I have had some leftover quince paste in the fridge for awhile. What is quince paste you ask? It is a paste, also known as membrillo, made from quince fruit of course. It is like a sweet solid condensed jelly and is delectable with Manchego cheese. Though a little goes a long way so the tub my friend gave me has lasted quite some time. When I saw a recipe in my new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, that called for quince paste I knew it would be perfect to make, especially since we had a plans for an upcoming cheese platter dinner.
Sure cheese platters make a great appetizer, but we end up eating too much before our meal so now we just make them our dinner. I am always a fan of appetizers for dinner. It is a perfect stand up nibble as you go dinner. Great for nights when we are working on other stuff, like decorating Easter eggs. Besides the ease of the meal I love making a a trip to our wonderful cheesemonger to window shop and pick out cheese and meats. Of course any I welcome any excuse to nosh on the stinkiest cheese in town, Red Hawk, it is my all-time favorite. This dipping sauce was a great addition to the cheese plate. The kids and adults alike enjoyed it spread on a thin baguette slice topped with a pear and cheese slice.
This slightly sweet dipping sauce is great as part of a cheese platter, especially with thinly sliced pear or apple. It is great with a firmer cheese like firmer cheese like Manchego, though also adds a great flavor balance to a spreadable goat cheese.
Dipping Sauce
adapted from Super Natural Every Day
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 t. sea salt
1/4 cup quince paste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive-oil
1-2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. plain Greek yogurt
Smash garlic and salt into a paste.
Add garlic paste and quince paste into a food processor and puree.*
Slowly drizzle in the oil and then 1 T. of lemon juice.
Continue to blend until smooth.
Pulse in the Greek yogurt. Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt as needed.
Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
*Alternatively you can mix by hand or use an immersion blender.
Shared on Tasty Tuesday
