A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke Regardless of what your plans are for New Year’s Eve, you’ll need to eat. The Packers are playing the Vikings on Sunday (at least that’s the schedule at this point) so it’s a good chance to make all sorts of finger foods that will last from Friday night through Sunday’s game. Nibbling your way into the new year, especially after all the stress of the past two years, is a treat we’ve all earned. Just in nick of time, the Wisconsin Dairy Farmers’ sent out recipes that will fill the bill which I’ve shared below. Grab some fresh veggies to chop, a couple boxes of crackers and slice up some summer sausage and you’re ready to go. What could be better than New Year’s Eve, the Packers and Wisconsin cheese? Spiced Pear Tartlets Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter, cubed 2 medium pears, cored and diced ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons brown sugar 4 ounces havarti cheese, diced (1 cup) 2 packages (1.9 ounces each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells Fresh thyme leaves Instructions: Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pears, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until pears are just softened. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes longer or until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Cool. Stir in havarti.  Place tart shells on an ungreased 15 x 10-inch baking pan; fill with havarti mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with thyme. Serve warm. Gorgonzola Cheese Fondue Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter, cubed 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cups whole milk ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles (6 ounces) 2 ounces (1/4 cup) cream cheese, cut into small cubes Pepper to taste Fig or raspberry preserves Honeycomb Assorted Dippers: baguette and pear slices, green onions roasted brussels sprouts and thinly sliced, cooked and rolled steak lollipops Instructions: Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk and garlic powder. Bring to a boil; cook and whisk for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Gradually whisk in gorgonzola and cream cheese until melted. (Do not boil.) Remove from the heat. Season with pepper to taste. Transfer to a fondue pot. Heat on low to keep warm. Serve with fig preserves, honeycomb and dippers. Cheesy Bacon-Wrapped Bites Ingredients: 1 pound bacon Bread Cheese Bites: 1 package (6 ounces) baked cheese (juustsoleipa), cut into ½- inches cubes ½ small fresh pineapple, peeled cored and cut into ½-inch cubes toothpicks Blue Cheese Bites: 2 ½ cups dried apricots 1 cup cheese crumbles (6 ounces) Toothpicks ½ cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons honey Instructions:  Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place greased wire racks on two aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Cut bacon strips in half widthwise. Arrange bacon strips in a single layer on racks, taking care to not overlap. Bake for 15 minutes. (Bacon will be partially cooked.) Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and cool. Bread Cheese Bites: Wrap one bacon strip around one juustaleipa and pineapple cube. Repeat step with half of the bacon. Secure bacon with toothpicks. Place on a wire rack. Blue Cheese Bites: Cut a lengthwise slit into each dried apricot. Stuff each with about 1 teaspoon blue cheese. Wrap remaining bacon around apricots; secure with toothpicks. Place on a wire rack. Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce and honey in a bowl. Spoon or brush glaze over bacon-wrapped bites. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Enjoy the weekend however you decide to celebrate. Have a safe and happy new year. I’d like everyone to remember that we all have our own comfort zones. The pandemic has made defining them harder. In the new year let’s all resolve to respect each other’s comfort zone and make life just a little easier for one another.  Stay in touch. My phone number is (608) 574-3159 – call or text me anytime. You can also email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588.  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at 588-4777. Display ads, or ads that are in boxes, are due by 1 p.m. on Wednesdays. Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays.