Cleansing the Palate

Timeless beauty

What would any of the 12 days of Christmas be without a cheese tray? Well…nothing in my house. I live for cheese at any time of the year but it's this season that I allow myself to be excessive. Cheese is traditionally served at the end of meals in many European countries and I am happy to carry on a heritage tradition of serving a cheese plate with a bit of savoury nibbles on the side. It is lovely on the tongue after a heavy meal or a strongly flavoured one in place of a sweet and filling dessert. After a lighter fare a cheese tray can be a course all its own and should be served with a more substantial accompaniment such as hearty breads and compotes or a charcuterie board.  It's just a shame the cheeses I love are so expensive that this has to be a special occasion tradition.

Along with the cheeses shown below I served a Le Sauciflard sausage with a Parmesan rind, a Mennonite Summer Sausage, Spanish Olives of differing types such as cracked and spiced small and Jumbo plain. I managed to find dilled pickles the size of my little finger as sweet pickles such as gherkins aren't popular around here. 

To go with the 'cheese ball' I made, I served Kashi fire-roasted vegetable crackers and Pita crisps with Sea Salt. Absolutely delicious ! I mention the cheese ball with quotes as it isn't truly a cheese ball - more of a thick spreadable dip wrapped with phyllo dough. I originally thought of this as individual appetizers made from Goat's milk but a dearth of the necessary time demanded a change in the plan. This is what I came up with.

To make this again as a whole offering, I would make a bowl out of the phyllo rather than treat it like a galette with a top, like I did here. That way guests can scoop out a spoonful at a time onto their plate without wrestling with temperamental phyllo dough that tends to become shards of confetti when baked. 

Since the filling is the most important part of the dish, I am including the recipe here even though the presentation was a last minute compromise that probably won't make it to my kitchen journal as is.

A sampling of what was served: Top left to bottom right:
Kaltback Gruyère (Switzerland); Swiss Babybel; Snowdonia Smoked Cheddar (Wales); Kerrygold aged cheddar (Ireland);
 Saint Agur Blue Cheese (France); Snowdonia Cheddar (Wales): Cheddar Babybel

Left: The Smoked Cheddar is a grainy, crumbling cheese with a mildly pungent flavour holding a light smokiness.
Right: The aged cheddar in the black wax is simply lovely. Although a firm cheese, as soon as it hits that
sweet spot between the tongue and the upper palate, it turns into a slightly sweet creamy paste that is divine.

Left: The fabulously wonderful Kerrygold along with a Double Gloucester, a Wensleydale or a Red Leicester will be
my favourite go-to cheeses from across the pond.
Right: I do love Stilton and a mild Irish or Danish blue but I can't say this Saint Agur is a favourite. I found the mustiness to be too overpowering for me. I'd rather have a bit more tartness and a little less damp basement.

Oh yeah!! I love me a good gruyere and this one doesn't disappoint. Firm, slightly granular but with the teeniest of
grains, pungent without curling the toes and a milky paste made in that sweet spot all lead to an enjoyable mouth
feel and taste.

How I served this : wedge of galette onto plate with crackers and spread knife

Cheese, Pepper and Artichoke Spread/Dip

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

130g Pickled Peppedaw Peppers from South Africa

175g Pickled Artichoke Hearts

Salt and pepper

butter, melted

phyllo dough, half a pkg

In processor, add softened cheese, peppers, artichokes, salt, pepper and whiz until blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Remove half of the phyllo sheets and return rest to plastic wrap to stop from drying out. Working quickly, lay a sheet at a time onto a baking tray, lathering on melted butter onto each sheet. Place cheese ball in centre of sheets and fold up one corner. Brush melted butter onto fold and repeat on the other three corners, brushing on more butter as you go.

Bake in 375 degree oven for approx 20 minutes or until golden brown all over. If top is browning too quickly, cover the top loosely with foil, removing near the end of cooking time to continue browning.

Can be reheated in the oven - just cover any cut parts with foil or parchment paper to stop the exposed parts from drying out as it reheats. (If you are following my suggestion of a phyllo bowl, cover the entire top when reheating.)

Lovely Chenin Blanc from South Africa is a wonderful wine for both the cheese platter
and the rabbit dish I served for Christmas dinner.

all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2015