Is it bad that I am totally planning my next tea party with my friends and family?Recently, for a family gathering, I wanted to bring a little appetizer to share among the family and that I can eat (no lactose and no tomatoes). Goat cheese has been an absolute life saver for me since it is low in lactose but still delivers that creamy cheese goodness. Upon making and eatting these, I realized that these are totally going to be what I make next time I host a tea party at my house. With some savory and some sweet, it really make a worthwhile experience for all and have some amazing tea pairings.
It started with Costco having a three-cheese variety pack: Garlic & Herb, Honey, and Fig Goat Cheese. I wanted to come up with my own original pairing for each, and possibly lean on Pinterest for a little bit of inspiration. I was not finding what I needed on Pinterest, so I decided to figure out certain food combinations that I thought would go well together.
Salmon Herb Crostini
- Wheat Bread Slices
- Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Smoked Salmon
Crostini Bread: Preheat the oven to 400⁰F. Using a cookie tray, place your bread slices on the tray and coat the top and bottom with olive oil. Put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, flipping about halfway. Once crispy, put a small amount of sea salt on the bread. Put to the side.
Putting it Together: Liberally spread the garlic & herb goat cheese on top of the toasted bread. Open the smoked salmon and cut into one inch wide strips (can be any length). Drape the salmon over the goat cheese. (Optional: if the smoked salmon is not seasoned or peppered, put freshly grated pepper on top)
My Ideal Tea Pairing: Russian Caravan, Lapsang Souchong, Golden Tips, Da Hong Pao, Medium Roasted Oolong, Shu Pu’er
*this could be incorrect, bit this is what I imagine would be lovely to pair with this Crostini*
Peach & Honey Crostini
- Wheat Bread Slices
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Honey Goat Cheese
- A Peach
- Honey
- 1 tbsp Pistachios
Crostini Bread: Preheat the oven to 400⁰F. Using a cookie tray, place your bread slices on the tray and coat the top and bottom with olive oil. Put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, flipping about halfway. When bread is crispy, pull out of the oven and put a small amount of sea salt on the bread. Put to the side.
Putting it Together: While bread is toasting take pistachios out and out into a nut grinder. Using a knife, slice into your peach and twist to separate the two halves. Quarter one side and use your knife to thinly slice the peach. Cut as necessary. Apply honey goat cheese liberally to the toasted bread. Top with a peach slice and drizzle with honey. (Pro tip: if your honey is moving super slowly, you can pop it into the microwave for 8-15 seconds to make it less thick). Top with pistachio crumbles.
My Ideal Tea Pairing: White Peony, Ti Kuan Yin, Sheng Pu’er
Pear & Walnut Crostini
- Wheat Bread Slices
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Fig Goat Cheese
- A Pear
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- Walnuts
Crostini Bread: Preheat the oven to 400⁰F. Using a cookie tray, place your bread slices on the tray and coat the top and bottom with olive oil. Put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, flipping about halfway. When bread is crispy, pull out of the oven and put a small amount of sea salt on the bread. Put to the side.
Honey Balsamic Glaze: Adjust recipe to needs. Put balsamic vinegar and honey in a small sauce pan, and bring to a low-heat boil. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will reduce to about half of its size and start to get a little bit thicker. Put in small bowl and put to the side.
Putting it Together: While bread is toasting take walnuts out and out into a nut grinder. Cut pear in half and carve out seeds section. Using your knife, cut thin slices of the pear. Apply fig goat cheese to toasted bread (use as much as you would like) and top with pear slices. Drizzle with Honey Balsamic Glaze and top with Walnut Crumbles.
My Ideal Tea Pairing: White Peony, Gunpowder Green, High Mountain Oolong, Ti Kuan Yin
How often do you host tea parties (even if just for you and your family)? I want to do them a bit more, but I never know what quite to buy. Now that I have goat cheese always in my fridge, I think I will use these as staples and keep building these recipes! Happy Brewing!
-Danielle