Holiday Happiness and Goat Cheesy Goodness

With the falling of the leaves and the first hints of snow, my favorite foodie season rolls around. There are holiday potlucks, classy cocktail parties, white elephant exchanges, ugly sweater parties...all the amazing reasons that are great for gathering friends and family.

At these shindigs, everyone usually brings a dish to share, and now comes the big question I ask myself every time: "What dish do I bring that is sure to win over the crowd?" I want my dish to do that magical disappearing act, leaving party-goers asking for recipes left and right, without leaving the kitchen in such a disastrous state that FEMA needs to step in to help.

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Click here for another awesome post on charcuterie and cheese platters - the party safety net.

Well, my foodie friends,  I have, tucked under my belt, many delicious holiday staples, and while I can't share all my secrets, I can give out a few that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy. 

So for the next few posts, I'll share my "Delicious Holiday" series, starting with the infamous Goat Cheese Spread with Pomegranate, Cucumber, and Dill. Silly simple, pairs great on any carb-like carrier (i.e crackers, bread, pita, etc), and  disappears faster than coworkers on a Friday afternoon.

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Goat Cheese Spread with Pomegranate, Cucumber, and Dill

Ingredients:

• 10.5 oz Fresh Goat Cheese (Chevre)
• 1 Tbs Fresh Dill, minced
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Medium Cucumber
• 1 Cup Fresh Pomegranate Seeds

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. Peel the cucumber, remove center seeds, slice into lengthwise strips, and cut into small dices. You don't want the cucumber to be too chunky, or else it won't mix into the cheese well. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, thoroughly mix together the goat cheese, dill, pepper, and salt.
3. Mix in diced cucumbers.
4. Gently mix in the pomegranate seeds. With this step, you don't want to stir too hard, or else the seeds will start to break and the pomegranate juice will bleed out. Set aside.
5. Grab a clean round bowl and line the inside with enough plastic wrap to spill over the bowl edges.
6. Pour the cheese mix into the plastic lined bowl and gently press the cheese mix into the bowl, using the bowl as a mold.
7. Remove the molded cheese spread from the round bowl by pulling up the extra plastic wrap on the bow sides.
8. Place cheese spread on a dish with crackers, bread, pita, pretzels, or any delicious carbohydrate you fancy.