Tuscan Sunburst Appetizer (Printable)

Bright yellow peppers paired with lemon goat cheese and breadsticks in an elegant sunburst presentation.

# What you'll need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 large yellow bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

→ Cheese Mixture

02 - 7 oz fresh goat cheese, softened
03 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1 to 2 lemons)
04 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
05 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Bread

08 - 12 Italian breadsticks (grissini)

# How to make it:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, chives, salt, and pepper. Mix until creamy and smooth.
02 - Lay the yellow bell pepper strips in a circular pattern on a large serving platter, forming sun rays and leaving the center empty.
03 - Spoon the lemon-infused goat cheese into the center of the platter, shaping it into a neat circle or dome.
04 - Position the breadsticks around the platter, radiating outward from the cheese center to resemble sun rays.
05 - Serve immediately, allowing guests to scoop cheese using the breadsticks and bell peppers.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It takes twenty minutes but looks like you spent hours thinking about it.
  • The lemon-goat cheese center is so bright and creamy, it makes you forget you're eating vegetables.
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people linger at your table, just eating and talking without realizing an hour passed.
02 -
  • The cheese mixture firms up slightly as it sits, so if you're making it ahead, take it out of the fridge fifteen minutes before serving so it's spreadable again.
  • Yellow peppers have a naturally sweeter flavor than red or green ones—don't substitute without understanding how it changes the balance of the dish.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester for lemon zest so it's fine and actually disperses through the cheese instead of sitting in threads.
  • Let your platter and all ingredients come to room temperature before assembling—cold ceramic makes the cheese less creamy, cold peppers taste muted.
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