Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread

After a long hiatus, my book club finally starting meeting again. We hardly talk about the books we've read, but we have lots of awesome conversations, laughs, and wine. The hostess provides the drinks, and the guests bring an appetizer to share. I always have a hard time figuring out what to bring. I keep telling myself that I'll find some new appetizer recipes to try out so I'll stop making the same five things I always make, but it never happens.

Last night, I made one of my tried and true recipes, Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread with sliced apples. The spread may not look like much, but it's packed with flavor and is always a crowd-pleaser. Best of all, it easy to throw together.

Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread

Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (low-fat or regular works)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped small
4-5 oz crumbled blue cheese (the stinkier, the better)
coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper
crackers, crostini, or apples for serving

In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula until it's softened. Add the walnuts and mix. Season with salt and pepper and mix again.

Gently fold in the blue cheese crumbles. They should be mixed well, but try not to break them up too much.

Serve with crackers, crostini, or sliced apples (my favorite way).

This spread works best at room temperature but should be stored in the refrigerator. If you have refrigerated it, let it sit out on the counter for a bit before serving so it can soften up.

Apple slices in a water and lemon juice bath

* A tip for keeping your sliced apples from turning brown:

Fill a bowl about 3/4 of the way with cold water. Add about a tablespoon of lemon juice (fresh or bottled both work). As you slice your apples, add them to the bowl with the water/lemon juice mixture. Let them soak for a few minutes before draining the water. The acid in the lemon juice helps slow the browning of the apples.

Insalata Caprese - The Best Salad Ever!

My all-time favorite salad is the caprese. Maybe it's because I'm Italian. Maybe it's because it is so simple to make. No matter what the reason, this salad is unbelievably delicious.

Traditionally, caprese salads are made using thick slices of tomato, sliced rounds of fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled over the top.

Insalata Caprese - from Wikipedia

The way I make my caprese is a little different. It all started when my husband (then fiance) was in law school and I was the only one working (at a craptastic job). I never let myself buy fresh mozzarella, but I really wanted to make a caprese salad. I had some cherry tomatoes, some fresh basil, and . . . string cheese! Yup. String cheese. I sliced those cheese sticks into rounds, cut the tomatoes in half, and chopped up the basil. I topped it all with a few drizzles of olive oil and balsamic and gave everything a quick toss. I was a happy camper. The texture of the cheese wasn't right, but the flavor was good. I'd like to say that this was a one time deal, but I have to confess that I think I made it this way until we got real jobs and I let myself buy the right ingredients.

I have been buying real, fresh mozzarella to make my caprese salads for a few years now, but I still use cherry tomatoes and make it like a tossed salad.

Insalata Caprese

10 oz cherry or grape tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (measure after chopping)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Cut the tomatoes in half (lengthwise for grape tomatoes).

If you are using bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls), you can leave them whole or cut them in half or quarters. If you are using larger balls of fresh mozzarella, cut the ball down into pieces that are close to the same size as your tomatoes after slicing.

Tear, slice, or chop the basil.

Combine the chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything well.

You can eat the caprese right away, but it tastes better if you let it sit for a bit and let the flavors marry.

A Quick Tip For Chopping Basil

1: Remove the basil leaves from the stalks.

2: Stack the leaves, largest on the bottom. Work your way up to the smallest leaves. This step does not have to be neat and tidy. Just make sure you have the largest leaf on the bottom.

3: Roll the leaves up. Make sure the smaller leaves are covered as much as possible.

4: Start at one end of the basil roll. Make thin slices down the length of the roll.

5: You now have a bunch of basil ribbons, or a "chiffonade." Basil ribbons are beautiful, so you can stop here if you like.

6: To finish the chop, slice across the rolls of basil.