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My Story...
 
My true passion is to help people spend more time together...like years ago...on a front porch, back deck or yard.  People talking, laughing, sharing your lives and adventures with each other.  No phones, no televisions, just family and friends enjoying each other's company with good fun, good conversations and good food.  Imagine putting out a box or tray filled with delectable cheeses; sweet and savory meats; fresh fruit and veggies of the season; dips; honeys; nuts and more.  Setting that down and then sitting down to enjoy time...together.  You can almost picture time stopping for a moment, being able to capture in your hearts what you will carry with you until you see your loved ones again.  This is priceless and what we are all longing for.  

Let me help you achieve this.
 
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My Story

Recipes for Leftover Cheeses

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Havarti Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese

 

2 slices of bread of choice, Havarti cheese, 2-4 slices of fresh tomato and Fresh basil grilled to perfection

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Havarti Turkey Grinders

 

Turkey, Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and you can add pear all layered on French bread

 

Bistro Apple Panini

 

Bacon strips cut in half and cooked, apple slices (thin); Havarti cheese, Dijon mustard layered on sour dough bread and cooked

 

Jarlsberg Cheese Dip

 

7 T butter; 2 sweet Vidalia onions, thinly sliced; 1 pound of jarlsberg (shredded or cut in small pieces); 2 C mayo and a pinch of paprika

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Stir in onions and cook until soft and translucent, 7-12 minutes.  Let cool.  Stir onions, Jarslberg cheese and mayo together in a large bowl.  Spread mixture into a large baking dish and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake in preheated oven until dip puffs slightly and cheese is melted, about 24-30 minutes.  Serve over sliced baguettes.

 

Jarlsberg is a great cheese to use for fondue!!!

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Blue Cheese

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You can use the blue cheese on a flatbread pizza with prosciutto; arugula, mushrooms,  chopped walnuts, and rosemary drizzled with Mike’s hot honey!

 

Make a beautiful beet (red and gold) and blue cheese salad with thinly sliced scallions, fresh dill and finely chopped parsley.  Marinate the cooked beets in 1/4 C olive oil, 2 T lemon juice, 2 T red wine vinegar, 1 t light brown sugar and 1 garlic clove minced.

 

Rib Eye Steak with a Sweet Blue Cheese butter (4 oz of blue cheese and 1/4 C butter softened – gently fold the blue cheese into the butter just until combined.  Place the mixture in plastic wrap and roll into a log shape.  Chill for 1 hour.  When ready to use, cut into 1/2" thick pieces and place on meat while it is resting.

 

The Merlot Cheddar hold onto for sipping on some wine!

Cheesy Garlic Bread

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 crusty loaf, preferably sourdough or Vienna

  • ¾ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (or other melting cheese like Boursin, cheddar, brie)

Garlic Butter

  • 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced

  • ¾ tsp salt

  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

  2. Combine butter, garlic and salt in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave. Stir through parsley.

  3. Cut the bread on a diagonal into 2cm/1" diamonds but do not cut all the way through the bread (just like you would cut a french stick for garlic bread).

  4. Use your fingers or a knife to pry open each crack and drizzle in a teaspoon of butter and stuff in some of the cheese. This might sound like a bit of an effort, but I promise you it is worth it! You don't need to be super neat, it's nice to have some of the butter drizzled over the crust.

  5. Wrap with foil and bake for 15minutes until the cheese has mostly melted, then unwrap and bake for 5 minutes more to make the bread nice and crusty.

  6. Serve immediately.

Bacon Beer Cheese Bread Bowl

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INGREDIENTS

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 8 ounces (1 cup) lager or beer of choice, plus 1 tablespoon, divided

  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 8 ounces swiss cheese, jarslberg or gruyere, shredded

  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

  • 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (such as chives, parsley, and dill)

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • Chopped chives, to top

  • Broccoli and pretzels to serve, optional

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

  2. Slice off the top of the bread. Hollow out the inside of the bread to create a bowl. Save the top of the bread for later.

  3. In a large bowl, combine whisk together the softened cream cheese and 1 cup of the beer, until well-combined. Combine the remaining tablespoon of beer with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add the cornstarch slurry, the whole grain mustard, and the Worcestershire sauce to the cream cheese mixture and whisk again to combine. Fold in the shredded cheeses, then fold in the bacon. Fill the bread bowl with the cheese mixture. Transfer the bread bowl to a rimmed baking sheet.

  4. Slice the top of the bread that was cut off earlier into thin pieces, and place them on the baking sheet, crust-side up.

  5. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, herbs, and olive oil. Spoon or brush the herb mixture onto the tops of the bread slices.

  6. Bake the bread for 5 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted, stir, and continue to bake until the cheese begins to brown on top, about 30 minutes. If you notice that the bread slices begin to brown too much, cover them with foil as the beer cheese finishes cooking.

  7. Top the dip with chopped chives and serve warm with the bread slices, broccoli, and pretzels.

Flavor combinations

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Take a cracker, top it with humboldt fog (if this is on your board), add a dried apricot and drizzle it with honey.  The savory saltiness of the blue cheese combined with the sweetness of the honey and apricot and crispiness of the cracker is delicious.

 

Take a scoop of Cambazola (if it is on your tray) add it to a cracker of slice of baguette and add a dollop of jam and drizzle of honey.  This gives you the flavor of brie with a ribbon of blue cheese through it so the salty and sweet combination is amazing!

 

Take a cracker, top it with a piece of salami, then some Boursin cheese, add a dollop of jam and drizzle with honey.  It is a flavor explosion!

Take a cracker, top it with blue cheese and fresh fig (if they are on your board) and drizzle it with honey.  The savory saltiness of the blue cheese combined with the sweetness of the honey and crispiness of the cracker is delicious!

Take a piece of Manchego and a piece of prosciutto (if on your board) and drizzle this with honey and top with a Marcona almond or olive (if on your board).  The flavor combination of the sharpness of the Manchego, the sweetness of the honey and the saltiness of the prosciutto, almond or olive is an incredible flavor combination!

Take the Toscano (either soaked in syrah or dusted with cinnamon (available only in the fall) and pair it with salami, grapes or blackberries and drizzle with honey.  Put this on a cracker of sliced baguette for an incredible flavor experience.

Take a wedge of brie on a cracker with jam and a drizzle of honey!  The creaminess of the brie and the heat of the jalapeno jam and then the sweetness of the honey is perfection!
 

Easy Brie and Pasta Recipe

 

Ingredients:

Brie (wedge or whatever you have left over…the cheesier the better)

1 fresh tomato chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped (I love fresh garlic so I add more)

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1/3 C olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1 lb favorite pasta (tubed pasta holds more flavor)

 

Directions:

 

Break brie up in a large bowl; add the olive oil; garlic; tomato; and basil and let sit out and meld for a good hour or so.

 

Cook pasta to desired doneness.  Strain.  Add hot pasta to brie mixture and stir thoroughly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

This can be served with grilled shrimp; chicken or all on its own with a great salad and crusty bread!

Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia

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Ingredients

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1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 cup (235 ml) warm water

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)

1/4 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

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DIRECTIONS

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In a cold medium saucepan, combine olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes or until aromatic, but before the garlic browns. Set aside and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Stir a few times then let sit for 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of flour and a 1/4 cup of infused garlic-olive oil mixture to the bowl with yeast and honey. Stir 3 to 4 times until the flour has moistened. Let sit for another 5 minutes.

Stir in the remaining 1-1/2 cups of flour and salt. When the dough comes together, transfer to a floured board and knead 10 to 15 times until smooth.

Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover with a warm, damp towel and let rise for 1 hour. (It’s best to let the dough rise in a warmer area of your kitchen).

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After 1 hour, heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use two tablespoons of the remaining garlic-olive oil mixture to oil a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking dish. 

Transfer the dough to the baking dish then press it down into the pan. Use your fingers to dimple the dough then drizzle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the garlic olive oil mixture. Let the dough rise for 20 minutes until it puffs slightly.

Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool baked focaccia bread on a wire rack.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage

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Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)

  • 1 bunch fresh sage

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

Directions

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Preheat oven to 350°. Halve squash lengthwise and peel; remove seeds and pulp with a spoon. Place flat side down on cutting board and slice into half-moon pieces, about 1/2-inch thick or buy already cubed squash. 

Chop enough sage to equal 1 tablespoon; set aside remaining sprigs. Combine squash, chopped sage, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Spread out in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Turning once halfway through, roast squash 30 to 35 minutes, until tender and caramelized.

Meanwhile, line a large plate with paper towels. Remove stems from remaining sage. Pour 1/2 cup olive oil into a small skillet over medium heat. Fry 1/3 of sage leaves 20 to 30 seconds, until crisp. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat process with remaining sage.

Arrange squash on a platter and garnish with fried sage leaves.

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