Pesto Cheese Ball

1 8 oz. Cream cheese ½ C. butter softened
½ teas. Powdered garlic ¼ - ½ C. Pesto
½ small onion chopped fine ½ C. Pinenuts
½ C. Sun dried tomatoes

Mix cream cheese, butter, garlic power & onions. Line bowl with plastic wrap, layer cheese mixture, pesto, sundried tomatoes, another layer of cheese, & pesto, top with cheese mixture. Form ball so cheese covers all. Toast pinenuts. Chill ball and roll in pine nuts before serving.

If you make your own pesto in the summer and freeze, try freezing about ¼ inch in small containers, as an 8 oz. Sour cream container. This makes a nice hard disk to use in the cheese ball, making it easier to get the pesto and tomatoes covered with the cheese.

NOTE: I typically use a spatula to coat the inside of the bowl (which is lined with plastic wrap) so that the exterior of the ball is covered in cheese. If you reserve a small amount of the cheese, just before serving you can use it to cover up any spots that are missing cheese.

Contributed by Judy (Werner) Malpiedi

Stuffed Dates

Ingredients:

10/15 Medjool Dates, Pitted/Halved (available at Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup brandy (or enough to cover dates in bowl)
Goat Cheese
10/15 whole almonds (look for Marcona)
Pappadew Peppers, sliced (available at Kitchen Conservatory)
Plain Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Soak pitted/halved dates in brandy for 15 minutes or so. Remove from lidquid and stuff with almond and goat cheese. Top with slice of Pappadew Pepper and sprinkle of bread crumbs. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 10-15 minutes or until toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from Kirk's Traveling Kitchen recipe