Spring Has Sprung!

Let's just pretend there is no snow outside and it's not frigid. If we think happy, warm thoughts then the warm sweet sunshine will come back...deal?

What I love about spring is the vegetables and fruit that are available. Those sweet peas,  fresh asparagus, crisp spring onions, snappy radishes, sweet bok choy and leafy lettuce, tart fennel, luscious strawberries, warm oranges, honeydew and the list goes on.

I purchased free English peas from Trader Joes. They are fresh and crisp and ready to go. You can buy and shell the peas if you wish, Sprouts has fresh peas you can shell occasionally. Odds are in Salt Lake you're not harvesting your own because of the wonky weather, but maybe, who knows. I would not use frozen peas for this, but if you need to, do not blanch them, just thaw them before pureeing. 
 

Green Pea Pasta with Parm
1 pound of linguini or spaghetti (I used a gluten free capello brand linguini from whole foods)
1 1/4 cups of frozen baby peas
1/2 cup of fresh oregano
1/2 cup of fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 of cream (I used coconut creamer, you can also use Greek yogurt)
salt and black pepper

Blanch the peas for 30 seconds. Remove and drain, and place in a bowl of ice-cold water.
Add the blanched peas, oregano, spinach, garlic and cream/yogurt to a food processor, process until smooth. Season to taste and Parmesan cheese.
Prepare the pasta as directed.
Coat the warm linguini in the pea purée.
Serve with a good drizzle of olive oil.



I can't claim this next recipe, I wish I could. It is by far the best risotto I've ever had or made. First I had this at a friends house and she was so lovely to share it with me. I can now say I can make it solely from scratch so once you've tried it, you'll want to make it over and over and it will become second hand too. Recipe Here

Artichoke, Asparagus Risotto
5 cups chicken broth/you can also use veg. If you're gluten free, watch the ingredients
1 cup water
1lb thin to medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 stick of butter/vegan/margarine
3/4lb shittake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps chopped (You will find them in the produce section by the regular mushrooms   up on the high shelf)
4 artichokes from a can or jar, chopped in to quarters
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup wine (OR)
       1 splash of lemon or white wine vinegar about 1 tbsp and 1/4 cup grape or apple juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth and water to a boil in a 4 quart pot. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer asparagus with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Keep broth at a bare simmer, covered.
Heat oil with 1/2 of the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, then saute mushrooms and shallots, stirring until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute to coat with onion and mushroom, butter and oil. Add wine/or alternative liquid and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.
Ladle in 1 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is just tender and looks creamy, 18-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in asparagus, artichokes, and mushrooms, then cover pan and let stand 1 minute. If desired, thin risotto with some of remaining broth. Makes 4 servings.




This next recipe is new to me. I've not tried it yet, but it's my plan this weekend.  You can serve it on roasted pork, sliced steak with braised chicken. Recipe Here

Strawberry Avocado Salsa
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado
2 Tbs. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime zest
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt


Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Gently toss and serve immediately.  Serve with toasted pita wedges or tortilla chips.  If you'd like to try the cinnamon tortillas like in the photo, it's a good sweet flavor profile that's unique and kind of a surprise.

Take whole wheat tortillas, or a gluten free option like a corn tortilla. Spray with cooking spray, I used coconut spray because it's nutty and tropical and then slice them into triangles. Arrange on a baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and a sprinkle of salt and bake at 350o until slightly golden.





 

Green is good!

I say any green is good green so bulk up, add it to every dish and call yourself a success! 
 




Lemon Goat Cheese Pasta
1 pound linguini (I used a gluten free egg linguini)
1 pound slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon plus more for garnish
1 5- to 5 1/2-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese log
Fresh lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste 


Cook your pasta in a large pot of well-salted water until it is almost tender, or about three minutes shy of what the package suggests. Add asparagus and cook until firm-tender, another two to three minutes. Drain both pasta and asparagus together, reserving one cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, lemon peel, tarragon and goat cheese in a large bowl, breaking up the goat cheese as you put it in. Add hot pasta and asparagus to bowl, along with a couple slashes of the pasta water. Add toasted pine nuts and toss until smoothly combined, adding more pasta water if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper, and lemon juice if you feel it needs a little extra kick.



Stuffed Zucchini 4 Ways

Slice zucchini in half. Slice off the bottom to keep stable. Brush with olive oil and top with garlic or garlic powder. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper and parsley. Bake 350outil golden.

Spreadable alouette spreadable cheese (pick your favorite variety)
Finely diced red bell pepper (half a pepper)
Panko bread crumbs ( I used vans gluten free)
Olive oil or melted coconut oil

Spread cheese into hollowed out zucchini.
Sprinkle with diced red bell pepper.
Cover each zucchini with breadcrumbs, and spritz with olive oil. Bake until zucchini is cooked and breadcrumbs are golden brown. Preheat oven to 350o

This next recipe comes from Family Circle Magazine. They did it just a little bit differently, but I actually loved the technique. 

Middle Eastern Stuffed Zucchini

2 zucchini
1/2 tablespoon olive oil  
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped 
1/2 medium-size onion, chopped 
1 clove garlic, finely minced 
1/2 pound ground chicken 
1 heaping tablespoon cup golden raisins 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon black pepper 
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
1-1/2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Slice your zucchini in half, hollow out the flesh and set aside for another recipe. Place your zucchini in a glass baking dish upside down. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish and bake at 375o for 10 minutes. While the zucchini is baking, heat a skillet and add chicken, onion and garlic and saute until chicken is cooked through. Remove pre baked zucchini and set aside. Season your chicken mixture with cinnamon, pepper and salt. Remove chicken into another bowl and add raisins, toasted pine nuts, and shredded cheddar cheese. Stuff your zucchini and bake again until the tops are golden and cheese is melted.

This next recipe was a little tricky because as I was searching for fun ideas with Sam he said "how about pasta" So we found this image, but there was no recipe attached. It said it was lemony parm pasta, but that was all we had to go on. Now we know that lemon and zucchini is golden and so we played around with the recipe and here is what we came up with. The recipe makes more than you can stuff into two zucchinis, but we reserved the rest for school lunch and even added some hot pasta into a spinach salad with sweet green peas, diced ham and a splash of oil and vinegar dressing.  

Lemon Pasta stuffed Zucchinis
1 large shallot minced
1 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream or you can use 1/4 cup half and half mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch
1 lemon zested and squeezed
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 tsp garlic crushed or from the jar (we used jarred)
2 zucchini, halved and hollowed out
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta ( used gluten free barilla brand)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and add the ditalini pasta. Slightly under cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, saute your shallot in oil until soft, add garlic and let it sizzle slightly. This is the time you'd add your gluten free option like cornstarch and half and half, bring to a boil until it thickens. 
Drain pasta and place back in hot pot. Add zest, lemon juice, shallot and garlic mixture along with cream and seasonings to pot. Add panko crumbs and parmesan and mix until completely coated. Spoon pasta mix into your hollowed out zucchini and sprinkle with salt and pepper on top. You'll want to bake them on a rack or up on top of some tinfoil. Pour a couple tablespoons of water into the pan and Bake at 375o until golden.




Have you tried this before? It's new to me, but Sam recently had a snack at a friends house called "sour patch grapes". It's easy and fun and it gets him to eat green grapes so win win. 


All you need to do is take a zip-lock bag and add green grapes with a few scoops of melon or watermelon flavored Jello mix. Close the bag and shake so that the grapes are evenly coated with the Jello mix. Once they are coated, place the bag in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the grapes from the freezer and dig in. They don't last long.

Micro Greens, Oh Those Little Things

Micro Greens are everywhere these days. For the last 8 or so years, they have become quite the trend. Who doesn't like a pile of sweet, pretty, little interesting looking greens on their dinner plate? you probably haven't been to an upscale restaurant without seeing them lately. In a nutshell, micro greens are just early shoots of lettuces, herbs and veggies. To be considered a micro green, they are approximately 1 in tall. They are the most simple, easy things to grow around. You could have an endless supply available at your fingertips all year round. I'm currently on my second crop of these lovelies and they just take so good.

Why so special you ask?

Because these micro greens are the smaller versions of your oh so tasty regulars, their flavor profile is intensified. They are a tender powerful punch of flavor. Micro greens have been produced here in the United States since the early 1990's beginning in the early Southern California healthy food diet craze. It's quite an expensive product to produce commercially, but they are healthy and require no pesticides. They are considered a live green, but must be consumed within hours to be considered live. After harvest they begin to rapidly stretch, become soft and loose their color and flavor. It's better to clip, rinse and serve right away. It's important to understand that micro greens are no more healthy than their larger version. Just because they're small doesn't mean they are more powerful or contain more nutrients. They are good source of vitamins and minerals when adding them to smoothies or freshly blended drink and sauces, but they are mostly produced for flavor. They are more easily digestible are much more tender.

*Note: Micro greens are not the same as sprouts. Sprouts are simply germinated seeds, produced in water alone, they are not planted. They are typically produced in dark, moist containers and bags which lends to the proliferation of dangerous bacteria. It's my personal opinion that you shouldn't consume sprouts without cooking them or observing very strict guidelines of safety. Pregnant women, children and those with auto immune deficiencies should be advised of the health risks associated with them. Salmonella and E coli are a huge problem in the commercial production of sprouts. The FDA has rigorous guidelines in combating these food-borne illnesses. Sprouts are often sold in the containers they are produced in. I myself love a square container of bean sprouts, but very sparingly. It's also helpful to know that mung beans used in Asian cooking are typically safe to consume because they are grown in a deep rich soil, but still be advised and careful. They aren't as tasty out of  can, but they are safer. 

Micro greens are not grown in water. The seeds are planted and grown in soil or a soil substitute such as peat moss, or other fibrous materials. They are generally grown in high light conditions with low humidity and good air circulation.When the leaf is fully expanded and appear as a miniature version they are ready for harvest. Typically this is 1-2 weeks, some varieties about 3 weeks. 

 Open Face Egg and Asparagus Panini 

Photo and recipe courtesy of Mary Moran, Holy Mary Food of Grace

• 8 pieces of sliced whole grain bread, 1 inch thick
• 8 eggs
• 12 asparagus
• ½ c olive oil
• ¼ Parmesan cheese
• ½ micro greens for garnish
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cut the asparagus lengthwise and blanch in salted water.
2. Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Slice whole grain bread into 1 inch slices and coat with olive oil and salt.
4. Toast in the oven for 3-6 minutes to a light golden brown or crisp, but not burned.
5. Fry eggs in a large nonstick sauté pan (cook 4 at a time max) and place a lid over the top to cook the eggs through. Salt and pepper the eggs before placing the lid.
6. Repeat step 5 for the remainder of the eggs.
7. Slide the eggs on to a cutting board and cut them to separate them.
8. Place three blanched asparagus per toast and slide an egg on top; add Parmesan and garnish with micro greens. 

Penne Pasta, Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Trifle

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 1 c goat cheese
• ½ c of ½ and ½
• ½ c pesto*
• 1 c sun dried tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• Micro greens for garnish

Directions

1. Boil pasta in a pot of salted water.
2. Make pesto and set aside.
3. Whisk goat cheese and ½ and ½ together; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, toss the pesto and pasta together.
5. In a large casserole dish or bowl, first layer the pasta, then spread the goat cheese and top with sun dried tomatoes and garnish with micro greens.
6. Serve room temperature.

The Pink & Green Goddess

 Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup almond milk
1 banana
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 Handful of lettuce Micro Greens
Admittedly when I first blended this up I gagged, but then I actually took a sip and it was so dang good.  It looks awful, but it tastes fresh and smooth and sweet. If you want to make it even sweeter, add some kiwi or raspberries too. It's a great cleanse. You can also use chocolate almond milk with banana, strawberry, raspberry and greens and it's good, I promise.

The most popular micro greens are these varieties.

Mustard, Kale, Endive, Arugula, Beet greens, Spinach, Tats-oi, Radish, Watercress, Mizuna, Peas, Cabbage, Basil, Lettuces like Oak-leaf, Mescalin, Radicchio, Boston Bib, etc.

Here are some helpful ideas where to add some micro greens...

• Grilled Cheese- liven up a grilled cheese sandwich with your oak leaf or mescalin greens and a tomato slice.
• Tacos and Wraps- use sunflower, any lettuce variety or radish greens instead of shredded lettuce.
• Hamburgers & Hot Dogs- any green can replace lettuce in these kid's favorites.
• Sandwiches, Subs, and Pitas- spinach, lettuce, cabbage or pea greens are a delicious addition to any of these.
• Salads- add fresh herb greens like dill, tarragon or lettuce radish greens to just about any salad, or create your own sprout salad. Radish sprouts are great in coleslaw or potato salad, or anyplace you would use radishes.
• Omelets- Add a half cup of greens to your omelets just before folding.Sunflower or mustard greens are awesome.
• Soups- a few greens added just before serving are great in many soups.
• Pile up greens on your grilled fish, you wont regret it.

Pick up a seed package the next time you're at the garden center, making sure it's an organic blend and plant in any container. I save the plastic take out containers and place them in my sunny windows. I currently have rows of vinyl guttering filled with these greens in my backyard as well. You can use anything to plant them. The plastic containers are easy because you can simply punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage, and because it's clear it acts like a green house. Scatter the seedlings and lightly cover with soil. Keep moist and watch your micro greens sprout within just a few days. When the leaves resemble the mini version of the plant, snip them just above the soil level, wash and enjoy. Spread across that same patch a free batch of seeds and in 10-12 more days you're ready to harvest again. There is no need to remove the roots of the previous growth, it adds great organic material for your new crop of greens. Enjoy!

Feelin Cheesy?

How many cheeses do you use in your kitchen? The average American kitchen only uses about 3-4. Those cheeses are typically Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella and Swiss. Could it be because we just don't understand cheese? Maybe it's because we're just comfortable with how we use these cheeses and attempting to branch out and use different varieties leaves us uncertain with the potential outcome?

The changes that have been made in grocery stores in the last 10 or so years has helped us out a little bit, but how many of us walk in to the cheese section and are overwhelmed with all the choices, how to use them and how they would pair with our culinary creations? Here are some basics that might help you out the next time you're walking circles around the island of cheeses at your local market.

Types of Cheese

Soft & Semi Soft- this category of cheese includes soft ripened cheese with a rind. The rind is from an application of mold that helps to infuse the cheese with flavor. The outside of the cheese is typically hardened or rough, but the inside of the cheese can range from creamy to almost runny when it's fully ripened. Soft rind covered cheeses include Brie and Camembert.  These cheeses are uncooked and the moisture isn't pressed out. A Soft cheese has a higher moisture content and a softer/smoother texture. Blue cheeses have a washed rind and typically fall into crumbles, they melt well, but still maintain some texture. They have put Blues in to a sub category of soft cheese so they are even more special I guess. In fact blue cheeses have a special note in each cheese category but fresh. Scroll down for notes on blue cheese. Other semi soft cheeses include Monterey Jack, Havarti, and Fontina.

Cheesy Onion Monkey Bread

2 large cans of biscuit dough OR (Bisquick Gluten Free Buscuit box) follow exact instructions
1 T. coconut oil for cooking onions
1 medium yellow onion sliced very very thin
1 T. fresh thyme chopped
1 1/2 C. Gruyere or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. butter
Preheat oven to 350*. Prepare pan by placing a buttered parchment paper ring in the bottom of the bundt pan along with buttered sides and center. (You can use coconut spray which is what I did) 
Saute onions in 1 T. coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and cook until onions are soft and browned. Season with thyme and set aside. Grate cheese and cut biscuits into quarters. Melt your additional butter and roll each biscuit segment in the butter and line the pan 1/3 of the way. Sprinkle cheese and onions on top. Repeat layers until they are gone. If you have remaining butter, pour over the top of the mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes before serving or turning out on a dish.

Fresh- the cheeses that fall under the fresh category have a shorter shelf life than soft or semi soft cheeses. These cheeses are typically eaten within days of production. Fresh cheese is made from milk, have a creamy and mild flavor. They are often spreadable, crumbled, and used in sweet and savory ways. These cheeses are Mascarpone, Queso Fresco and Blanco, Cream Cheese, Farmers Cheeses, Quark, Feta and Fromage Blanc, Chevre, Mozzarella, Cottage and Ricotta.

I found this next recipe off of a Finnish website and it was a bit difficult to change the ingredient proportions, but once tested, it came out tasting really yummy. Great for a garden party or a quick appetizer.

Feta and Cucumber Roll

1 long cucumber
3.5oz feta cheese
1 red chilli, fine chopped
2 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon parsley, fine chopped
1/2 fresh coriander, fine chopped
1 garlic clove, very fine chopped
black pepper
2 tbs mayonnaise, creme fraiche or natural yogurt

Slice cucumber for a long pieces (the easiest way is a mandolin)
In a bowl mix together feta cheese with creme fraiche (or mayonnaise; yogurt).
Add herbs, spices, sun dried tomato, garlic and chilli to feta. Mix well.
On each cucumber slice put a teaspoon of feta. Scroll it.
Use toothpicks to keep roll shape.

Stinky- better known as washed rind cheeses. These are the earthy, strong, even pungent smelling cheeses. They also have a strong taste to go along with the smell. I've noticed that you either like them or you hate them. Limburger, Muenster and French Epoisses to name just a few. These washed rind cheeses get their distinct flavors from beer, wine, brines or a combination.

Hard- there is a range within the hard category of cheeses. Wheeled Cheddar is considered a hard cheese, but a truly hard cheese would be Parmesan, Swiss, Jarlsberg, Asiago, Cotija, Derby, Gruyere, Raclette, Manchego, and Romano, just to name a few . Most hard cheeses are sharp or strong in flavor.

Butternut and Potato Pie with Tomato, Mint and Manchego
 

6 sprigs fresh mint leaves, shredded
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds butternut squash, quartered, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large ripe tomato, halved, seeded and grated, or a few spoonfuls of drained, diced tomatoes from a can
2/3 cup grated hard manchego
1/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 1/2 pounds red or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the mint, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, or a little bit more to taste, and the pepper. Remove and reserve half the mixture. Add the squash to the bowl and mix well. Add the tomato, and the hard and fresh cheeses and toss to combine.

Bake for 40 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes, or until the gratin is brown and the liquid is nearly absorbed. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Another sub-category of hard cheese are the pressed cheeses. There are two types. Uncooked and Cooked. Uncooked pressed cheeses are called "cheddaring" Curds fall in this category. These curds are put in to large crumbs and pressed to expel the whey, flipped and pressed again. These cheeses are Soft Cheddar's, Edam, and Gouda. Cooked pressed cheeses are Parmigiano Reggiano, and Emmental Swiss.

Blues- these are my favorite. Like I mentioned before there is a sub category in each cheese family that has a place for Blues. Blue cheeses are made by infusing the cheese with penicillin mold. It depends on what region you reside in that will produce your local blue cheese. The mold is mixed into the milk and is different than rennet. The mold is encourages to grow with oxygen by insetting needles into the sides of the cheese that creates the typical character trait of marbling streaks. They can be creamy and they can be crumbly. Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton, and Danish Blue are the very tastiest.

Americans make great cheeses. Whether they are made of cow, goat or sheeps milks there is a wide variety of tasty choices. There has been such a resurgence of local producers and it's been nice to taste and learn more about their process of making cheese. True cheese lovers have always muttered under their breath the value of American cheese. Because of the FDA here in America, the laws prevent the import of raw milk cheese younger than 60 days because of the pathogens that could live inside it. The pasteurization kills the good along with the bad bacterias that are missing in a daily American diet. That is what helps make the local dairies and cheese makers invaluable. There are still laws associated with the sale of unpasteurized milk cheeses, but if it's the best we can get, that's it. It all tastes good. I wish I could remember how wonderful the cheese tasted in Europe while I was there, but I can't say that I can, but I wasn't paying attention.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Fingerling Potato Pizza

5 ounces fingerling potatoes
Cornmeal (for sprinkling)
Prepared Gluten Free Pizza Dough - I purchased it from a local Pizzeria called Este Pizzeria (Udi's)


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1 1/3 cups grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, each spear cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cool. Cut potatoes into thin slices.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll and stretch pizza dough to 16x11-inch oval. Transfer to baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic in small bowl. Brush garlic oil over dough. Sprinkle 3/4 of green onions over, then mozzarella, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with potato slices and goat cheese. Toss asparagus and 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl. Scatter asparagus over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Bake pizza until crust is browned and asparagus is tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Cut into pieces.

Maybe with these recipes, you'll find it easier to make your way to the cheese island and feel more comfortable branching out. Try making it a couples night, invite all your friends, ask them to bring $10 to contribute to the cheese fund. Lay out several cheeses that each person can nibble and make it a fun night.