Goat Cheese and Smoked Salmon Torta

• 14 cup pistachios
• 5 -6 ounces fresh mild white goat cheese, room temperature
• 5 -6 ounces neufchatel cheese, room temperature (I use low fat Philadelphia cream cheese)
• freshly ground white pepper
• 2 ounces smoked salmon, preferably scraps, minced (1/2 cup, packed)
• crostini
• thin slices baguette

1. Place the pistachios in a small dry skillet and stir over medium heat until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Pour the pistachios into a colander and stir and shake them over the sink to cool them and to remove some of the skins.
3. Chop the pistachios and set them aside.
4. In a small bowl, blend together the two cheeses and a few grinds of white pepper until smooth.
5. Line a deep 3 or 4-cup bowl or fluted mold with plastic wrap.
6. Spoon one third of the cheese mixture inside and pack it down; level the top with a rubber spatula.
7. Sprinkle the minced salmon evenly over the cheese and press it down with the back of a tablespoon.
8. Spoon another third of the cheese over the salmon, pack it down, and level the top with a spatula.
9. Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the pistachios evenly over the cheese and press it down with the back of a tablespoon.
10. Spoon in the remaining cheese, pack it down, and level the top.
11. Cover with the overlapping plastic wrap and chill for 2 or 3 hours.
12. Uncover the top of the cheese, turn the bowl upside down, and unmold the cheese onto a large plate.
13. Remove the plastic and sprinkle the reserved pistachios on top of the torta.
14. Let the torta sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
15. Circle the cheese with crostini and baguette slices and serve with 2 knives for cutting into wedges and spreading on the crostini and baguette slices.

pistachios, white goat cheese, cheese, freshly ground white pepper, salmon, crostini, thin

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/goat-cheese-and-smoked-salmon-torta-444944 (may not work)