Goat’s Cheese, Dill and Peach Bites

My favorite restaurant in Atlanta has to be JCT Kitchen and Bar, owned by Chef Ford Fry, and last summer he served me an unforgettable appetizer with goat’s cheese and fresh Georgia peaches. So good it was, that it spurred me on to try my hand at a similar combination this summer.
Peaches and goats cheese really work together in my view, so, I decided to combine my love of quiche and pastry with local peaches, goat’s cheese and dill….and here’s the result. Light, crisp and very tasty…….

Invite some friends over, pull up a deck chair and enjoy this simple appetizer with the perfect glass of chilled chardonnay as we wave summer goodbye. Falling leaves will be here before we know it!

(makes 18 bites)

(Pastry)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

(filling)
1 small Peach (stoned, peeled and chopped)
3oz goat’s cheese (chopped)
1 sprig of dill (stems removed and leaves chopped)
2 medium egg yolks
½ cup whipping cream
¼ tsp sea salt
pinch of ground pepper (1/8 tsp)
pinch of nutmeg (1/8 tsp)

Method:

Thaw pastry at room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease mini muffin pans with a little melted butter.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface. To make pastry cups roll pastry out thinly enough to cut 18 squares (about 14”x 7 ½” rectangle) and use a knife to cut in to 2 ½” squares. Place in to mini muffin pan. Refrigerate pastry while preparing filling.

Whisk the egg yolks with cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg. Cut up goat’s cheese and peaches and chop dill. Remove pastry from refrigerator and divide the goat’s cheese, peaches and dill between cases. Pour just enough egg mixture evenly over cheese to fill cups.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the custard is puffy and pastry crust is golden brown and puffed. Remove from muffin tins.
Best enjoyed warm from the oven.

Enjoy!
J