Glass Candied Pecans:
-2 cups pecan halves
-1-1/2 cups corn syrup
Cherry Jam:
-½ pound dried cherries
-1 cup water
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-kosher salt, as needed
-1 pretzel roll
-extra virgin olive oil, as needed
-freshly ground black pepper, as needed
California Cheese and Garnish:
-1-1/2 ounces Estero Gold Reserve cheese, sliced
-1-1/2 ounces Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese, cubed
-1-1/2 ounces Mt. Tam cheese, cut into wedges
-10-12 red grapes on vine
-¼ green apple, sliced
-1 ounce whole grain mustard
To make the Glass Candied Pecans, combine pecan halves and corn syrup in small saucepan over low heat. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Prepare sheet pan with parchment paper sprayed with pan release. Drain pecans and transfer to prepared pan, spreading so that pecans are in single layer and not touching. Bake at 250F until hard, like glass, approximately 15-20 minutes. Transfer pecans to a cooling rack until completely cooled and not sticky. Store in airtight container until ready to serve.
To make the Cherry Jam, combine dried cherries, water, brown sugar and pinch kosher salt in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until reduced by half, approximately 30 minutes. Transfer jam to a food processor and pulse until slightly chunky. Transfer to a container to cool completely. Store refrigerated until ready to use.
Brush pretzel roll slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350F until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
To prepare platter, arrange cheeses on bottom third of plate. Arrange grapes, pecans and green apple in the middle third of plate. Arrange toasted pretzel slices, mustard and cherry jam on top third of plate.
Recipe courtesy of Chef Brandi Key (Max’s Wine Dive, Austin TX)
