Vivian Howard’s Party Magnet – Garden & Gun

Ingredients

• ¼ cup high-quality blue cheese (I like Maytag)
• ⅓ cup (5½ tablespoons) butter
• ¼ cup fresh goat cheese
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• ¼ cup chopped dates
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (both white and green parts work here)
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Salt-and-Butter-Roasted Pecans (recipe below), roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cups pecan halves or pieces
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided