Well, I finally pulled the trigger on making this pine cone cheese ball thanks to having an event worthy of such a task - the annual Santa Lucia celebration of the Nordic Club of Columbia, S.C.
It was a success - so I was told. Scandinavians are a very honest bunch of folks (sometimes, to a fault) or at least, polite.
This is definitely a dish for which you have to pay attention to its appeal, as much, or more so than its taste. However, I do have some aesthetic ideas for the next one.
I actually wanted the pine cone to sit on the table in all its glory for a while, but someone, whom I won't mention, decided it looked good enough, just long enough, and then it became food. Thankfully, the taste reviews equaled the presentation compliments.
I obtained this recipe from my good friends at MeadowCroft Farm, but, as with most recipes, I made some adjustments.
Oh, by the way, those are true Norway Spruce (Picea abies) branches I used as a garnish. No, not really.
