Two hors d’oeuvres a la Martha

While in Chicago earlier this summer, I visited a used book store and stumbled upon a treasure - “Martha Stewart’s Hors d’oeuvres Handbook.” It is a beautiful volume of excellent ideas for hor d’oeuvres of all types. The first third of the huge book is only photographs. I must have leafed through those pages dozens of times, fantasizing about all the fabulous cocktail parties I would host, everyone nibbling on glorious finger food.

The recipes are clearly written, the photographs are outstanding, the quality shows: total Martha. Today I share two recipes from the book: one very simple and the other a bit more involved.

Wasabi Cream Cheese

4 oz cream cheese

1 T wasabi paste (or to taste, but this amount of heat was perfect)

Mix well, serve on crackers or pretty veggies.

I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on mine to create a grown-up version of “Ants on a Log." Of course, Martha's were beautifully presented on all kinds of veggies, but mine don't look bad!

Pommes Annette

(There are all kinds of recipes for Pommes Annette on the internet. I couldn’t find Martha’s version out there, so I am actually typing the entire thing here for you. It seems really tricky, but it was fun to make and the end result was excellent!)

Pommes Annette – Martha Stewart

2 T butter room temperature, plus 1 T melted

24 small sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

18-24 fingerling potatoes, skin on

5 ounces goat cheese (I used cream cheese)

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in center of oven. Using some of the melted butter, generously butter 4 mini muffin tins. Place one tiny sprig of thyme in the bottom of each cup.

Using a mandolin, cut the potatoes into 1/16 inch slices (I cut mine into 1/32 inch slices). Using a pastry brush, butter both sides of 24 slices of potatoes with the room-temperature butter. Place the slices over the thyme sprigs to make the first layer. Top each slice with about 1/8 t of cheese, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Make 9 more layers, alternating unbuttered potato slices with the cheese; only the top and bottom potato slices are buttered. Sprinkle a few thyme leaves on the last layer of cheese. Finish with one last slice of buttered potato on top of each cup.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit over each muffin tin. Brush the paper generously with the remaining melted butter. Place the parchment, buttered side down, over the potatoes in the tin. Place a second muffin tin of the exact size on top of the parchment and press down. Place a large cast iron or other ovenproof skillet on top to compress the potatoes and place in all in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the weight, the top muffin tin, and the parchment paper. Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly. Carefully run a knife around the inside of each cup. Using a butter knife, gently remove each Pommes Annette and turn over onto a serving plate.