Ripe Summer Freshness....and Cheese

A few friends were coming over for dinner on a Friday night, straight after a long day of work. I was looking forward to creating a nice meal, mainly because I was surrounded by creativity all week and felt the need to express my own, if ever so briefly.  Of course, I needed to keep it simple.  Time and energy were not on my side.  Thankfully, the summer season produces ripe, juicy freshness that needs little enhancement.    For whatever reason, I landed on an idea to create small appetizer plates that featured a few different varieties of raw, ripe, fresh vegetables or fruit paired with complimenting cheeses.   To the right you'll see raw cucumber with layers of a very fresh, tangy goat cheese, lots of fresh ground pepper, fruity olive oil, tarragon and a bit of lemon juice. I thought about adding a spicy element but decided to restrain myself and stick with the black pepper.

On the same plate were two small, thin slices of watermelon.  I created a small hole in the watermelon slice and filled it with soft, oozing brie.   The runnier the better.  I simply garnished the cheese with fresh mint.  Finally, a single fig stuffed with a puree of fresh corn kernels, parmigiano reggiano and finished with a drizzle of truffle honey.  I decided to serve this raw, but I usually heat stuffed figs in the oven for a few minutes.  I serve them warm but I have enjoyed them after the figs sit around and come back to room temp.  Somehow, the flavors meld together better after a few minutes of heat.  (By the way, a recipe of mine for warm corn stuffed fresh figs can be found here). The truffle honey is a great combination for fresh figs - give it a try.

I wish I had a better shot of the entire plate to show you, as I thought is was a good looking presentation.  But those are the perils of shooting food while people are waiting to eat it!