Cucumber Herb Cheese Bites
Cool rounds of cucumber stacked with whipped herbed cream cheese and everything seasoning — fresh, light, and endlessly snackable. The modern party bite that proves sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.
- 2English cucumbers
- 8 ozcream cheese(softened)
- 2 tbspfresh dill(minced)
- 2 tbspfresh chives(minced)
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tsplemon zest
- 2 tbspeverything bagel seasoning
- cherry tomatoes(quartered, for garnish)
Make cheese mixture ahead. Slice cucumbers and pipe topping up to 2 hours before serving.
- 1Cut cucumbers into 1/2 inch thick rounds
- 2Beat cream cheese until fluffy
- 3Mix in dill, chives, lemon juice, and zest
- 4Season with salt and pepper
- 5Transfer to piping bag with star tip
- 6Pipe rosette of cream cheese onto each cucumber
- 7Sprinkle with everything seasoning
- 8Top with quarter of cherry tomato
- 9Refrigerate until serving
English cucumbers have fewer seeds and thinner skin - no need to peel. Pat dry before topping to prevent sliding. Everything seasoning adds savory crunch.
The cucumber has been on the human table for at least three thousand years. Wikipedia and the University of Missouri Extension both confirm it was cultivated in India for at least 3,000 years, domesticated from the wild plant Cucumis sativus var. hardwickii in the foothills of the Himalayas. From India it traveled westward along ancient trade routes to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and eventually Greece and Rome. The Roman Emperor Tiberius was reportedly so devoted to cucumbers that he demanded them at his table every single day of the year, a requirement that prompted Roman gardeners to construct wheeled frames covered in translucent sheeting — an early form of greenhouse technology — to grow the heat-loving plant through winter. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century, brought by European explorers. The cream cheese on top has an equally specific American origin. In 1872, William A. Lawrence, a dairyman from Chester, New York, accidentally created cream cheese while attempting to produce a batch of French Neufchâtel — he added too much cream, producing a richer, smoother, more spreadable result. In 1880 the cheese was branded "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" by distributor A.L. Reynolds, who chose the name to leverage Philadelphia's then-excellent reputation for quality dairy products despite the fact that production was entirely in New York. Kraft acquired the brand in 1928. These herb-topped cucumber rounds are a modern, low-carb party appetizer born from the 2000s turn toward lighter, vegetable-forward entertaining.