Rediscover Cheese

As a culture, our palates are developing and we are seeking out new food experiences and quality ingredients. What started out as the discovery of fine wine, coffee, and chocolate is finally happening to cheese. Cheese courses are popping up on many menus and people are finding new and delicious varieties to try–many that aren’t made far from home.

If you have an inquiring palate I encourage you to explore the cheeses offered at your local store or cheese shop. Take a look in Blossom Organic Grocery and Lopez Village Market on Lopez as well as Rose’s on Orcas. When on the mainland, visit Slough Foods in Edison and Beecher’s, De Laurenti, and Whole Foods in Seattle. With so many cheeses available, shops with large selections offer tastes and advice to help you decide what to take home. If the lusciously stinky ripened varieties seem overwhelming, try an aged Gouda or Cheddar. Start with milder varieties and experiment as your tastes develop.

Please don’t be intimidated by the length of this recipe. It is quite easy to put together and can be prepared ahead as an appetizer for company or a great potluck dish. One torta goes a long way.

Fresh Goat Cheese Torta with Olive Tapenade, Pesto, and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Serves a crowd

2 cups sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened

8 oz fresh goat cheese/chévre

1 cup purchased prepared pesto or homemade pesto (recipe below)

1 cup purchased prepared olive tapenade or homemade tapenade (recipe below)

Pesto

1 or 2 plump garlic cloves

3 Tbs pine nuts

3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 to 1/4 tsp kosher salt

In the bowl of a food processor, chop pine nuts, garlic, and salt to a coarse paste. Add basil, olive oil, cheese and process until smooth.

Olive Tapenade

1/2 pound pitted olives, preferably Kalamata

1/4 cup capers, rinsed

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

1 tsp green peppercorns, drained (optional)

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until mixture is a smooth paste.

Torta Assembly

Combine cream cheese and goat cheese and mix until combined and lightly whipped.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse sun dried tomatoes until coarsely chopped.

Line a 1 to 1 1/2 quart bowl with plastic wrap. Spread a 1/4 inch layer of goat/cream cheese mixture in bottom of bowl. Spread 1/2 of pesto on top of cheese mixture and follow with another thin layer of goat/cream cheese. Spread 1/2 of olive tapenade on top and follow with another thin layer of goat/cream cheese. Spread all of chopped sun dried tomatoes followed with another cheese layer. Follow with another layer of tapenade, cheese, pesto, finishing with a final layer of cheese. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, remove cover of plastic wrap and invert bowl with torta onto serving platter. Remove bowl and plastic from torta. Serve with crackers and bread.

Poached pears are a delicious, easy, and elegant do-ahead dessert. This recipe combines dessert with the cheese course. If blue cheese is too strong for you, use a whole milk fresh ricotta with 1 Tbs of honey as a substitute.

Poached Pears Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

Serves 4 to 6

4 to 6 firm ripe pears

2 cups red wine, such as Zinfandel, Shiraz, or Syrah

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 bay leaves

One 2” long strip of orange zest, white pith removed

1/4 vanilla bean

4 to 6 oz good quality blue cheese, such as Rogue River Blue, Oregonzola, Blue de Basque, or French Papillion

4 oz toasted walnuts, crumbled

Bring wine, water, sugar, bay leaves, orange zest, and vanilla bean to a gently rolling simmer in a 3 or 4 quart sauce pan. Meanwhile, peal pears and keeping them whole, use a sharp paring knife or a pear corer to completely remove core leaving a hole from the top to bottom of each pear. Gently simmer pears in wine mixture until they just give when poked with a knife but are not mushy, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pears and chill. Continue simmering wine mixture until syrupy, strain and set aside. Crumble blue cheese with a fork and combine with walnuts. Slice off just enough of the bottom of each pear to allow them to stand up. Add the chopped pear bits to cheese and walnut mixture. Using your fingers or a small spoon, stuff each pear with the cheese and walnuts. Up to this point everything can be done ahead of time. When ready to serve, stand each pear on a plate and drizzle with reduced wine syrup.

An easy dish definitely fit for company. I like to make this version of macaroni and cheese with the various small hunks of cheese that inevitably accumulate in my cheese drawer in the refrigerator. Be as adventurous as you’d like with your cheese combinations; any and all cheeses will do. My personal favorite is some medium cheddar, a brie or camembert, and a little bit of both blue and parmesan.

Not Your Basic Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 6

4 Tbs butter

4 Tbs all purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 bay leaf

2 to 3 cups grated or chopped assorted cheeses

1 pound dried pasta, such as ziti or rigatoni

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350?. Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat if roux begins to brown. Whisk in milk and add bay leaves. Stir gently and bring to simmer. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of lightly salted water to boil and cook pasta until just al dente–slightly undercooked. Drain and rinse with cold water. When sauce starts to thicken, mix in cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Remove bay leaves from cheese sauce and combine cooked pasta and sauce in a 9” by 13” baking dish. Taste again for salt and pepper. Sprinkle bread crumbs over pasta and bake until breadcrumbs brown and cheese sauce is visibly bubbling, about half an hour to 45 minutes. Let casserole rest and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Kim Bast has cooked meals at the bottom of Grand Canyon, base camp of Mt. Rainier, and many places in between. A graduate of the Culinary Arts Program at the Art Institute of Seattle, Kim is currently a chef at The Bay Café on Lopez Island.

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