Homemade Fromage Blanc
 Draining the whey: 3 hours |
 Hang curds to drain more: another 3 hours |
Fromage blanc (white cheese) is a great alternative to cream cheese – fewer calories, more flavor. It takes a day to make a batch, but it’s a waiting game – there are fewer than 15 minutes (!) of active preparation.
Fromage blanc makes a yummy spread on it’s own, but it’s far more interesting with other flavors added:
- sundried tomato and basil
- fresh berries
- fresh chives
- fig jam
If you get tired of spreading it on your bagels:
- Gypsy Peppers Filled with Fromage Blanc and Fines Herbes
- Mix it with honey or maple syrup and use it as a fruit dip.
- Use it in lasagna or stuffed shells in place of ricotta.
- Try it in a cheese cake instead of cream cheese.
Note: Fromage blanc can be made with whole or skim milk – the more fat in the milk, the creamier the cheese and the higher the yield.
Roasted Beet and Chèvre Tart with Polenta Crust
We made this for the second time in three weeks – that says it all.
I like a crispy crust. Ten minutes before it’s ready, I remove the exterior of the tart pan and bake it for the time remaining with the sides uncovered. Delicious beauty!
Basil Pesto
When the first fall frost is fast approaching, making pesto is the perfect distraction from the depressing thoughts of Old Man Winter knocking on my door. Bright green basil leaves strewn all over the kitchen…fingers green from picking the leaves off the stems and stinky and sore from peeling garlic.
Ingredients
-
2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil, the good stuff
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Blanch the basil leaves for 20 seconds in boiling water and drain. This step is optional, but it keeps the pesto from turning a dull green color.
- Combine the basil, garlic, nuts, olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Puree until a paste forms, stopping a few times to push down basil. Stop here if you plan to freeze* the pesto.
- Add cheese; blend until smooth. Use immediately.
*Freezing Pesto
For a taste of summer all winter long:
- Make enough pesto to fill a 1-quart freezer bag 1/3 full. Seal.
- Flatten the bag so that the pesto spreads out and fills the bag evenly. Freeze.
You end up with a 1/2” thick slab of frozen pesto that can be easily divided with a sharp knife into any amount you need. Don’t forget to add the Parmesan cheese after it thaws!
Never Fail Pizza Dough
 Wild mushroom, Gruyere, and white truffle oil |
 Tomato, basil, mozzarella, and Parmesan |
Friday night is flatbread (a.k.a. pizza) night at our house. We make them with whatever happens to be in season, in our pantry, or in our fridge. The dough is simple and consistent, and it goes together in under 20 minutes. We tried more than six different dough recipes before we committed to the one below. It never disappoints! You can also play around with the flour combinations. Our current favorite is half spelt and half bread flour.
Never Fail Pizza Dough
Makes two 14″ thin crusts.
Ingredients
2 1/2 – 3 cups flour (all-purpose, bread, spelt)
1 1/2 tspn. salt
1 pkg active dry yeast (.25 oz or 2 1/4 tspn.)
1 cup warm water
Preparation
- Combine 2 cups of flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the center. Pour in the water and stir with a spoon until a dough forms. Add additional flour 1/4 cup at a time and mix by hand until the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers. Note: You may not need all the flour.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and knead until smooth – about 6-8 minutes. If dough gets sticky, add more flour a little at a time. (If your bowl is big, you can probably knead the dough in the bowl.)
- Lightly coat another mixing bowl with olive oil. Place the dough ball in the bowl turning once to coat the top and bottom of the ball with oil. Cover with a plate or clean towel and place in a warm place until doubled in size (approx. 45 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- Divide dough into two equal portions. Roll and stretch dough until it fits your pizza stone or pan. Prebake plain crust for 6 minutes.
Now the real fun begins: add the toppings of your choice and bake until the crust edges are golden (approx. 12-14 minutes).
Bacon Wrapped Figs with Gorgonzola and Walnuts
Ingredients
fresh figs
a wedge of Gorgonzola cheese
bacon
aged balsamic vinegar (or try pomegranate molasses)
walnuts
toothpicks
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Make a 3/4” long slit in the top of the fig. (Black Missions are my favorite, but Calimyrna or Brown Turkeys are also good.)
- Place a chunk of Gorgonzola cheese inside.
- Wrap a slice of bacon around the stuffed fig. Use a toothpick to secure and don’t overlap the bacon more than a 1/2” or it won’t get crispy.
- Place figs upright on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses.
- Sprinkle with crumbled walnuts.
- Roast for 12-15 minutes – until bacon is crispy.
Serve with Prosecco or Muscato dessert wine.
Fig Preserves
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 pounds firm, fresh figs, trimmed and quartered
2T lemon juice
zest of one lemon or orange
Preparation
- Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- Stir in figs, lemon juice, and zest.
- Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the preserves are thick and syrupy, stirring occasionally. (I set a timer for every 20 minutes, so I don’t forget about them.)
Preserves will keep refigerated for up to three months.
Easy Currant Preserves: Not Quite Bar-Le-Duc
Bar-Le-Duc is a jelly made from red and white currants. The labor-intensive process produces a caviar-like jelly. Jars of real Bar-Le-Duc jelly are expensive and hard to find these days. Fortunately, in the Midwest in July, fresh currants are easy to find at your local farmers’ market. The recipe below lacks the nuances and sophistication of a true Bar-Le-Duc, but it’s a delicious alternative that can be made in less than an hour.
Ingredients
1 pint red currants
1 pint white currants
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups water
Preparation
- De-stem and rinse currants. (25 minutes)
- Combine currants, sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Use an emulsion blender to puree the currant mixture as it cooks.
- Once sugar has dissolved use a hand strainer to retrieve as many seeds as you can from the pan. (I managed to get approximately 90% of the seeds in 3-5 minutes.)
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Bob Vivant 