Passion Toast: Lox with Real California Milk Queso Fresco!
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What do I when gifted a large bag of ripe passion fruit? Try it out in various recipes, of course!
I absolutely LOVE bagels with lox, Real California Milk cream cheese, and capers. After diving into the flesh of the first passion fruit I’ve tried in a while, I realized the pulp has some caper-like similarities in appearance, but it’s sweet and the colors are so pretty. Could this tasty fruit work as a substitute in one of my favorite snacks, I wondered?
Never shy to experiment, I decided to make some lox toast with a lovely Real California Milk queso fresco I had on hand. Pairing the queso fresco and lox exceeded all of my expectations in the flavor department, and you know what? The passion fruit pulp totally worked with garden grown tomatoes and tarragon! Yum yum.
This quick snack with Real California Milk queso fresco was actually way too fun to make. Not only does the finished dish highlight dairy’s versatility with all the delicious ingredients it can be paired with, but it also shows how dairy can make the snack even healthier. Fun fact: one serving of cheese contains 45% of your pantothenic acid, which helps your body use carbohydrates, fats, and protein as fuel. How cool is that?!
Passion Toast: Lox with Real California Milk Queso Fresco
[Sponsored]
Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
4 oz Real California Milk queso fresco
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp tarragon leaves, chopped plus additional to garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 petit sweet baguette, halved lengthwise, quartered
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz smoked salmon
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp passion fruit pulp (about 2 medium fruits)
Lemon wedges (optional)
Directions
Preheat broiler to 500F.
In a medium bowl, add queso fresco, lemon juice, lemon zest, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined.
Lightly brush baguette slices on all sides with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Transfer baguette slices to the oven on the top rack and broil until lightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes. Flip over on the other side and cook until golden, about 1- minutes longer.
Spread queso fresco mixture over toasts. Top with tomato slices, lox, and red onions. Garnish with dollops of passion fruit pulp and tarragon. Squeeze with a wedge of lemon if desired and season with salt and pepper to taste.
If you loved this recipe, you will love my recipes for Real California Milk Charcuterie Board, Real California Cheese Mushroom & Pesto Quesadillas, and Easy Chicken and Blue Cheese Salad!
