Appetizer Alert: Goat Cheese, Sun-dried Tomato, and Pesto Terrine

Now, not everybody likes to cook.  But with this recipe, there are no excuses people!  This is a great, no cook, no fuss, make-ahead appetizer that is just plain yummy.  It's fun and has a little bit of a wow factor and just tastes better than buying hummus at Ralph's.  When I say it is easy, boy, do I mean it!


Ingredients:
10 oz. of goat cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup of heavy cream
3 tbs. of store bought pesto
5-6 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted and finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
black pepper
pita chips or french bread for dipping


Directions:

Line the inside of a 2-cup sharply sloping bowl (about 4 inches across the top) with plastic; let the ends extend over the sides a few inches. In a mixing bowl, mash the goat cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream with a fork and season with 1/4 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper; add more cream if the cheese hasn’t softened.
Spoon about one-third of the cheese into the lined bowl and pack it into an even layer. Spread the pesto almost completely to the sides of the first layer of cheese. Top with another third of the cheese, the sun-dried tomatoes, and all but 1/2 Tbs. of the pine nuts. Top with the remaining cheese. Pack down, fold the plastic over, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (I like to make this the night before I need it and keep it in the fridge.)
Half an hour before serving, take the bowl out of the refrigerator. Pull on the edges of the plastic to loosen the terrine from the bowl. Invert the terrine onto a plate, drizzle with a little olive oil, and let sit for 1/2 hour to warm up.  Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts, season liberally with pepper, and serve with pita chips or french bread.