Seafood spread

So, as most of you know, I did a lot of research looking for stuff that would be tasty and refreshing and different to eat on a picnic this week while I am on vacation.  This is a recipe that adapted from The Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. 

Here is the basic recipe:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces imitation crab, minced

Mix everything except the fish with a blender, and blend until smooth.  Make sure that the crab is chopped finely and fold it into the mixture.  Serve with crackers, crusty bread or raw vegetables.  Refrigerate leftovers.

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Ok, so you can substitute smoked salmon or almost any other kind of fish for the crab, and  prepared horseradish(drained) for the garlic.  I don't care for things that are really spicy, so I didn't want to use horseradish.  Salmon usually has a strong fishy flavor to me, so I avoid it. I have discovered that I don't care fore pink fish, I prefer white!  You can aso use dried dill from the spice section if you don't want to buy fresh, but fresh has a more delicate flavor. 

You also want to make sure that the cream cheese is room temperature or it is going to be hard to blend.  It really is worth the time it takes for it to come to room temp.  The sour cream will add an extra creaminess to the spread, and you can substitute fat free cream cheese and sour cream for the full fat varieties.