Willowdale Kitchens: Summer Hors D’oeuvres

July 12, 2019 • 0 Comment

Looking for some refreshing summertime appetizers or snacks? Incase you missed our most recent monthly newsletter (sign up here), we had an except with two fantastic recipes from our own Willowdale Kitchens.

Summer is finally here and with it, lots of time to entertain with friends and family. These recipes are great for trips to the beach, for a casual gathering in your backyard, or even for a hike through the many gorgeous public parks here in New England. Any way you slice it, summer culinary fare abounds! Here are a few of our favorite farm-to-table recipes that were recently featured at our Summer Soiree event last month:

Watermelon Cubes with Spicy Whipped Feta Cheese
The watermelon plant actually originated in West Africa, so you can opt for some really fun spices and flavor combinations with this fruit!

Ingredients: (makes 2 dozen cubes)
• 1 small watermelon
• 5 oz block of feta cheese
• bunch of mint for garnish
• black pepper to taste
• 1 roasted jalapeno and 1 roasted red pepper, diced very small

Simple Steps:
1. Cut up your watermelon into bite-sized cubes; hollow out a small portion of each cube for your cheese mixture
2. Whip your feta cheese with black pepper and the roasted jalapeno and red pepper until soft
3. Pipe into your feta cubes and garnish with mint
You can also add a touch of balsamic glaze at the end. We serve ours with small bamboo fork

Gazpacho Shooters
Gazpacho is a classic Andalusian recipe and is very refreshing and cool.
Ingredients: (serves approx. 30 guests)
• 12 large tomatoes
• 1-2 red onions
• 1 large seeded cucumber
• 3 roasted poblano peppers
• ½ cup wine vinegar
• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 16 oz of tomato juice
• 2 cups chilled water
• 1 bunch of cilantro, with some reserved for garnish
• salt to taste

Garnish
• ¼ cup of olive oil, blended just before serving
• cilantro
• 2 avocados, sliced

Simple Steps:
1. Wash all vegetables; peel onions, garlic, and cucumber.
2. Chop vegetables and herbs, and place in a blender or food processor
3. Add chilled water, vinegar, tomato juice, sugar and salt to taste
4. Puree or blend to desired consistency; chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Blend in olive oil prior to pouring into containers; serve in glass shooters or in a bowl with some bread or tortillas
6. Garnish with your avocado and cilantro

Feature Contributed by: Belinda Lane, Senior Event Sales Manager