Easy appetizers to end the day

McClatchy Newspapers

Inviting friends over for a glass of wine on your patio is a great way to end a summer day.

While you and your guests sip and relax, you can admire the flowers that are in bloom and feast on tasty appetizers you whipped up in a flash.

Well, at least it will appear to your guests that you whipped up these dishes in a flash, if you follow some of the basics of easy entertaining:

Keep it simple, and make whatever you can in advance.

It also helps to have a game plan of sorts.

When guests arrive, pop the cork on the wine bottle, pour them a glass and then gradually bring out your chilled appetizers, all of which lend themselves to do-ahead or last-minute preparation. Dips are always great choices, as are foods that are marinated. The caper sour cream dip, served here with crackers and smoked salmon, gets a welcome tang from the capers.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven so that after you’ve spent some time sipping and nibbling with your guests, you can start cooking your hot dishes that will be ready to serve when guests are ready for more snacks.

When working with hot dishes, it’s smart to pick recipes that are heated — or reheated — at the same oven temperature.

For this menu, the baked Brie or Camembert dish and the meatballs can be started at the same time, as they both require a 350-degree oven. You can serve the cheese dish after 12 to 15 minutes, then by the time guests have polished off this rich appetizer, they can dine on tiny meatballs — made ahead and frozen — that take about an hour to cook in a sauce.

After a brief respite, it’s time to take the ice cream pie or cake out of the freezer to soften slightly. Then serve it to your guests and enjoy watching the sun set on a perfect gathering.

SMOKED SALMON WITH CAPER SOUR CREAM

Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings

This caper-and-sour-cream dip is the perfect accompaniment for smoked salmon on a hearty cracker or party rye.

The recipe is adapted from “Picnics: Easy Recipes for the Best Alfresco Foods” by Robin Vitetta-Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2005).

1 cup sour cream

1‚Ñ4 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons drained capers

1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound smoked salmon, sliced

Hearty crackers or 1 loaf party rye

1 lemon, cut into wedges

In small bowl, combine sour cream, onion, capers, dill, mustard and pepper. Mix well to combine. Serve with slices of the salmon and crackers or party rye. Garnish with lemon wedges.

CAPRESE BITES

Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings

This dish goes together in minutes and brings some great flavor combinations to the table. It was adapted from Epicurious.com’s recipe swap message board.

3‚Ñ4 to 1 pound miniature fresh mozzarella balls

1‚Ñ2 pint grape tomatoes, halved Small skewers or toothpicks

1 cup pesto (prepared or your favorite recipe)

Thread a mozzarella ball onto a skewer or toothpick, then thread a tomato half onto the same toothpick, positioning it so the cut side of the tomato abuts the cheese at the end of the pick. Spoon pesto into a serving bowl, then set skewers around the edge of the bowl or set them in the bowl so that both the cheese balls and the tomatoes rest in the pesto.

MIXED OLIVES WITH ORANGE AND CORIANDER

Makes 6 appetizer servings

Nothing makes entertaining easier than an appetizer you can make a few days in advance. This olive dish goes together in a flash and tastes better the longer it sits. It’s from “Picnics: Delicious Recipes for Outdoor Entertaining” by Sara Deseran, (Chronicle, 2004).

2 cups unpitted green and black olives (see note)

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 thin strips lemon peel

6 thin strips orange peel

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon finely chopped orange zest

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

1 bay leaf

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 2 days, stirring occasionally.

Note: Use both large and small olives. For green olives, try picholine. For black olives, tiny, mild Nicoise and big meaty Kalamata olives work well. Do not use seasoned olives.

This dish goes together in minutes and brings some great flavor combinations to the table. It was adapted from Epicurious.com’s recipe swap message board.

BAKED BRIE SPREAD

Makes about 6 appetizer servings

You can assemble this appetizer in advance, store it in the refrigerator and then bake it about 15 minutes before you want to serve it. This rich dish goes well with sliced pears or apples and can also be served on bread or crackers. It’s from the Cooks.com Web site.

1 wheel (8 ounces) Brie or Camembert cheese

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1‚Ñ4 cup sliced almonds

Sliced pears, apples or French bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Set cheese in an oven-proof serving dish. Spread butter over top. Arrange sliced almonds over butter. Bake in preheated oven until softened and heated through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with the fruit or bread.

BARBECUED MEATBALLS

Makes about 80 meatballs

This dish is great for entertaining because you can freeze the meatballs, then bake smaller portions as needed — just adjust the amount of sauce. It’s from 1st Traveler’s Choice Internet cookbook, www.virtualcities.com (originally from the Keystone Inn in Gettysburg, Pa.).

3 pounds ground beef

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

2 eggs

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped onion

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon garlic powder

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup cracker crumbs or bread crumbs

Sauce (see recipe)

In large bowl, combine meat, milk, eggs, onion, seasonings, oats and cracker crumbs. Mix well and shape into small balls, about the size of a walnut. Freeze on cookie sheets on a single layer. When frozen, place in a sealable plastic bag and freeze until needed.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare sauce.

Put meatballs in a 13-by-9-inch dish, or a large, oval casserole, and pour sauce over, brushing to be sure the tops of all the meatballs are coated. Bake in preheated oven 1 hour.

Note: Smaller batches of frozen meatballs can be baked; reduce sauce amount proportionately.

Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 cup packed brown sugar (or to taste)

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

LEMON CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM PIE

Makes about 8 servings

You can’t go wrong with an ice cream dessert, especially when you pair lemon with chocolate.

3‚Ñ4 package (18 ounces) double-filled Oreo cookies

1‚Ñ2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

3‚Ñ4 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping (divided)

1 cup lemon curd

1 teaspoon lemon zest

5 cups vanilla ice cream (divided)

1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cookies and butter in food processor and process until crumbly. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of a 10-inch glass pie plate. Bake in a preheated oven 4 to 5 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool.

Spread half the fudge topping over the crust and freeze.

Soften 2 cups of the ice cream. In medium bowl, combine lemon curd, lemon zest and the ice cream; beat until well-blended. Spoon into frozen crust and return to freezer until solid, 30 to 45 minutes.

Soften remaining 3 cups of ice cream. Using same bowl as before, combine remaining ice cream with chocolate chips and mix well. Mound over frozen layer of ice cream. Return to freezer until firm, another 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from freezer and drizzle with remaining ice cream topping to garnish. Cover and return to freezer until ready to serve.

To serve: Remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before slicing.