Make the Best Schmear From Fermented Vegetables
I may not be the quirky new Yawka with harsh bagels , but I know I love to eat them. Regular cream cheese has no downsides, but I have been known to enjoy a good flavorful sauce from time to time. Green onions are great and vegetables are great, but fermented vegetables? It will liven up your morning.
Fermentation makes food more flavorful, and the combination of hot, sweet, and salty vegetables with cream cheese makes a bagel that hits all of my favorite taste buds. Plus they’re just so pretty. Almost any fermented vegetable will make a great-tasting cream cheese, but I am particularly partial to these combinations:
- Pickled Beets and Horseradish: Combine eight ounces of softened cream cheese with three ounces of pickled beets and a tablespoon of horseradish for a sweet and spicy paste that wakes you up right away.
- Kimchi: Three ounces of your favorite kimchi with eight ounces of cream cheese makes the breakfast (or snack) pleasantly pink and slightly spicy.
- ‘Kraut and Swiss: Combine 30 grams of sauerkraut with soft cream cheese. Spread it over a pumpernickel bagel and sprinkle with corned beef for a truly righteous start to your day.
Add all ingredients to a food processor and beat until combined. How integrated you want everything to be is up to you, but leaving noticeable vegetable bits behind will give you nice contrast in textures.