as bottled marinara, barbecue sauce or anIndian-inspired chutney.
Drummond prefers to prepare theseappetizers in large batches, toss them intozip-close freezer bags and have them onhand to heat in the oven for unplannedgatherings. For instance, with two of herkids now in college, when they return home,it’s often with friends in tow.
The visual impact of appetizers isimportant, so Drummond chooses avariety of items, including an impressivelarge cheeseboard, something on toast,skewers, cold and hot options and smalldishes with condiments to spoon on top,such as cornichons, pickled onions, olivesand roasted vegetables. For vegetarianguests, “my all-time favorites are minipeppers stu;ed with herbed goat cheese,Boursin or cream cheese with ;nelychopped vegetables,” she says.
These easy tips can help treat you andyour guests to a relaxed get-together.
In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion,garlic, pepper and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Stir until combined andset aside.
In another bowl, combine the sour cream, minced dill, lemon zestand remaining 1 tsp sea salt. Stir until combined and set aside.
With a vegetable peeler, peel alternating strips from the fulllength of the cucumber. Use a sharp knife to cut 16 slices ofcucumber on a diagonal.
To assemble, spoon a dollop of the sour cream mixture on aslice of cucumber. Fold or roll a strip of salmon and place it onthe sour cream. And, finally, sprinkle on some of the seasoningmix. Arrange the cucumber bites on a platter and garnish themwith dill sprigs. Makes 16 bites.
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried minced garlic
½ tsp coarsely ground
black pepper
1 ½ tsp flaky sea salt, divided
¼ cup sour cream
1 Tbsp minced dill, plus
little sprigs for garnish
Zest of 1 lemon
1 long, skinny English
cucumber
1 ( 4 oz) package sliced
smoked salmon, cut into
16 strips
Smoked Salmon–Cucumber Bites
COSTCO
CONNECTION
The Pioneer WomanCooks: The New Frontier (Item #1345803) isavailable now in mostCostco warehouses.
Appetizers and ingredients can be foundin warehouses.
Groceries are alsoavailable for deliveryat CostcoGrocery onCostco.com.
In a food processor, combine the goatcheese, sour cream and salt. Processuntil smooth, about 30 seconds. Scoopthe mixture into 24 (or so) 1 Tbsp portionsand place them on a parchment-linedsheet pan. Transfer to the freezer to firmslightly, about 15 minutes. Use your handsto roll the goat cheese into neat balls.
Set them aside.
Place the sesame seeds and dill inseparate small bowls. In a third bowl, mixtogether the dried cherries and walnuts.
One at a time, drop 8 of the goat cheeseballs into the sesame seeds and rollaround to coat. Coat another 8 in thedill, and the remaining 8 in the cherry-nut mixture.
Place them on the sheet pan, then coverthem with plastic wrap and keep in thefridge. Transfer to a platter just beforeserving. Makes about 24 tru;es.
Recipes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The NewFrontier by Ree Drummond. Copyright © 2019 by ReeDrummond. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow,an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
16 oz plain goat cheese¼ cup sour cream½ tsp kosher salt¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted¼ cup minced dill
2 Tbsp finely chopped dried cherries
2 Tbsp finely chopped walnuts
Goat Cheese Tru;es
