Category Archives: Appetizers

CREAMY LABNEH DIP WITH WALNUTS AND DILL

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In a year dominated by disease (mine), death (our beloved dog Jasper), and dysfunction (use your imagination), there still was much for my family to be thankful for.  And so I managed to pull it together for Thanksgiving, although apparently no one is going to give a me a gold star for my efforts (my family did say thanks, though).

I got a new wreath to add to my collection of Thanksgiving turkeys:

A few days before Thanksgiving I went to a flower arranging workshop at a local nursery with a few business associates, which helped get me in the Thanksgiving mood:

This was my creation from the workshop:

Inspired by the workshop, I created a pumpkin centerpiece for the table, using coleus from my garden and other plant materials:

I made marbleized mini pumpkins for the table too, intended to coordinate with the colors of the centerpiece:

I knew that everyone was expecting the usual turkey and carb-laden side dishes, so I looked for a new appetizer to make.  Having seen how popular Easter and Halloween deviled eggs are, I thought that Thanksgiving deviled eggs might be something to try.  I looked around the interwebs, and found a bunch of turkey deviled eggs:

Nah.

What I came up with was a creamy labneh dip.  I am currently obsessed with labneh, this brand in particular, which can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores:

The dip is great with pita chips or even bagel chips.  I added it to a sort of mezze platter, and it went over well.  It’s really delicious and just different enough to be interesting.

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CREAMY LABNEH DIP WITH WALNUTS AND DILL
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup labneh
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon aleppo pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Optional garnish: drizzle of olive oil, dill, walnuts, aleppo pepper
  • Pita chips, for serving
Instructions
  1. Place labneh in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy.l. Add dill, garlic, aleppo pepper, lemon juice, and salt, and stir to combine. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
  2. Garnish as desired with olive oil, dill, walnuts, and aleppo pepper.
  3. Serve with pita chips.

The only ‘tude appropriate at Thanksgiving is gratitude

SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH CORN AND QUESO FRESCO

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The use of expert witnesses in litigation is common.  In fact, they can be invaluable when it comes to scientific, technical, or other specialized knowledge necessary to assist the court or jury (or lawyers) in understanding the evidence or deciding a fact issue.  But there are expert witnesses who, as the Texas Supreme Court recognized, “are more than willing to proffer opinions of dubious value for the proper fee.”

Not long ago, I wrote about a hearing involving a vigorously disputed legal issue.   One of our opponents hired two expert witnesses — law professors — that in our opinion, were “of dubious value.”  The only thing their expert opinions proved, in my opinion, was that professors’ kids need shoes too.  One of them, who admitted he did not research the law or even read our motion, brazenly declared our legal position “ahistorical and countertextual,” “wholly without merit,” and “contrived and fallacious.”  Mc’Scuse me?  So. Many. Adjectives.

I felt disparaged.  I had researched the issue for months, read scores of cases and legal articles, and carefully crafted our legal arguments on the issue.  So you know what I did?  I moved to strike him.  And you know what the judge did?  He struck him.  So I may be ahistorical, but he is history.

All of which provides the inspiration for today’s recipe, which involves striking while the iron is hot — cast iron, to be specific.  Shishito peppers, those wrinkly little bright green peppers, are popping up on appetizer menus everywhere.  Generally mild, about 1 in every dozen or so is hot — you’ve been warned.  They can be made in a flash at home, and will be gobbled up just as quickly.  You don’t have to add the corn and queso fresco, but I think you’ll find they are wholly with merit if you do.

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SHISHITO PEPPERS WITH CORN AND QUESO FRESCO
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 ear of corn
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ½ pound shishito peppers
  • ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
  • ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 1 lime, halved
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Using a sharp knife, remove kernels from corn.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shishito peppers, corn kernels, and sesame oil, and cook until shishitos are soft and blistered in spots, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle with queso fresco. Squeeze lime over peppers. Serve hot, with additional lime wedges, if desired.

Can you spot the hot one?

Striking while the cast iron is hot

Don’t blink, or you’ll miss ’em!