Tea Party

zucchini party tarts

For more pics and info see - http://www.cooking4carnivores.com/2009/06/zucchini-party-tarts.htmlTo make these party tarts, start by laying out your working matand dusting it with a little flour. Then roll out your pie crust. Using a round cookie cutter cut out several rounds. Repeat until you have used up the dough. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Next slice your zucchini and put it in a small bowl. Add in the salt and toss. Let the zucchini sit for about 15 minutes and then pat dry. Rinse the bowl and then put the zucchini, oil, and thyme in it. Stir until coated. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pie crust rounds from the freezer and cover each with a generous dollop of goat cheese. Place a slice of zucchini on top of each round. Sprinkle all of the tarts with Parmesan and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Before serving drizzle a bit more olive oil on top.

Creamy Packets

My favourite party food.You can switch crab for bacon (crumbly bacon or fried/ripped).Cream the cream cheese to smooth consistency and add the crab, peppers and scallions. Mix.Add the flour.Put some in middle of wonton and assemble.Deep fry until golden.Serve!NOM NOM NOM.

Ruffled Truffled Polenta

Last weekend I needed a tapas dish for a work party and this is one of the new dishes that I came up with. If you don't have a mandolin with a crinkle cut blade you can simply slice with a sharp a knife, but the crinkle cut gives you more surface area and looks nice.  Also, I was lazy and used premade polenta, but it was such a time saver! I'm ambivalent about truffle oil because I know the flavor is probably 2,4-dithiapentane, but I've come to appreciate it after shopping around for real truffles. At any rate they were a hit at the party!Slice polenta on a mandolin with a crinkle cut blade. If it is too soft, 15 minutes in the freezer will make it firm enough to slice.Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil.Season polenta slices with salt and pepper.Arrange slices in a single layer on cookie sheet.Drizzle more olive oil on top of polenta slices.Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, then flip slices over and return to oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.Place polenta on paper towels to absorb excess oil.Lightly drizzle truffle oil over polenta, shave some parm-reg on top, then serve.

No bake Coconut Party Balls

Blend the Mascarpone cheese with the confectioners sugar until well creamy. Pour the shredded coconut into a large plate. Place 1 tsp of the Mascarpone mixture on the bottom of 1 amaretto cookie and close with another cookie. Dunk it into the coffee, then roll it very well into the shredded coconut. Repeat the same until all amaretti cookies are finished. Pour into the refrigerator and chill at least 4 hour before serving.