new fave appetizer: red pepper jelly & goat cheese
This is easily my new favorite appetizer. My kids love it. My friends love it. My siblings love it. I love it. It stands to reason that you will love it, too.
Many times, the red pepper jelly ends up in its own special dish, alongside gently mounded goat cheese and just off the skillet, warmed pita wedges. But in the case of this picture, I was feeding a large crowd, so the whole jar made an appearance. I knew the whole jar would likely be consumed, and had other prep to attend to.
I love to make sauces and jellies on my own, but I also believe you don't always need to 'reinvent the wheel' so to speak. Stonewall Kitchen makes some brilliant condiments (not to mention a plethora of other goodies), so why not just use theirs? At times I bow over my spatula at someone---in this case Stonewall Kitchen---who has had a culinary triumph. And since I am not reinventing the red pepper jelly wheel, I can avert my culinary musings to the next palatial adventure.
It occurs to me---frequently---that food offers endless possibilities. My excitement rears its curious head: when I am trying a new technique with an already familiar vegetable, or as I walk through grocery aisles---only to find myself happily overwhelmed with the sheer volume of foods I have yet to try. When shimmying through a farmer's market, I find myself eyeballing all things seasonal, so fresh the dirt is still clinging... just one vegetable offers countless potential. I love to pay attention to food, to learn of its potential, to taste the wonders of what it can morph into---and I am not alone. How fun to think: some brilliant soul pioneered Red Pepper Jelly... how cool is that?
Red Pepper Jelly Appie
Red Pepper Jelly (I use Stonewall Kitchen) Goat Cheese (plain, peppered, you name it) Pita, warmed in skillet and snipped into triangles
This appetizer is straight forward: open jar of jelly, determine what dish to put it in, add a spoon if need be. Unwrap goat cheese, place in proximity to jelly. Warm sautee pan just above medium. Add a smidge of butter, if desired. I usually brush both sides of the pita with olive oil (often with herbs mixed in, maybe a pinch of salt). Then sautee each side until lightly browned. Cut into wedges and serve. Oh, and I use the Greek kind of pita, it is a little thicker than the pocket style pita. My habit: smear some goat cheese on a warmed pita, top with same amount of the jelly, open mouth wide and insert your new favorite appetizer.
