Chocolate Tahini Truffles

• 3oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
• ½ c. Tahini*
• 2 tbsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt, plus more
• 1 tsp. Vegetable Oil
• ¼ c. Black Wild Rice

Place a parchment-lined baking sheet in the fridge and chill. Mix chocolate, tahini, sugar and 1 tsp. salt in medium bowl with a rubber spatula; chill for 15 mins or until firm.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet until smoking. Cook rice, stirring constantly. After about 1 min. it will start to puff an pop open. Once all grain is popped, quickly transfer to paper towels; season with salt. Let cool (rice should be toasty and crisp).

Scoop chocolate mixture by the heaping teaspoonfull and roll into balls. Place on chilled baking sheet. Chill 5 mins, then roll in puffed rice to coat. Chill 10 mins then serve.

Servings: 20

*All products can be found at Vine & Olive

Feta with Sumac & Black Sesame Seeds

Healthy-ish Super Bowl Snack

• 1.5 lb Feta*, sliced 1/4" thick
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 1.5 tsp black sesame seed
• 1.5 tsp ground sumac*
• Olive Oil* (for drizzling)
• Crackers* or Pita Bread* (for serving)

Divide feta among small serving dishes. Top with oregano, sesame, & sumac. Drizzle with oil; serve with crackers or pita bread.

Servings: 12

*Products can be found at Vine & Olive

The Perfect Cheese Board

Tips:

• Serve 1-2oz of cheese per person
• Mix of fresh, aged, soft & hard
• Arrange starting freshest/softest to ripest and most intense

*Cheeses (Choose 3 or more):

• Buffalo Mozzarella
• Beletoile Triple Cream
• Taleggio
• 6mo. Aged Manchego
• Pecorino
• Capricciosa Dolce Bleu

*Accoutrements:
Honey, Cornichons, Marcona Almonds, Mitica Quince Paste, Mix of Olives, Crackers or Warm Bread

*Special Equipment:
Chalkboard Cheese Board, Gourmet Cheese Knives, Cheese Markers

*All of these items can be found in the market at Vine & Olive!

Mini Pancake Stacks

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup whole milk or buttermilk
• 1 cup Stonewall Kitchen Buttermilk* or Farmhouse Pancake & Waffle Mix*
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
• Stonewall Kitchen Lemon Curd*
• 12 raspberries
• 12 blueberries
• 24 small mint leaves
• 24 toothpicks
• Confectioner's sugar

Beat egg & milk together in a medium bowl. Add pancake mix & blend well. Stir in melted butter & mix thoroughly.

Heat griddle to 350 degrees F. Spoon 3/4 teaspoon pancake batter onto hot griddle for each mini cake. Cook until golden brown on each side. Pancakes should be about the size of a quarter.

Stack cakes four high. Top with a small dollop of Lemon Curd, a raspberry or blueberry & a small mint leaf. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Stick a toothpick through the stack to serve.

Makes 2 dozen mini stacks.

*Products can be found in Vine & Olive's market.

Beet Hummus

2 - small (3oz) *Paisley Farms, Sweet Pickled Beets
2 - 15oz can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/3 cup *Mediterranean Artisans Tahini
2 garlic cloves
Pinch of salt & cayenne

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with *Aladdin's Pita & garnish with *Roussas Feta.

Serves 6-8.

*Ingredients can be found at Vine & Olive.

Stuffed Tomatoes

• 3 large firm-ripe tomatoes; halved crosswise
• Salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 Tbsp sherry
• 1 jar of Oasis Olives, Pesto Genovese

Heat oven to 500 degrees. With your fingers remove seeds from tomatoes. Pour sherry into an 8x8 baking pan & place tomatoes on top cut side facing up, season with salt. Spoon in pesto.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs over tomatoes & drizzle with EVOO; bake until soft & golden brown, 10-15 min. Serve hot or at room temp.

Serves 4-6

Vine & Olive

Apricot Brandy Brie

• 1 (13.2-ounce) Brie round
• 1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen Apricot Jam
• 1/4 cup brandy
• French bread toasts
• Fresh strawberries
• Apple, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare Brie cheese by running a knife around the top of the cheese round 1/4-inch in from the edge, just cutting through the rind. Make cross cuts across the top & remove top rind. Place cheese on a heatproof serving dish & bake 15 min or so until the cheese softens. Meanwhile, heat the Apricot Jam in a small saucepan over medium low heat until it bubbles. Turn off heat & add the brandy. Stir until combined. Pour jam over heated Brie.

Serve warm with French bread toasts, fresh strawberries and sliced apples.
Serves 6-8

Vine & Olive