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Oh no, the cheeses fell!

May 22, 2012 by jmbtruefood

Although not on the scale of tragedy that equals the loss of human life, this week’s earthquake in Northern Italy still made me heartbroken for the skilled craftspeople who make Parmagiano Reggiano and Grana Padano cheeses. Check out these dramatic still photos to see how the quake affected hundreds of racks of aging wheels.

Italy’s earthquake destroys valuable cheeses

Nearly two years’ work down the drain. Once the wheels are broken, the aging process stops and mold can enter the interior paste. These wheels are worth up to $1000, and now if they can be salvaged, they’ll have to be grated or chopped down to a fraction of their full value. I feel for the cheese affineurs, who spend hours scrubbing, turning and caring for the wheels in the cave. This will set the economy of Modena back considerably, as cheese is their biggest export. So sad.

Posted in About cheese and cheesemakers, Caring for cheese, making cheese, Traveling for/with cheese | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Okra Cornmeal Cakes with Chèvre and Roasted Tomatoes

May 20, 2012 by jmbtruefood

I wonder if I somehow have southern blood running through my veins. I love okra, sweet potatoes, collard greens, southern green beans, cornbread and lots of other southern specialties. This recipe is a lovely combination of several of those specialties, and doesn’t it just look spectacular?? Thanks to Annie’s Eats for the fabulous recipe!

Yield: about 14 cakes

Ingredients

For the roasted tomatoes:
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Generous drizzle of olive oil
Pinch of kosher salt
Generous pinch of sugar

For the corn cakes:
2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1½ cups water, plus more as needed
8 oz. okra, stems trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 jalapeño, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼ cup canola oil, for frying

To serve:
About 3 oz. herbed goat cheese
Fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  • To make the roasted tomatoes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and sugar on a rimmed baking sheet and toss well to coat.  Bake for about 40 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  If not using immediately, refrigerate until needed.
  • To make the corn cakes, combine the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to blend and set aside.  Combine the egg and water in a liquid measuring cup and whisk lightly.  Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the cornmeal mixture, and stir just until combined.  Fold in the okra, jalapeño, and garlic until incorporated.  The mixture may seem a bit watery at first, but give it a minute for the cornmeal to soak up the liquid.  If the mixture is too dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time.
  • To cook the corn cakes, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very warm.  Drop in scoops of the dough mixture, about a scant ¼ cup each, spaced an inch or two apart.  Cook, flipping once during cooking, until both sides are lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Transfer the finished cakes to a paper towel-lined rack and repeat with the remaining dough mixture.
  • To serve, place a small dollop of the herbed chèvre on top of each warmed corn cake.  Let it sit for a minute or two to melt slightly, then spread gently over the top of the corn cake.  Top each cake with a few of the roasted tomatoes and garnish with fresh herbs as desired.  Serve immediately.

Posted in Appetizers, Snacks | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Savory Carrot Cake with Chevre

May 16, 2012 by jmbtruefood

A savory carrot cake? Oh, yes please! And with pepitas on top? Even better! There are some days when munching a piece of still-warm carrot cake for breakfast out on the deck as the day warms to summer temps really takes life to a whole new level. And then there’s the slightly-sweet chevre topping. Plus, the recipe is SUPER-easy — Dig in! And thank you to palate/palette/plate (a 2012 finalist in Saveur magazine’s top food blogs of the year) for the dreamy recipe and pix.

 

SAVORY CARROT CAKE WITH GOAT CHEESE
[Adapted from The Paris Baker, Rose Carrarini]

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup grated carrots
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup all-purpose or white whole-wheat flour, sifted
1 tsp tumeric powder
2 tsp ground coriander
A pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Small 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
_____________
4 oz goat cheese
honey
almond milk

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar; beat with a whisk until well-blended. Slowly add the olive oil, slowly, whisking continuously.  Add the carrots and cilantro; stir to combine.

2. In another bowl sift 1 cup flour and add the rest of the dry ingredients (including the ground flax and pepitas). Whisk gently to combine.

3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet carrot mixture until just combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into a bread pan and bake for about 50-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

For the goat cheese spread: Combine fresh goat cheese with a drizzle of honey and about a tablespoon of almond milk to thin slightly. Stir to a smooth consistency and spread on slices of the warm bread.

Posted in Breads, Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Glimpses into Cheese Aging

May 16, 2012 by jmbtruefood

Visits into US cave aging facilities, including some of the best in Wisconsin, Vermont, Manhattan and Oregon. It’s HARD work!

Willi Lehner in Wisconsin:

Rogue Creamery in Oregon:

Murray’s Cave on Bleeker Street in Manhattan:

Jasper Hill in Vermont:

Posted in About cheese and cheesemakers, Caring for cheese, making cheese | Leave a Comment »

Chocolate Yogurt Cake

May 15, 2012 by jmbtruefood

Have mercy! I thought I had eaten and baked all of the heavenly chocolate cakes, but no! Here’s one of the best. And you know how I love yogurt cakes. They are d.i.v.i.n.e. Have yourself some, NOW! Thanks, Epicurious!

 

yield: Makes 1 loaf

active time: 20 min

total time: 2 hr

ingredients

  • 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for buttering pan
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder plus additional for dusting pan
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • Special equipment: an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan (6-cup capacity)

preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter pan, then dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, 2/3 cup cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Whisk yogurt with water and vanilla in another bowl. Beat 3/4 stick butter with sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture. Add yogurt mixture, then remaining flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Transfer batter to pan and bake until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack to cool completely.

Posted in Desserts, Snacks | 1 Comment »

Fruit Bruschetta

May 15, 2012 by jmbtruefood

This looks just so wonderful! If you haven’t tried fruit with balsamic vinegar, you’re in for a treat. The idea comes from a Polish gourmet blog by way of Pinterest. It’s simple and sublime!

Ingredients

Several slices of sourdough bread

8 ounces of fresh goat cheese (chèvre)

Several ripe plums and 4 ounces of fresh raspberries

Two tablespoons of honey

1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar, olive oil for drizzling

Fresh thyme and rosemary

Directions

Toast or grill slices of bread on both sides. Drizzle olive oil on toasted bread and spread goat cheese on one side.

Cut plums in half and remove stones. Put in small pot, add honey and thyme. Cook over low heat for a few minutes until plums are tender but not falling apart. Spoon plums onto prepared toasts and drizzle with some of the fruit syrup in pot.

Put half of the raspberries into the pot with the remaining syrup, add balsamic vinegar and chopped rosemary. Heat until the raspberries just break down. Add remaining raspberries and stir. Spoon fruit onto prepared toasts and drizzle with fruit syrup.

Eat while warm.

 

Posted in Appetizers, Desserts | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Blackberry Goat Cheese Tart

May 11, 2012 by jmbtruefood

Here in northern Michigan we are poised to enter the summer fruit season…with the prospect of NO fruit this year! Repeated spring frosts have decimated the blossoms on virtually all of our fruit crops. So no apricots, strawberries, peaches, raspberries, cherries (gasp!), even apples are threatened. Horrors.

I am just hoping that the wild blackberries have escaped this awful fate. As a talisman against this eventuality, I offer the following dessert, courtesy of Blondie’s Cakespot.

Blackberry Goat Cheese Tart
Adapted from Always With Butter

Crust:
1 cup flour
pinch of salt
7 Tbsp butter, room temp
3 oz cream cheese, room temp

Filling:
6 oz fresh goat cheese
4 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Topping:
12 oz blackberries (or more)
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp thyme leaves

Crust:
- Combine everything in a food processor and pulse a few times until the dough is uniform. Turn out onto a piece of saran wrap, shape into a flat disk and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. It will be a very soft dough at this point so you definitely need to chill it to make it workable.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. The original instructions tell you to grease a 12×8″ tart pan, but I used my 9″ round one and didn’t grease it and everything still came out beautifully.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough and fit into your tart pan, trimming the edges. Stick it into the freezer. If you have some extra dough left over, re-roll it and make an extra mini-tart for later.

Filling:
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Pour into the pan, smooth the top and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Once the top is just slightly puffy and golden you should be all set.
- Let the tart cool completely, top with berries (as many as you like), a drizzle of honey over the top, and shower with the rest of the thyme leaves, if you like a savory note.

Posted in Desserts | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment »

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