Recipe: Savory Cheesecakes

With holiday entertaining looming in the no-so-distant future, it's time to gather ideas for sharable party foods that will impress.  Our savory cheesecake recipes are a sophisticated alternative to traditional party dips. Served with crackers of any kind, they make a beautiful presentation.  The corn relish cheesecake has a bit of a spicy kick to it, while the tomato artichoke version is milder with a creamy richness.

CORN RELISH SAVORY CHEESECAKE

• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Cherith Valley Hot 'n Spicy Corn Relish
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 green onions (tops only), chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Cream together cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
2. Stir in next 4 ingredients.
3. Pour into well-greased 6-inch springform pan or oven safe baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees fro 45-60 minutes, until center is firm.
5. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
6. Serve with corn chips or crackers.

Artichoke Tomato Bruschetta Savory Cheesecake

• 10 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 jar Elki Artichoke Tomato Bruschetta
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Beat cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
2. Stir in bruschetta and cheese.
3. Place in a 6-inch spring form pan or in a small baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes, until center is firm.
5. Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit for an hour in the oven with door closed.
6. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and chopped red bell pepper.
7. Serve with crackers.

Recipe: Owl's Brew Bramble Brew

Cool off this Labor Day weekend with a simple, refreshing cocktail from The Owl's Brew.  We love the mason jar serving suggestion.  Makes for a casual, fun presentation!  Make this brew in a clear pitcher for maximum impact!

Owl's Brew Bramble Brew Cocktail

• 4 oz. Pink & Black Owl's Brew

• 2 oz. Tequila

• Fresh raspberries and/or strawberries

1. Muddle fresh raspberries & strawberries in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add Owl's Brew & Tequila
3.  Shake & pour over ice
4. Garnish with fresh mint (optional)

Recipe: Fresh Fig Toasts with Lemony Goat Cheese & Raw Honey

It's that time again...fig season!  I have a fig tree in my backyard and grew up with one in my backyard as well.  Both of them were planted by a previous homeowner.  Some family members see the fig tree as a nuisance - if you don't harvest the ripe fruits daily, they will rot, smell a bit strong, and attract lots of insects.  My fiancee went as far as to attempt to have it cut down.  But the arborist we hired refused to chop it...too fine a specimen!  And with that, I'm determined to eat and give away as many figs as possible.  

This fig toast includes the essential fig pairings: goat cheese and honey.  But I tried to mix it up a bit by infusing the goat cheese with lemon juice and adding a brush of lavender olive oil, leftover from a spring fruit salad.  A series of small toasts can be served as an appetizer for sharing, or a single slice of artisanal bread can be served for breakfast with the same toppings.

Fresh Fig Toasts with Lemony Goat Cheese & Raw Honey

• 10-12 fresh figs
• 3-4 slices of a fresh baguette or bread of your choice
• A L'Olivier Lavender Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 oz goat cheese
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Bee Raw Florida Orange Blossom Honey

1. Toast your bread slices.  Brush with lavender olive oil.
2. Slice fresh figs from top to bottom yielding 3-4 slices per fig and set aside.
3. Mix goat cheese and lemon juice.  (I softened my goat cheese in the microwave for about 25 seconds to make it easier to mix and spread.)
4. Spread goat cheese mixture onto each toast.  
5. Layer with fresh fig slices.  
6. Finish with a drizzle of raw honey.

Recipe: Grilled Sundried Tomato Pizza

Pizza on Friday was a regular occurrence during my youth. Sometimes we would buy it from a local pizza place, but most of the time my mom would make homemade pizza.  We loved it, especially in the summer because she hated to turn on the oven, so she would use the grill. Grilled Pizza, has been a family tradition for 20+ years and is probably one of my most favorite meals.

There is just something about the crust with a grilled pizza... it's crisp on the outside and the inside is nice and soft.  I also love the fact that you can make them personal sized, so everyone can pick their own toppings.

This type of pizza is perfect for a party. My favorite house party I gave was a grilled pizza party. I set the table with all different sauces, cheese and toppings.  My guests picked what they wanted and when the dough was ready on the grill they added it to the pizza.  It was interactive and fun!

Friday is coming… Get ready and grill!

Grilled Pizza

• 14 oz favorite pre-made dough (room temperature)
• Olive Oil
• Mozzarella (I used Smoked Mozzarella)
• Favorite toppings (I used La Medina Pomodoraccio Semi-Sun-Dried Tomatoes from our shelves at The Savory Pantry) 

1. Preheat your grill on high (make sure the grates are clean)
2. Take half the dough and stretch it to the thickness you like your pizza, if you like really thin pizza I recommend using a rolling pin.  
3. Add pizza directly onto the grates of the grill and shut lid, at this time turn down the temperature to medium.  The bottom of the pizza will start getting brown and releasing from the grates (about 5 minutes), once the bottom half is light brown(or a bit on the dark side if you like a nice crunch), flip the pizza dough.  
4. Brush with olive oil then add sauce, toppings, and cheese. Shut the lid and turn your grill to low. (For the pizza in the pictures, I made an impromptu sauce with a few semi-sun-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic in a food processor and topped with whole sun dried tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and basil.)
5. Check it after 5 minutes.  If the bottom is brown and the top is not melted yet, shut off the grill and close the lid for an additional 3 minutes. 
6. Slide your pizza from the grill to your plate and enjoy!

Derby Days: The Preakness

Steeped in tradition, The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of The Triple Crown.  First run in 1873, this storied race has been run every year since 1909 at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course.    

Baltimore is a food lover's paradise, and, being on The Chesapeake Bay, crab is abundant!  Our Preakness celebrations always include Maryland Blue Crab Dip.  Our favorite recipe is adapted from The Brown-Eyed Baker.  If available, use fresh backfin Maryland Blue crab!  

THE HAT

"Bianca" Hat from Christine A. Moore Millinery - The Official Milliner of The Breeder's Cup! CLICK HERE to visit Christine's website and view her stunning collection of extraordinary race day hats!

THE COCKTAIL

The blanket of Black-Eyed Susan's that adorns the winner's neck is the inspiration for the official race-day cocktail, The Black Eyed Susan. The drink, unlike the flower, is always in season!

Black Eyed Susan

(the official cocktail of The Preakness)

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup crushed ice

• 1 ounce vodka

• 1 ounce light rum

• 1/2 ounce Triple Sec

• 2 ounces unsweetened pineapple juice

• 2 ounces orange juice

• Lime slice and pitted sweet dark cherry (we love these Woodford Cherries)

Place desired amount of ice in a rocks glass. Pour vodka, rum, Triple Sec and juices into glass. Stir; serve with a lime slice and cherry.