Two recipes with Pistachios and Cheese

When I was getting ready to go to the field and see and photograph the harvest of the pistachios the other day I thought long and hard about what I should bring along as a little gift.
I thought about deserts and drinks but they would be spoiled by the heat and would be difficult to be served.

So, I got an idea to make a cheese ball. I love such a recipe because it is very versatile and you can serve it from the field to a super duper fancy dinner party. It also requires no plates and forks or spoons to be served with.

So what best to take with me.

I had at home some Xinomizithra from Crete that I love and decided to use this... But of course you can make it with any sort of cream cheese.

You add nuts, herbs, dried fruit etc inside... and serve it with crackers, veggie sticks etc...

They loved it!! and then I saw a fig tree at the end of the field and so I scored some figs, added some of the cheese mixture and served them with honey!

They were all in heaven!

Diffuculty: 1 από 3

Duration:10 minutes and 2 hours wait

Serves:6 hungry workers

Ingredients

For the cheese ball:

300 g of Crean cheese

40 g single creme

2 dried dates or other dried fruit cut up in small pieces

some of the incredible pistachios of Panagiotis chopped up

chopped up herbs

spices of your liking

more nuts and herbs for covering the ball

For the figs

some fresh figs washed

some of the cheese ball mixture

honey

Method

For the ball

Place the cheese in a ball and by using a fork we mash it up.

Add the cream little by little.. It may not need it all to create a homogenous mixture.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Form into a ball wearing gloves

Roll it on the extra nuts and herbs

Let in the fridge for a couple of hours to set

Serve with extra nuts, bread, crackers, veggies

For the figs

Score them in four.

stuff them with some of the cheese mixture.

Drizzle some good honey and serve.