Goat Cheese, Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Terrine

Do you have a dish that you’re known for? Among my group of friends, this is mine. I’ve been making it since sometime last year, but it has never made an appearance on the blog. Why? Every time I make it, I promise myself I’ll get a picture. It never fails, though, that something gets in the way – I’m rushing upstairs because I’ve decided to change clothes…again, forgot to put on my jewelry, we don’t want to be late, etc. Sometimes I even convince myself that I’ll get a picture whenever we get to where we’re going, but it gets devoured before I ever have the chance. This is my go-to appetizer for almost every party I host or attend, and even my friends that don’t read my blog ask if this recipe is on here. My friend Elise especially loves this and does read my blog, so I know she will be very happy to (finally) see it posted.

This terrine looks elegant but is really quite simple to make. You line a small bowl with plastic wrap and then layer softened goat cheese with the pesto, tomatoes and pine nuts. That’s it. The result is gorgeous layers that hint at what’s inside. The ingredients all intertwine to create fantastic flavor – tanginess from the goat cheese, sweetness from the tomatoes and freshness from the pesto. Perhaps my favorite part of this is that it’s got far more texture than standard dips. The soft goat cheese is well complemented by the chewy tomatoes and crunchy pine nuts. You can use homemade pesto, but I’ve been known to pick up a jar from Trader Joe’s when I need a very last-minute dish. (Though with our basil plant growing like crazy, we’ll probably have tons of pesto stored up by summer’s end.) Serve this with crackers, baguette slices or pita chips, and be prepared to get repeated requests for the recipe.