Three Simple Gluten Free Appetizers
Hors d’oeuvre, antojitos, pupus, nibbles, amuse bouches, canapés, finger foods, apertivos… No matter what you call them, the hors d’ouevre is my favorite course. The perfect hors d’oeuvre is a splendid little treasure– abundant with flavor and contrast and harmony. Above all, that perfect bite makes you reach for just one more.
When my friends at Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery and Green Valley Organics asked what my perfect bite would be, I couldn’t choose just one. “How about three?” I asked.
So, I set about building my perfect gluten free appetizers. The best hors d’oeuvre always contains a bit of a delight- the crunch of sea salt, a squeeze of lemon, the pop of caviar, the melting softness of fresh chèvre… Lucky for me, I had a whole host of gorgeous ingredients to choose from.
I knew one of my perfect bites would be a goat cheese stuffed fig. I make these every chance I get. Topped with fresh lavender, a drizzle of honey, and fleur du sel, they are totally dreamy.
There was no question that I had to do something with smoked fish. Smoked salmon features in some of my favorite appetizers. Every salmon season, I make my own gravlax. Salmon is tops, but smoked salmon is even better. Before I had to go gluten free, lox on rye made an appearance every time I entertained.
Now, the third bite was where I struggled– not because I had no ideas, but because I had so many. We did a taste test involving some of my favorite Redwood Hill Farm cheeses including raw goat’s milk feta, smoked goat cheddar, aged goat cheddar, plain chevre and green chile chevre.
I tried stuffing early girl tomatoes with marinated goat feta and kalamata olives. Delicious, but a tad messy. I also tried the marinated feta on roasted eggplant (confession, we may have eaten the leftovers of that one for dinner). We tried apples with smoked salmon and Green Valley Organics sour cream which was really great. I also tried smoked trout and on sweet potato chips with the creme fraiche style sour cream.
The winning gluten free appetizer was a thin slice of seckel pear, topped with shaved smoked goat cheddar, a dollop of spicy mango jam, and microgreens with a sprinkle of nuts. This combination ended up being Joshua’s favorite of all three. The cool crispness of the sliced pear with the smoke from the cheese and the punch from the spicy jam really does deliver a ton of flavor in a small bite.
Now that we’re all settled in our new house, I am getting the itch to entertain. I’m thinking a cocktail party will be happening this fall. I know I’ll be serving these three hors d’oeuvre, but the real fun will come as I experiment with more perfect bites!
Smoked Salmon on Sweet Potatoes with Sour Cream and Dill
- 1 straight and slim sweet potato about 12 inches long, washed and sliced into ½ inch rounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6-8 oz smoked salmon
- 1 tub Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream
- several springs of dill
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- Preheat oven to 325º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you sweet potato is particularly large, you may need a second baking sheet.
- Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and sea salt and arrange on baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for one hour, turning the slices over at the 45 minute mark. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Cut smoked salmon into strips- roughly ½ inch by 2 inches and roll into a pretty shape.
- Top each sweet potato slice with about a teaspoon of sour cream, a piece of salmon, and a sprig of dill. Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper.
Stuffed Figs with Chevre and Honey
- One dozen fresh figs, stems removed
- 1 tub Redwood Hill Farm plain chevre
- 3 tablespoons dark honey
- fresh herbs (like lavender, rosemary, chives, or sage)
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Make a slice 2/3 of the way down the center of the fig then make another slice intersecting it. Be sure not to cut to the bottom.Gently spread the fig apart and fill with chevre. Then press the quarters back together.
- Drizzle with honey, add sea salt and pepper, and top with fresh herbs.
Pears with smoked goat cheddar and spicy jam
- 3-4 small seckel pears
- 2 oz smoked goat cheddar shaved into very thin slices
- 3 tablespoons Mango Habanero Jam
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped walnuts
- microgreens
- Slice pears very thinly, top with shaved goat cheese, a dollop of jam, some microgreens, and garnish with walnuts
I am headed up to Seattle for the International Food Blogger Conference. I’ll be hanging out with Redwood Hill Farm and Green Valley Organics in their booth on Saturday. Please come by and say hi. You can taste all of their fabulous cheeses and build your perfect bite. Can’t wait to see you there!
My Favorite Appetizers and Hors D’oeuvres
Light as Air Goat Cheese Mousse
Fig and Olive Tapenade
Baked Goat Cheese with Raspberries
Grain Free Pumpkin Quiche with Blue Cheese
Best Goat Cheese Bites from the Web
Warm Goat Cheese Dip
Goat Cheese Stuffed Apricots
Goat Cheese Poppers with Honey and Bacon
Goat Cheese Lollipops
Though I have a working relationship with Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery and Green Valley Organics, this is not a paid post. I was reimbursed for food expenses. All opinions are my own and are never for sale. I was a fan of Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery and of Green Valley Organics long before we worked together. I hope you love their amazing, sustainable, humanely raised products as much as I do!
I love figs stuffed with goat cheese too but I add a little bacon around and grill or broil. Yum!
Oh yeah! That sounds too good.
Those pear bites sound amazing! I tend to go for the simple with my goat cheese — usually just a nice cracker with cheese, pepper, and a sliver of apple or peach. So good. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Mmm sounds perfect! Good luck.
These are some seriously gorgeous apps made with some seriously dreamy dairy! My favorite bite is mini potato latkes with GVO sour cream and chives <3
Get outta town. That sounds perfect.
Love love love this Sabrina – their products are amazing! Perfect little bites!
Thanks loves! See you in 48 hours! WHEEE
I love both Redwood Farms cheese and Green Vallley Organic! I'd probably not get as fancy as you and just serve it up on a cheese board. Though I can see the sour cream ending up in a tiny little baked savory muffin of some sort….
I know you… you\’re fancy.
MISS your face like crazy, my friend.
I LOVE goat cheese! Who am I kidding? I LOVE cheese of all sorts. A favorite snack of mine is plantain chips and fresh goat cheese.
I love making stuffed red peppadews. I thin the Chevre with a bit of almond milk and put it in a plastic bag. I fill each peppadew. Then I add a candied pecan. Trader Joe's has a few different bags of sweet & spicy pecans, but I usually just make my own. This is such a wonderful bite on three levels. Hot, creamy, spicy and crunchy.
This sounds so awesome. I am all about the pepadews!
Buttery cracker topped with goat cheese, a pickled blueberry and a drizzle of honey. YUM!
Um… pickled blueberries? Yes! I just ate stellar pickled prunes in Seattle. Divine.
I would top a little chevre on a graham cracker and finish it with some roasted strawberries on top and a wee bit of salt & balsamic drizzle. YUM!
Um. Yes to this!
This is so beautiful! I'm glad I (literally) ran into you at the end of IFBC this weekend. I'm only sorry I didn't get to spend more time chatting with you.
I loved their sour cream; I was about ready to run off with the container during the gourmet fair! For my bit, I'd drain the whey to get it thicker, then add a dollop to a date, then top with candied ginger and a chiffonade of shiso.
So nice to meet you too Cher! Shiso is my favorite herb in the whole world (followed closely by cilantro). I would love to try your date!
I love goat cheese with anything, or by itself!
I have no idea what my perfect bite would be, but I can tell you I am dying to try the pears with smoked goat cheddar and spicy jam. Sounds divine!
Well my friend, you know I am a fan of the figs with chèvre so that would have to one. I would also make rainbow chard pouches, fill them with chèvre and a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper, brush with olive oil, and grill 'em.
Omg!!! Chard pouches sound amazing.
I love goat cheese! Go Tomato Tart!
Oooooooh – I love, love, love goat's cheese. It's so easy to work with too; crumbles beautifully, pairs with so many things. Hmmm, my best bite?
Goat's Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Balls on Apple Rounds
10 – 12 teaspoons of goat's cheese (or one log)
1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped (or use a jar of them if you ain't got time for dat)
2 tablespoons of chopped herbs (chives, tarragon, etc)
3/4 cup of chopped pistachios
Fresh salt and black pepper to taste
Mush all the ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon. Divide into balls about the size of a teaspoon. Roll up into balls and then roll in chopped pistachios. Refrigerate and serve on a round slice of fresh apple for maximum crunch.
OR
Feeling wicked? Forget about the crushed pistachios. Get about 1 cup of panko crumbs (or rice flour for GF) and a beaten egg. Dip the goat's cheese balls in the egg mix and then roll in the panko crumbs or flour. Chill firm for 30-40 minutes. Heat up some oil in a pan and shallow fry quickly. Drain and serve with cranberry jelly.
I've done goat cheese stuffed figs, but I love the idea of using lavender!
I have a hard time *making* things with goat cheese and not just eating it right up, but I am a fan of spreading some on a little proscuitto and wrapping it around things (melon, grilled asparagus, itself…)