Release Date: December 19, 2019

Longmont Downtown Insider: Holiday Recipes Made Easy in Downtown Longmont

Longmont Downtown Insider: Crowd Pleasing Holiday

Recipes Made Easy in Downtown Longmont

by Street Team member Mersadi McClure 

When it comes to cooking for the Holidays, it seems that finding recipes that are quick and easy to prepare can be rather elusive. I should know, I recently found myself in Broomfield at a specialty Asian market to obtain the necessary ingredients to make Lumpia, or Filipino egg rolls, for this past Thanksgiving. 

Making a unique dish that pleases all shouldn't require traveling 30 plus minutes to gather the ingredients, so I challenged myself to find a recipe that I could make by only visiting local Downtown Longmont stores. After brainstorming (aka Googling) some recipe ideas, I decided to make Pomegranate Pistachio Goat Cheese Crostini. The combination of crunchy crostini paired with creamy goat cheese, in-season pomegranates, and salty pistachios would make for an impressive, and most importantly, easy recipe to recreate.

In thinking about what I could easily find in Downtown Longmont, the first idea that popped into my head was Cheese Importers, the capital of cheese in Longmont, and perhaps all of Colorado. It was also served as an excuse to check out Cheese Importers on the 100 or Blue Block in Downtown Longmont, since I had never been. 

For those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting Cheese Importers, you will be treated to a bustling combination of a Parisian cafe and bar, plus a maze of pottery, cookware, curios, and of course the main draw, an entire room that serves as a walk-in refrigerated cheese shop. I had a specific type of cheese I was searching for, Chevre or more commonly known as goat cheese, but I could have easily spent an hour browsing and sampling the various cheeses. It was hard not to. 

            

I quickly found the Chevres, of which there are many. Cheese Importers offers a variety of goat cheeses, including some local options such as Haystack Mountain Creamery. I ultimately decided upon a staff favorite, Honey Goat Chevre Log with Rose, and snagged a baguette at the checkout. 

My next stop was Simply Bulk Market at 418 Main St. Simply Bulk offers a variety of goods in bulk from laundry detergents to a highly addictive Longtucky bar mix. I could have spent hours within Simply Bulk as well, but just needed to quickly grab some pistachios to garnish the crostini. The other ingredient needed was a pomegranate, which I picked up while doing my usual grocery shopping at Lucky's Market.

To prepare the Crostini is very simple. Just pick out a pretty cheese board or serving plate, slice & toast the bread, spread the Chevre, and top with pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios. This recipe would serve well as a light appetizer prior to a Holiday dinner, or can be enhanced with warm honey and dark chocolate shavings to make a sweet and decadent treat for those who find they don’t have much room for desert after the main course. 

Challenging myself to mostly only use ingredients I could source from Downtown Longmont led to the discovery of an easy treat to whip up whenever, and exploring new sites in Downtown Longmont. Next time you are struggling for a recipe idea, plan a visit to Cheese Importers or Simply Bulk Market for a quick dose of inspiration. 

Link to recipe used: https://www.runninginaskirt.com/pomegranate-crostini-recipe-easy-christmas-appetizers/