Goat Cheese and Smoked Salmon Torta |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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This is the smoked salmon we always enjoy when we go and visit Dimi's nona (godmother). It's wonderful - simple, beautiful and so tasty. Thank you, nona, for always making this for us and making us feel special. Ingredients:
1/4 cup pistachios |
5 -6 ounces fresh mild white goat cheese, room temperature |
5 -6 ounces neufchatel cheese, room temperature (i use low fat philadelphia cream cheese) |
freshly ground white pepper |
2 ounces smoked salmon, preferably scraps, minced (1/2 cup, packed) |
crostini |
thin slices baguette |
Directions:
1. Place the pistachios in a small dry skillet and stir over medium heat until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour the pistachios into a colander and stir and shake them over the sink to cool them and to remove some of the skins. Chop the pistachios and set them aside.
2. In a small bowl, blend together the two cheeses and a few grinds of white pepper until smooth. Line a deep 3 or 4-cup bowl or fluted mold with plastic wrap. Spoon one third of the cheese mixture inside and pack it down; level the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the minced salmon evenly over the cheese and press it down with the back of a tablespoon. Spoon another third of the cheese over the salmon, pack it down, and level the top with a spatula. Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the pistachios evenly over the cheese and press it down with the back of a tablespoon. Spoon in the remaining cheese, pack it down, and level the top. Cover with the overlapping plastic wrap and chill for 2 or 3 hours.
3. Uncover the top of the cheese, turn the bowl upside down, and unmold the cheese onto a large plate. Remove the plastic and sprinkle the reserved pistachios on top of the torta. Let the torta sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Circle the cheese with crostini and baguette slices and serve with 2 knives for cutting into wedges and spreading on the crostini and baguette slices.
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