Cucumber Cream Cheese Bites

These little finger foods are a great addition to one of your get togethers. Hearty slices of cucumbers topped with cream cheese and sun dried tomato pesto. A spicy ‘nduja is mixed into the pesto for extra flavor with a little fresh basil to top it off.

During the holiday season, I wanted to create something with seasonal colors. I combined the bright greens of cucumber and basil with the deep reds of tomatoes and ’nduja.

‘Nduja (pronounced doo-yah) is a spicy spreadable prosciutto that adds a deep flavor to dishes and sauces (and delicious on its own). I found this at my local Central Market which carries more of the esoteric brands and products. I used an ‘nduja from a company called La Quercia which I found in the deli section of my store. I looked online for a source but couldn’t find one for a reasonable price. Knowing this ingredient can be a little hard to find, you can simply leave it out, but I recommend finding some if you can. 

These are simple, fresh and pack a ton of flavor.

The pesto can also be made up to a week in advanced, and stored in the fridge, to save you some time. Also, if you have extra pesto, you can freeze it in an ice cube tray to use as a flavor bomb into your sauces.  

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Cucumber Cream Cheese Bites

These little finger foods are a great addition to one of your get togethers. Hearty slices of cucumbers topped with cream cheese and sun dried tomato pesto. A spicy ‘nduja is mixed into the pesto for extra flavor with a little fresh basil to top it off.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

• 1 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes about 6 ounces
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts toasted
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 oz spicy ’nduja Optional
• 1-2 whole cucumbers
• 1 block Cream Cheese softened

Instructions

• Combine sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, pine nuts and garlic in food processor. With machine running, gradually add olive oil and process until smooth paste forms. Mix the ‘nduja paste at the end to incorporate. Can be refrigerated up to 1 week.
• With a peeling utensil, peel sides of the cucumber with uniform stripes. Slice cucumber into 1/2 inch coins. Pipe softened cream cheese over the top of each cucumber slice.
• Top each cream cheese bite with a spoonful of pesto and garnish with additional basil.