2 Festive Spring Appetizer Recipes

Here are two easy appetizers to add flavor and nourishment to your spring holiday table. The “Easter Egg” Nibbles—a pretty one-bite finger food made from grapes, cheese, and walnuts—are fun to make and a favorite to serve with cocktails. Quick-and-Easy Hummus—a nutritious Middle Eastern dip made from chickpeas that goes beautifully with breads or with healthful raw vegetables—is a snap to throw together in the food processor or blender.

We offer you these two festive appetizers to celebrate the renewal of life in the spring. Enjoy!

“Easter Egg” Nibbles

18 perfect purple or green seedless grapes
1/2 cup mashed Roquefort cheese
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1. Wash and dry the grapes.

2. Take a bit of the cheese and make a small pancake of it in your hand. Put a grape in the middle of the pancake and wrap it around the grape with your fingers. Work quickly so the heat from your hands doesn’t melt the cheese.

3. Roll the grape in the chopped nuts, then set on a plate. Repeat with the remaining grapes, cheese, and walnuts. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve.

Serves 6.

Quick-and-Easy Hummus

1 19-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained (reserve the liquid) and rinsed, or 1 cup dried chickpeas that have been cooked until very tender, with reserved cooking water
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt to taste
Olive oil and cayenne pepper for garnish

1. Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding the reserved chickpea liquid as needed. The final mixture should be a medium-thick paste. Use water to thin, if necessary.

2. Add salt to taste, transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the cayenne. May be served with pita triangles, bread, or raw vegetables.

Serves 6.