10/28 Fresh Mozzarella and Lemon Zest Pizza Party

Thursday night dinner buddies have another successful meal! We made more pizza from The Cheese Board book, like from Midnight Munchies. This time, however, I had fresh mozzarella (the best I have ever eaten) and cheddar to enjoy on the pizzas. They were fabulous.

Fresh Mozzarella, Cheddar, Tomato, Lemon Zest Pizza

9/16 The Best Grilled Cheese I Have Ever Eaten

No grilled cheese will ever compare to this one. It was a perfect combination of flavors and textures.

Cheddar, munster, and goat cheese grilled cheese with roasted cherry tomatoes, sauteed garlic swiss chard, and homemade pesto

Pesto (Cheeseless)

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (I used about half the leaves from my small basil plant)

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pine nuts

A few tablespoons of oil

A few tablespoons of lemon juice

Put all dry ingredients in a food processor (I used my immersion blender). Add enough oil and lemon juice to blend well. I used more lemon juice than oil because I can never get enough lemon. Feel free to experiment with the amounts to make it to your liking. Store in a well-sealed container, and it will keep for at least a week.

Grilled cheese

A handful of cherry tomatoes

Oil

Balsamic vinegar

A few stalks of swiss chard (I used 3 large stalks)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 slices bread (I used whole wheat oat)

Pesto

Goat cheese

Munster cheese

White cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and vinegar. Let roast about 45 minutes until the tomatoes "pop" (shrink and spread delicious juices).

Chop swiss chard into small pieces. Separate the leaves and the stalk. Sautee stalk about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the leaves and garlic. Continue to sautee until leaves shrink and stalk gains transparency.

Spread pesto onto both slices of bread. Add cheese, tomatoes, and swiss chard. Bake, according to your preferences. I like a little bit of butter on a flat pan on the stove until the bread is dark brown and the cheese is melted.