Aspen Cranberry Walnut Pesto with Goat Cheese

This is the definition of a perfect little bite.  Sweet cranberries, fresh basil a punch of garlic and smooth goat cheese (chevre for my foodie friends)  Particularly nice with a little bubbly, this is a re-creation of an hors d'oeuvre from the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.  A few quick snaps of the event:

  

Sun, food, wine, mountains.

 

Amazing.

Now let's get to the pesto

Enough for about 25 crostini or crackers


1 clove garlic
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup fresh basil
¼ walnuts
½ grated parmesan or grana padano cheese
¼ extra virgin olive oil
pinch red pepper flake
½ cup goat cheese


1. Pulse garlic, basil in food processor until finely diced.  Add cranberries, walnuts and red pepper flake and pulse until ingredients are incorporated but still chunky.

2.  Place mixture into a medium sized bowl and stir in cheese and oil.

3.  Spread about a teaspoon of goat cheese on a piece of crostini or cracker and top with pesto.

Enjoy!  More Aspen recipes to come!
MJM

Ricotta Pecorino Spread

On a cracker, crostini or cucumber slice; pretzels, pitas or peppers.  Add a little or alot to a bowl of macaroni or layer between your lasagna noodles and enjoy the magic.  This is a simple alternative to store bought, (ahem) junk. 

A little lesson first.  I can't help myself.  Ricotta means, re-cooked.  It is traditionally made by re-cooking the whey leftover from sheep's milk cheese making.  This is generally hard to come by unless you have access to a dairy farm or sheep.  I don't.  Here's the short cut:

Ricotta
Yields about 2 cups

7 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream½ tsp salt
6 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1. In a nonreactive pot (anything but aluminum), add milk, cream and salt.

2. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and heat until it reaches 190° on a thermometer.  Do not boil or you will scorch the liquid. 

3. Once it hits 190°, remove pot from heat add lemon juice.  Stir once to incorporate then leave, undisturbed for about 10 minutes.

4. In the meantime, line a colander with 3 layers or so of cheesecloth or if you have a clean flour sack towel, that will work, too.

5.  After 10 minutes, drain mixture into colander.  Allow to drain completely; occasionally lifting colander to be sure whey is draining.  Leave it be for an hour.

6.  Once it's drained.  You're ready to transform into a spread or use as is.  Turns out this freezes well, too.  Make a larger batch and pop into small freezer bags for future use.

Finally, Ricotta Pecorino Spread

1-2 cups fresh ricotta
1 cup grated Pecorino cheese
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt, black pepper to taste
Pinch red pepper flake


1.  Combine all ingredients until fully incorporated.  Spread onto crostini


2. Topppers:  smoked sea salt, thinly sliced prosciutto, radish wedge, a sliced cherry tomato, small basil leaf, drizzle of balsamic...make it your own.


Enjoy!