citrus -

by Twin Tastes

Citrus and Cheese: Baked Feta with Thyme-Infused Candied Kumquats

We first discovered kumquats a few years ago, and were amazed that you could just pop the tiny, elliptical bright orange fruits into your mouth, rind and all. The unconventional citrus fruits have a tart pulp on the interior and sweet pith on the exterior. The contrasting flavors tantalize your taste buds in every bite. While often a rarity in grocery stores, we recommend you keep an eye out for them around the winter months and enjoy them whole, or as a standout in any tart, sweet syrup or puree.

For a quick and stunning hors d’oeuvre, we recommend thinly slicing the kumquats, and candying them over the stove with a touch of thyme. We then spoon the vibrant compote atop a block of baked feta cheese. The creamy, pungent, salty feta melts slightly in the oven and pairs perfectly with the super sweet kumquat topping. We spread the decorative melted cheese atop toasted sliced bread with a sprinkling of pleasantly spicy pink peppercorns.

Baked Feta with Thyme-Infused Candied Kumquats

Fig and Clementine Port Wine Poptail

Fruit and wine—in a popsicle? Yep—it’s a ménage a trios for the hedonistic foodie.

Hitting the blender’s vortex this week is some dry port wine, figs, clementine tangerines and honey. We’ve have to admit, it seemed almost sacrilege to be pouring wine onto the blades of our poptail regulator. But a nano second later “almost” turned into a 2-cup pour.

We’re on a campaign to leave no alcohol behind, so stay tuned to find out what’s next on the poptail hit list. And remember, you can find all of our boozy ice pop concoctions in Endless Poptails.