The Gilded Panther: Friday Favorites: Easy Hors d'oeuvres

We've made it to our first Friday as bloggers and want to start a regular feature: "Friday Favorites". As the panther prowls the city, she shares with us her favorite finds. In return we would like to share our favorites with you. Stay tuned each week as we cover a different category.

Today's favorite is easy hors d'oeuvres.

While routine grocery shopping at Trader Joe's I came across an interesting package of little cracker-like discs. Thinking they were cookies, I picked up the package to find they were actually slices of a prune walnut log. I had to buy a pack to try these out. I served these with a blue brie cheese. They are delicious! The sweetness of the prunes, and the crunchy nutty flavor of the walnuts are perfect with the salty, creamy cheese. Add a glass of wine and it is Heaven! I shared this idea with my bookkeeper who served it at a party that weekend and reported that everyone raved about this tasty treat.

Another new favorite hors d'oeuvre is the Opal apple. This delicious new variety is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz apple. Not only delicious, this apple is beautiful. It is bright yellow with hints of orange blush. This fabulous fruit is crunchy and sweet. An added plus, it is resistant to oxidation after slicing making it the perfect choice for hors d'oeuvres or fruit trays. Pair this magnificent fruit with a goat cheese and a glass of wine.