star anise, cinnamon, 3/4 cup water, the lemon zest and sugar.  Cook for 13 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently and gently smashing the grapes with the back of a spatula until the consistency is jammy and the grapes have softened and begin to burst. Discard the lemon zest.  Remove a couple of tablespoons of liquid from the pan into a small ramekin, stir in the cornstarch until smooth, then add the cornstarch mixture back to the pan and mix well.  Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. 

Place 4 pieces of Naan onto two rimmed baking sheets, two on each sheet.  Spoon the grape mixture onto the center of each Naan, leaving about a 1/2-inch clear around the edges.  Brush the edges with olive oil.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and browned.  Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the blue cheese evenly over the top (a couple of tablespoons per Naan or to taste) so it starts to melt. Sprinkle with the thyme and let cool 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges.  Makes 8 servings.  Serve warm (preferably) or at room temperature.