Cucumber, Pomegranate and Goat Cheese Appetizers |
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Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 25 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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These are adapted from TANGY TART HOT & SWEET , by Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi. There, they were called an open-faced tea sandwich, but I'd consider them more like toasts . They have a nice crunch, and the green, red, and white are great for the holidays. According to my produce book, pomegranates are in season November & December, although I've seen nice pomegranates (at my local Trader Joe's) in February. I've found an easy, mess-free way to seed a pomegranate, which I'll include at the end of the recipe below. I'm not a big fan of the flavor of goat cheese, and prefer to cut it by using equal portions of goat and cream cheese. But these also taste great using just cream cheese. Ingredients:
10 slices whole wheat bread (square toasted or grilled on both sides or 7-8 slices regular pan-sized bread) or 10 slices white bread (square toasted or grilled on both sides or 7-8 slices regular pan-sized bread) |
1/4 teaspoon olive oil (optional) |
2 ounces goat cheese, softened |
1 -1 1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 2 -3 teaspoons fresh dill |
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds, fresh (instructions to follow) |
1/2-1 seedless cucumber or 1/2-1 any slender cucumber, cut into about forty 1/8-inch slices |
Directions:
1. Combine optional olive oil and softened goat or cream cheese. Spread evenly onto toast slices. You may mix the dill weed in at this point, but I think it looks prettier when sprinkled on top.
2. Sprinkle toasts with pomegranate seeds and gently press them into the cheese (I prefer to add them after the cucumber, but then you have to be careful those carpet-staining seeds don't escape). Arrange approximately 4-6 slices of cucumber (depending on the size of your bread) on each slice of toast. Sprinkle with dill weed.
3. Carefully cut each slice in half on the diagonal to make triangles. Serve open-faced on a platter.
4. To seed a pomegranate (rinsed & dried): Using a small, sharp knife, slice the crown off the top of the pomegranate. Make 4-8 shallow cuts from north to south through the rind. Immerse the whole fruit in a large bowl of water, and gently twist to break the sections apart. Using your fingers, pull the red seeds away from the white pith. Discard everything that floats (most of the pith & peel float, while the seeds sink) and drain into a colander. You may need to remove a few pieces of pith, but there shouldn't be too much.
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