photo by Jose Villa

Fellow Southerner, Cookbook Author, and food stylist extraordinaire Libbie Summers has been teaching us to live a Food Inspired Life for years and I loved getting to meet her in person at a recent party hosted by Better Homes and Gardens. Then, I got a peek of a photo shoot she did for the Mrs. Box where she styled edible jewelry presented in the lovely velvet pieces, and I just had to share.

Chia Chong shot the pieces for Libbie and their food styling blog Salted & Styled which includes accompanying recipes. See below for one of my favorite recipes from the piece.

Crisp and Easy Strawberry Goat Cheese Tart- substitute Raspberries if inclined
(makes three 5-inch tarts)

Ingredients:
1 prepared pie dough for a single crust pie
Bench flour
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces goat cheese
zest of one small lemon
1/4 cup apple jelly, divided
sliced strawberries (I used 12, but it can vary depending on the size of your strawberries)
Mint for garnish, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a half sheet tray (large baking sheet) with parchment paper and set aside.

Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until very thin. Cut out 3 (6-inch) rounds. I use a 6-inch salad plate and draw around it with a knife cutting out the three circles. Note: the dough will shrink up as it bakes. Place the rounds on the baking sheet and pierce with a fork in a few places. Bake until golden brown and crisp (about 20 to 25 minutes). Allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together lemon zest, ricotta cheese, goat cheese, and 1 tablespoon grape jelly until smooth. Divide the mixture among the 3 baked crusts and spread almost but not quite to the edge. Top each decoratively with the sliced strawberries. Heat the remaining apple jelly in the microwave just until melted (you may need to add a little water). Brush mixture lightly over the tarts. Garnish with mint if desired. Break into pieces with a sharp knife and serve. Messy and delicious!