Pistachio Basil Tomato Garlic Cheese Ball

This cheese ball is really more of a cheese mold, but that sounds disgusting.  I think Paula Deen was the first to come out with this type of hors d'oeurve and she called it a "Blossom", for reasons that I can't fathom.  I'll call it a cheese ball.  Deen's version is very good, and my version is based on hers, but after several years of making this, I've found ways to up the flavor and lower the cost, mess, and fuss factor.  You can throw this together in about 15 minutes and it definitely WILL be the hit of the next party you throw or attend.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs Cream Cheese, any brand
1 small jar of basil pesto (I used "Classico" as it was the cheapest)
40 shelled Pistachio nuts
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 3.5 oz bag of dried tomatoes (or dry your own in the oven)
A little Olive Oil
1 8 oz package of sliced provolone (when selecting, look for number of slices over size of them, for reasons that will become apparent)
Salt and Pepper

Start by removing the sun dried tomatoes from the bag.  Put in a small bowl or jar, squish down lightly and just cover with olive oil.  Let soak.  Do this first, before you even get any utensils or prepare your work area...they should soak for 15 to 20 minutes.

Next, shell the pistachios and peel the garlic cloves.  Put in a small chopper, food processor or blender and pulverize.   Soften the cream cheese in a large-ish bowl in the microwave.  Mix the pistachio/garlic mixture in with the cream cheese using a rubber spatula, mix it well.   Add salt and pepper to taste.

Next, take a small bowl with nice smooth insides, this will be your mold.  I used one of our household 'cereal' bowls.  Line it with a large piece of Saran Wrap with enough left hanging to bring back over the top.

Place one slice of Provolone in the bottom center of the bowl.  Then, working around the bowl, lay Provolone around the inside of the bowl until all the side surfaces are covered.

Now put in a small layer of the cream cheese mixture and smooth it around.

Then add a layer of Pesto, sort of draining it a bit from the oil in the jar as you remove it.  (You don't want it really oily, you want mostly the pesto 'stuff', not the oil).  Smooth that around.

Then lay another layer of the cream cheese mixture, and smooth around.

Now remove the dried tomatoes from the jar and oil and put in the food processor/chopper/blender.  Pulverize, then spread a layer of this over the cream cheese carefully.

Then layer the rest of the cream cheese, filling the bowl.

Finally, cover completely with Provolone.  Bring the Saran Wrap around, pinch the wrap all together in the center and throw the whole thing in the freezer, bowl and all.

When it's firm and hard, you can remove it from the freezer, remove the Saran Wrap from the top of the bowl, flip it over onto a serving plate and lift the bowl away.  Remove the Saran Wrap.  Use the bowl now as a 'cover' and keep in the fridge....it will last for 3 weeks or more (but it never lasts more than a day around here!)   To serve, slice out a thin wedge with a serving knife.  Serve with crackers.

Al's Sweet Potatoes

Al Owens was one interesting guy.  His father, Elmer, was a self made multi-millionaire, whom Al rejected and rebelled against.  At the age of 16, he hopped on his motorcycle and left home to make his own way in the world.  It was many years before he and his father spoke again...only after Al himself had made his own millions.

I met Al after he inherited his father's place on the lake I grew up on, near Wautoma, WI.  Al was probably close to 20 years older than me, but we hit it off instantly and were good friends up until his unfortunate and untimely passing.  A lifetime heavy smoker, Al had finally kicked the habit 6 months before being diagnosed with lung cancer.  He loved to tell tall tales and seemed to enjoy being called out for telling them.  He was an outgoing, generous, gregarious guy, a bit quirky, but in a loveable way.  I miss him dearly and think of him often, especially at Thanksgiving time.

He and his wife would stay up at the lake house until deer hunting was over, at which time they'd head back to Florida for the winter.  He'd often hunt with us, and  for several years, they joined us for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Al always brought his Sweet Potatoes and was very proud of making them.  This is his recipe, which I feel so fortunate to have and to share with you today.  I hope you enjoy them.  Al loved to share them with friends, and I'm sure he'd hope that you would, too.

Ingredients:

4 very large or 6 regular Sweet Potatoes
3/4 stick of Butter
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Brown Sugar (or real maple syrup, if you have some)
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
Chopped Pecans
Mini Marshmallows

Peel Sweet Potatoes and poke with fork numerous times, place in Microwave and cook until soft (20-25 minutes, depending on your microwave).  Remove and put in a bowl with the Butter, mash with a mixer until smooth.  Add the Heavy Cream, Brown Sugar, Salt, Nutmeg and Vanilla Extract, mix thoroughly.  Adjust salt and sugar to taste.   Spoon into a 9x9 Pyrex or Corningware dish, cover with Chopped Pecans and dot with butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, remove from oven.  Cover with Mini Marshmallows and bake til the marshmallows are just melted.  Remove, cool and serve.

(Pictures forthcoming very soon)