Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Toasts -- and a Winner!

These elegant appetizers are in the "impress the boss" league. The fact that they're so easy to prepare puts them in the "no brainer" category, too.  A double whammy.

It was hard to resist eating them as I was assembling them, and it is much more an assembly job than a bona fide recipe. Smoked salmon is a rare treat for me and something I usually reserve just for company. I have to admit, it was a spontaneous purchase -- when do you find smoked salmon on sale? -- and a luxurious indulgence for just me and Mr. Rosemary.


It was really just a good excuse to have a private little cocktail party on the back porch. These pretty little appetizers were perfect for a the steamy afternoons we've had this summer. But then again, I think they'd be perfect any time.

By the way, I didn't tell Mr. Rosemary that these toasts had goat cheese spread on them.  For some reason, he doesn't like it.  But when I told him it was just herbed cream cheese, well, that was okay. Go figure.

I got the recipe from Simply Recipes, adapting it ever so slightly.  Elise Bauer advises that it is the little sliver of lemon atop the toasts that makes all the difference.  She's right.  Don't be tempted to do without it.  (It won't look near as pretty either!)

I did make the herbed cheese myself, just by adding dill and grated lemon peel.  Elise used rosemary and thyme.   But you could also just buy already jazzed-up cheese making these bites even easier.  I also used pumpernickel bread and it didn't overpower the delicacy of the salmon as I feared.  Elise used a French baguette.  Either way, a definite winner.  Anyhow, I  liked the color contrast with the dark bread.

Smoked Salmon and Dilled Goat Cheese on Pumpernickel Toasts
slightly adapted from Simply Recipes


8 ounces soft goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
30 slices toasts
12 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
thinly peeled strip from one lemon, cut into tiny slivers*
extra dill for garnish, if you want

* Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel wide strips from a lemon, Probably just one half  of a lemon will do.  Take a metal spoon and scrape any white pith away from the skin.  Then slice the peel into tiny, thin slivers.


Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.  Mix the goat cheese, dill, lemon zest and pepper and set aside.

Brush oil over the bread and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake until the bread is just crisp about 5 minutes on each side.

Spread the cheese mixture over the toasts.  Top with pieces of salmon. And garnish with the lemon peel and a tiny bit of dill.

And, now   the winner of  The Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook Susan of Create Amazing Meals.  Congratulations, Susan.  I know you'll love the book . . . and I'm pretty sure I'll be posting more cookie dough recipes here!