Zucchini and Cheese Rolls with Dried Fruits and Nuts
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: French
Occasion: Picnic
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 10 minutesminutes
Servings: 12tapas
Cheese balls, coated with dried fruits and walnuts, nicely wrapped in zucchini. Wouldn’t those bites be tempting as a tapas to grab with a drink before dinner?
olive oil3 tablespoons for zucchinis and 3 to 4 teaspoons for the beggar of dried fruits
3pinchesturmeric
Instructions
Start by preheating the oven to 160 °C.
Rinse zucchini and cut off both ends. Using a mandolin (or possibly a peeler), cut off strips lengthwise (about 2 mm thick). Prepare 12 beautiful strips (or a little more if you want to be able to choose the nicest ones).
Place zucchini strips on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Pour oil into a bowl with turmeric and combine. Using a brush (or your fingers!) coat both sides of zucchinis and cook for about ten minutes, flipping zucchinis halfway.
When out of the oven, place strips on paper towels to absorb any excess of oil.
Then prepare the beggar. Cut into very fine cubes the same volume of sundried tomatoes, fig and cranberries. Combine. Crush walnuts and combine with the previous preparation. You want to have almost the same volume of dry fruits + sundried tomatoes and nuts, or at least 2/3 of the volume.
Add gradually the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil. Mix. The idea is to perfume and moisten a little bit the ingredients without getting a liquid preparation. Adjust the quantities indicated if necessary.
Remove the crust of the cheese, put the inner paste in a bowl and homogenize it with a fork by softening it a little. Form 12 balls about 1.5 cm in diameter.
Roll these balls into the beggar to be completely covered. If the consistency of the cheese is a little too soft, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Finally wrap in a slice of zucchini. Eventually assemble with a peak, it’s easier to grab.
Serve at room temperature.
Notes
The main steps: Make strips of zucchini and briefly cook them in the oven. Coat cheese with diced dried fruits, sundried tomatoes and walnuts. Wrap the cheese balls in zucchini.