A play on shapes: long & skinny, little ovals, and rectangles
The phrase “company’s coming” used to be popular when dinner guests were expected. Was that just Oklahoma? I don’t hear it said any more, but we do have “people over.” And there is usually a buffer snack, designed to stave off hunger if the thing in the oven is taking forever to cook and to provide a window for latecomers. But I’ve been fretting about this pre-game warm-up for a while now, since I’d found myself in a decided rut. I had slipped into the soft cheese/hard cheese/crackers array, with a possible olive or nut mix tagging along. Don’t get me wrong, I love to nibble exactly those things before dinner, especially washed down with a crisp but not too dry white wine. But something was missing.
I feel like a middle-schooler here, trying to justify why only the Converse® Design Your Own sneaker will do. I can give you soooo many reasons why I need something new:
1. I’m sure I’ve served the exact same cheese 10 straight times
2. My living room sofa is challenging since it’s really a day bed and one can’t lean in to the cheese board like they might want
3. I have only one cheese slicer
4. Even I am getting sick of that Spanish nut mix from Whole Foods
5. I can’t leave well-enough alone
6. I have some cool little wooden plates that are languishing in the cabinet
So out came the plates. I decided to arrange the appetizers on the plates and serve them that way; now everyone could have their own small plate to ponder, replete with goodies to nosh on at will. Sometimes it’s nice not to have to share.
Individual Appetizer Plates | 6 plates
The plates above are composed of breadsticks, roasted Lacinato kale (I like this variety for its mild flavor and non-fibrous rib), goat cheese “olives,” real olives, pan de higo and seared halloumi cheese with sage. Play with shapes and flavors and textures — but do join me out here, up and out of that rut. And on the day bed.
1 bunch Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Parmesan or Romano cheese
8 ounces chevre
1 tablespoon zahtar
1 tablespoon smoked bittersweet paprika
8 ounce package (approximately) Halloumi cheese (sheep and goat milk cheese from Cyprus)
8 fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Pan de Higo (Spanish fig & almond cake)
Breadsticks
Assorted olives
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Rinse the kale, trim off part of the stem, and dry well.
This variety is beautiful -- a deep blue-green
Use a paper towel to dab the kale as dry as possible before coating it with oil -- this keeps it from steaming rather than roasting
Rub oil on your hands and then coat the kale lightly with the oil
If you have a oil sprayer, use that to lightly coat the leaves
Sprinkle the kale with salt and roast in the oven until very crisp and dry and slightly browning, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and set aside until needed.
The kale browns slightly but maintains its great color
Press a spoonfuls of chevre into oval shapes, making 12 “olives.”
Goat cheese is crumbly but it will hold its shape if you press it together
Put the zahtar on a flat surface and roll 6 of the goat cheese olives in it until coated. Use more zahtar if needed.
These make delightful little bites, and no crackers are needed
Coat the other 6 goat cheese olives with the paprika.
Smoked paprika has a wonderful depth of flavor and a slight sweetness
Prepare the halloumi last, since it is best served warm. The other elements can be made in advance.
Halloumi comes packaged in a block of approximately 8 ounces -- it has a salty, feta-like flavor and a texture something like mozzarella
Slice the halloumi into 1/3-inch slices. You will have 6 to 8 slices
Trim the end pieces so they will lie flat in the pan
Heat a large pan, either cast-iron or non-stick, over medium heat. Have a sage leave ready for each slice of halloumi.
Place the sage top side facing out -- it will attach to halloumi as it cooks
Place the cheese, sage leaf side down, in the hot pan.
No need for oil, since the halloumi cooks in its own brine
Brown the halloumi, sage side down, for about 4 minutes, checking to make sure it doesn’t get too brown. Turn and cook another 4 minutes.
Halloumi has a high melting temperature, which is why is can be pan-seared or grilled
Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and serve warm. Slice 6 pieces of pan de higo. Arrange each plate with a breadstick, a piece of roasted kale, 2 chevre “olives,” a couple of actual olives, a slice of browned halloumi and a slice of pan de higo.
Pass the vino, per favore.
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Ahh! Why do they let this through the college firewall??! It’s late and all I want is cheese and crackers now and ALL I HAVE IS GRAPE NUTS AND YOGURT.
Looks delicious love you.