2 Festival of Cheese

A few weeks ago we celebrated Shavuot (something to do with the season of the grain harvest). Although we harvested no grain, we kept tradition by eating dairy-based dishes. We happily gathered friends and loved ones at our home... We filled up the kiddie pool, mowed the lawn, bought out the dairy section of the deli and began our eating fest.

Cheesecakes can often be found in my deep-freezer. I never make just one. I often will make 3 or 4 cakes, chill them in the fridge, wrap well and freeze for a rainy day (a sunny one will also do). So whenever we get an impromptu invitation to friends or guests give us short notice of arrival, guess what gets slipped out of the ice box?...

So, as cheesecake is a well known repertoire in our household, I decided this holiday to be a little different. So I made a cold caramel sour cream crumble, and yes, it was appreciated. Naturally, the festival of cheese cannot pass without my grandmother's rum raisin cheese blinches (cheese filled crepes). To balance out the sugar and accompany the cheeses, I threw in a salad (with cheese!) and some goat cheese paté layered on red pepper coulis.

Friends dropped by with some fresh bread, kids, and some good German beer, and so began our long day of festivities.

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Goat Cheese Paté with Red Pepper Coulis

Source: my own

For Paté

100g goat cheese Feta

100g goat cheese Camembert

50g butter, softened

50g spreadable goat cheese.

100g grated aged goats cheese (to taste)

For coating: finally chopped chives, whole toasted sesames (or black sesames), toasted crushed hazelnuts (or another type, if preferred)

For Coulis

3 red peppers

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

To make coulis, roast and peel the peppers and when chilled puree with remaining coulis ingredients. This will store for a few days in the fridge if well sealed.

To make pate balls, blend all ingredients in a food processor and place in the fridge to harden to a workable consistency. When hardened, roll into balls and immediately coat. Store in a container until serving.

To assemble, spoon coulis on the serving platter and place pate balls on top.


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Gorgonzola and Roasted Beet Salad

Source: my own

This is a very impressive summer salad, although it can easily be made into a Sunday winter brunch salad by changing the fruit.

For Salad

Serves 6

6 fistfuls of mixed lettuce and young salad greens

1 medium red onion, halved lengthwise and finely sliced lengthwise

2 large beets cut into 8 slices lengthwise

1 ½ cups crumbled gorgonzola

4 quartered fresh figs, 15 blackberries or 8 halved medium strawberries

A handful of halved sugared pecans

For dressing

Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar until blended

To prepare beets, toss in olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake in a moderate for about 45 minutes or until they are baked through.

To assemble salad, mix greens and onion and dress. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a serving dish and arrange remaining ingredients on top. Serve immediately.


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Cold Caramel Sour Cream Crumble

Source: Based on a cake by Dudu Outmezgine

Ingredients for a 26cm round cake or 3 medium loaf pans.

For cake base and crumble:

350g self raising flour

200g butter, softened

¾ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla (or the content of 1 vanilla bean)

2 eggs

For Filling:

300g butter

2 eggs, separated

¾ cups powdered sugar

4 heaped tablespoons dulce de leche (see notes)

600g sour cream

Preheat oven to 180C. Using your fingers, crumble together all ingredients for cake base.

To make base, place ¾ of the dough mixture in the cake pan. Using your hand or the bottom of a mug, press the crumbles together until tightly packed on the floor of the pan.

Crumble the remaining dough loosely into a separate baking pan.

Place both pans in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden. Chill.

While chilling, prepare the filling (accidental poetry!):

Whip butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, add yolks and continue beating until uniform. Add dulce de leche and and sour cream and set aside when all is mixed through.

Whip up egg whites with remaining powdered sugar until stiff. Fold into cheese mixture.

To assemble, line the side of a pan with transparency paper (this is not a must, but will help with removing the side of the spring form pan. Pour cheese filling on top of the chilled base.

Take the remaining baked crumbled dough and sprinkle evenly on top of the cheese filling. Freeze.

Remove from freezer into fridge 2 hours before serving.
Note: Dulce de Leche is a term for caramel in Argentina. You can buy it in specialized food stores, or you can make it at home. See Make Dulce de Leche.


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