Herbed Garlic Cream Cheese

 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t do the entertaining that I used to. When the late Mr. O-P was still with us, we entertained every week. We didn’t always have big parties every week, but we did at least once a month. He was an avid cook, and did as much, if not more, of the cooking than I did, so it made entertaining a lot easier than it is for me today.

 

  Because I now host just one or two people at a time, I like to keep things on hand to serve with cocktails, or as a little evening snack. This includes crudités, fresh fruit, cornichons, a wide variety of olives (I have quite the collection), a wide variety of condiments (ask me about my mustard collection), crackers (they freeze beautifully, in case you were not aware), and this cream cheese spread.

Not only is this good with crudités and crackers, but it is also creamy enough to spread on a morning bagel, or use in a wrap-type sandwich. I often enjoy it on its own, using my made-for-one charcuterie board, a recent acquisition, and one that I absolutely love.

Herbed Garlic Cream Cheese

 1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

½ c. sour cream

3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1 t. Melissa’s minced garlic

½ - 1 t. fresh lemon zest

1½ t. dried oregano

1 t. dried parsley

¼ t. dried thyme

¼ t. dried dill weed

¼ t. dried basil

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 - ¼ t. Johnny’s Seasoning Salt

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl, and beat until creamy and well combined. Chill in refrigerator at least eight hours, preferably overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps refrigerated for one week.

 

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Pickled Asparagus

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I have long had an Etsy shop wherein I sell mystery and literary theme gifts and jewelry. Recently, ​​I decided to go out on a limb, and add some culinary offerings, including cocktail theme bracelets. They ended up being quite popular. So much so that I have been receiving requests. Where am I going with this, you ask? Hold on and I’ll tell you. A recent request was for a Bloody Mary theme bracelet. The requester mentioned a variety of things she would like on her bracelet to reflect the various garnishes in a Bloody Mary. One of the things she wanted was asparagus. I like a good Bloody Mary, but I’m not a Bloody Mary drinker, and I was trying to imagine how a piece of asparagus would be. Then, she educated me by telling me it was pickled. Pickled?! Now that interests me.

I am not a “pickler,” per se, but I do go wild for pickled onions, radishes, and green beans, so thought I would add this to my repertoire. As it turned out, I liked them a good deal, and plan to make more, changing up the recipe each time, adding more onions and more garlic, because they were such delicious additions. Even if you don’t imbibe, consider these as excellent additions to a crudités or charcuterie tray. It’s hard to stop eating them.

Pickled Asparagus

2 bunches Melissa’s asparagus spears*
1/3 c. coarse salt
2 quarts cold water
1 2/3 c. white vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 c. sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. yellow mustard seed
2 Melissa’s shallots, sliced into rings
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ t. chili pepper flakes
2 sprigs of fresh dill

Trim the cut end of the asparagus spears, and cut them into 3” links. Place them in a large bowl with 1/3 cup salt, and cover with water. Allow to stand for two hours. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.

Sterilize two pint-size wide-mouth jars in simmering water for five minutes.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, mustard seed, and onion rings. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute.

Place half of the onions in the bottom of each jar. Top onions in each jar with one sprig of dill, one clove garlic, and a portion of red pepper flakes. Pack asparagus stems, tips up, as tightly as possible, in the hot jars leaving ½” of space from the rim. Pour hot pickling liquid into the jars to within ¼”of the rim. Wipe rims with a clean, damp cloth and seal with lids; process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Cool to room temperature. Check seals when cool by pressing the center of the lid. It should not move. Label and date; store in a cool, dark place. If any jars have not sealed properly, refrigerate and eat within two weeks.

*I had thin asparagus on hand, so it took me two bunches to fill two jars; if your asparagus is thicker, one bunch may do it for you..

Blistered Olives

When someone comes by for a drink, it’s important to have nibbles on hand to offset the effects of the alcohol. That’s why I always keep cans of green olives in the pantry. Yes, cans, not jars. Jarred olives are packaged in brine, giving them an entirely different, salty taste, in comparison with those in cans. The latter have a mild, buttery flavor that is very hard to resist.

Making these blistered olives is a snap. Have your company make his or her own drink from your stocked bar cart (there will be a blog post about this in the future), while you make the olives. They are wonderful warm right from the pan, or cold the following day. They make a special addition to a cheese or charcuterie tray, and are a welcome change of pace on a salad bar. Even if you’re serving a tossed side salad, it’s nice to add a garnish or two, and these olives are perfect for that. You’re going to love the taste and simplicity.

Blistered Olives
Slightly adapted from Instrupix.com

1 15-oz. can green olives, drained and patted dry

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced Melissa’s organic garlic

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste

In a 10” sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat until it shimmers. Add the drained olives to the pan, and toss them with the oil. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until they start to brown and “blister.” Stir in the minced garlic; toss to coat. Continue to sauté the olives and garlic, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to burn. Add the red pepper flakes and sauté and stir about 1 minute more. Pour into a heatproof serving dish and enjoy!

These can be enjoyed either hot or cold. Personally, I think they benefit from a night spent in the fridge. The flavors meld so beautifully that the next day they are exceptionally good (read: impossible to stop eating). They will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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If you love olives like I do, then you will want to try this Olive Cheese Spread. It is delicious, versatile, and one of the most popular recipes on the blog.

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