These recipes originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of HomeLife Magazine.
Bless others by opening your home.
Sometime after the lockdown of 2020 and the great relocation that followed, a little while after remote work became the norm and the masks came off, I noticed my neighbors starting to emerge from their urban bunkers. I first noticed them stopping to chat on the sidewalk again and on the corners of their driveways while getting the mail. Soon the dog park was bustling with activity. We were all introducing ourselves to the newcomers, but we were also reintroducing ourselves to those native to the neighborhood. Looking back, I think we were all trying to recreate what we felt we had abandoned—community.
This time last fall, one of my new neighbors invited me to a gathering she had organized through a text thread. On the thread were about ten mobile numbers I didn’t recognize. She simply stated she was a recent transplant to the area, leaving behind a tight community of women. Everyone on the thread had been introduced to her through some act of kindness or another, and she thought we should all meet. She wondered if we might all be missing what she had left and that she was missing as well—a community.
The gathering turned into a dinner, as twelve relative strangers came together around a beautifully set table. She made her signature dish—lasagna. The rest of us brought a dish to share: charcuterie, appetizers, salad, bread, and desserts. We feasted that night on great food and conversation, taking turns sharing something interesting about ourselves. Before we left that evening, we each signed up to host one gathering over the next year. The gatherings have ranged from sit-down dinners to the more casual paper plates and appetizers, but the takeaway from that initial dinner was a newly created community.
With many opportunities to meet now under my belt, I’ve learned some of us are gifted with planning and organization, while others are gifted with hospitality. Some are great listeners and others are humorous storytellers. We all have something to offer. We may not know how to reach out and create community, but we covet its inclusion. I’ve enjoyed witnessing how God has threaded us together through a deep need, and how we have used our individual gifts to lift, support, and inspire one another.
If you have the gift of planning, communication, or hospitality, I encourage you to bless those around you by opening your home. It couldn’t be easier with these shared recipes from my community.
Apple, Cheese, Prosciutto Appetizer
Makes 8-12 servings
Ingredients
2–3 Gala apples
6 oz. Chèvre cheese
8–10 slices prosciutto
1–2 Tbsp. balsamic glaze
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Chives (chopped)
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Cut three apples crosswise into ¼-inch thickness for round slices, so the seeds are in the middle forming a star. Remove the seeds with the tip of the knife. Wrap the apple rounds with prosciutto and set aside. In a cast iron skillet on medium heat, add the prosciutto apple rounds and brown one to two minutes per side, or until the prosciutto is just crispy. Remove the apples from the skillet and place on a serving tray. Slice the Chèvre cheese and place it on top of the apples while they are still warm to melt the cheese a bit. Drizzle the apples and Chèvre with the balsamic glaze (use a squeeze bottle) going back and forth in a zigzag across the whole tray. Drizzle with the olive oil in the same fashion. Top with fresh black pepper and chives. Serve warm.
Tip From Laura:
When entertaining, look for recipes that are easy to make a day ahead. This is one.
New Zealand Beef and Cheddar Pies
Makes 8-12 servings
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. flour
1-1/2 c. beef stock
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 packages frozen puff pastry (thawed)
3/4 c. white cheddar cheese (grated)
1 egg
Directions
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, add oil, onion, and garlic, and cook for one to two minutes. Add ground beef and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for five to six minutes, then sprinkle flour over the beef, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the stock and Worcestershire sauce, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for six to eight minutes or until gravy has formed. Place meat mixture into a sealed container and set in the refrigerator for two hours, or until completely chilled.
Roll out thawed puff pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut puff pastry into 12 four-inch rounds and 12 three-inch rounds. Place rounds on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Place each four-inch round in the base of each muffin hole pressing sides down so the pastry is flush with the bottom and sides of the hole, and just overlapping the rims.
Remove the chilled beef mixture from the refrigerator and stir in the grated cheese. Evenly divide the beef and cheese mixture between each pie, filling it to the top. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the rim of the four-inch puff pastry with the egg wash to create a seal. Place the three-inch pastry on top. Using the tines of a fork, press gently around the rim to form a seal. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie. Use the remaining egg wash to brush the tops of each pie. Place the muffin tin in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 425 degree. Bake the pies for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini
Makes 8-12 servings
Ingredients
1 French baguette (sliced into 1-inch rounds)
1 jar fig preserves
8 oz. creamy goat cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
Ground pepper
2 ripe, fresh figs (halved, thinly sliced)
Microgreens
Balsamic glaze
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the sliced bread rounds on a sheet pan. Toast the bread in the oven for one to two minutes, or until warm but still very soft. Remove from oven and spread the fig preserves generously over the toasted bread slice (all the way to its edges). Slice the goat cheese and place on top of the fig spread. Salt and pepper the rounds lightly, then place a pinch of microgreens on top. Garnish with the fresh fig slices. Drizzle the balsamic glaze in a zigzag motion. Serve at room temperature.
Tip From Laura:
You can substitute cream cheese for goat cheese if you prefer one over the other.
