Strawberry Cheese Tartine Recipe

If you like soft, rich, creamy cheeses, you’ve probably discovered triple creme cheeses like St. Andre and double creme cheeses like brie. Double creme cheeses are between 60 and 75% butterfat. Triple creme cheeses are over 75% butterfat. Saint Angel from Fromagerie Guilloteau is something in the middle. It’s 71% butterfat, so technically it's a double creme cheese, but it has a texture much more similar to a triple creme cheese. 

Fromagerie Guilloteau the maker of Fromager d’Affinois cheeses including Saint Angel uses a process of “ultrafiltration” of milk, which not only shortens the aging time, but helps the cheese to retain a higher concentration of protein and calcium. Saint Angel is a white bloomy rind cow's milk cheese with fairly mild and subtle flavor but a little bit of tang and an intensely silky texture. It’s easy to spread and when I read that it was recommended with grilled bread or summer berries, I knew immediately how I was going to use it. 

I love the idea of tartines or bruschetta with breakfast instead of plain old toast and jam. I first had breakfast bruschetta in Hawaii at Koko Head Cafe. Chef Lee Anne Wong makes sugary Japanese style rusks and tops them with Greek yogurt, local fruit and some grated toasted macadamia nuts. I went even an simpler route for this treat. I just toasted baguette slices, spread them generously with Saint Angel cheese and topped them with slices of fresh strawberries. Voila! If you can’t find Saint Angel cheese, you could certainly try this with another double or triple creme cheese. I do think using a sweet baguette is key. You want a mild bread that doesn’t compete with the contrast of the tangy cheese and the sweetness of the berries. Because this uses French bread and French cheese, I’m calling it a tartine rather than bruschetta, but either name is fine. 

Strawberry Cheese Tartine

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients 

12 slices sweet baguette slices, cut about 1/3 inch thick

About 12 ripe, sweet strawberries, each cut into 3-4 slices, lengthwise 

6 ounces Saint Angel cheese (or another soft mild double or triple creme cheese)

Instructions 

Toast the slices of baguette until just lightly golden, not brown. Spread the slices thickly with cheese and top each slice with about 3 - 4 slices of strawberry. 

Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Fromagerie Guilloteau for sending me a sample of Saint Angel cheese. I was not compensated monetarily for this or any other post on Cooking with Amy

Polenta Stuffed Artichokes Recipe

My recipe for polenta stuffed artichokes came about thanks to winning some heirloom artichokes from Ocean Mist. When I was working on my first cookbook I needed artichokes and it wasn’t quite artichoke season. Fortunately Ocean Mist came to my rescue and kindly shipped me a whole carton full and I’ve been a fan ever since. I've found each of the varieties of artichokes they grow to be particularly plump and meaty with great flavor and not overly bitter. I'm a subscriber to their newsletter (join the free Artichoke Club) which alerts me to when and where artichokes are on sale locally and sometimes also gives away artichokes.

Most recipes use just the artichoke hearts or they call for stuffing the whole artichoke with bread crumb stuffing. I decided to try an entirely different kind of stuffing — lemon and goat cheese polenta. Artichokes tend to make other ingredients taste sweet, so the tangy and salty flavor profile of lemon and cheese complements it perfectly. It will seem like a lot of polenta, but it's what makes the dish so hearty. Use as much or as little of the polenta as you like. 

This is a very satisfying vegetarian main dish. If you don't have a microwave oven, you can prepare the artichoke and the polenta any way you prefer. Artichokes can be steamed on the stove and polenta can be cooked on the stove or in the oven, see instructions on the package. Note: This recipe requires that you trim off the stem. But don't throw it away! Steam it and peel it, and you'll find it has the same flavor and texture of an artichoke heart. 

Polenta Stuffed Artichokes

Single serving, easily multiplied 

1 large globe artichoke

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup medium polenta

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2 Tablespoons fresh goat cheese

1/2 teaspoon minced parsley

Remove the tough outer leaves of the artichoke and cut off top 1/2 inch of the leaves so the top is flat and no thorny tips remain. Trim the stem so the artichoke will stand upright. Cook the artichoke, as desired until tender. To steam in the microwave: Place the artichoke stem side up with 1/4 cup of water in a microwave safe soup mug or bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave at 1000 watts for 6 minutes).

To make the polenta in the microwave: Combine the water, milk and polenta in a microwave safe 2 quart casserole with a lid. Cover partially and microwave at 500 watts for 8 minutes. Stir then microwave, uncovered, for another 2 minutes or until thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, lemon zest, Parmigiano Reggiano and the goat cheese until smooth.

Stand the artichoke on a plate. Gently pull the leaves back and spread them to make room for the stuffing. Spoon the polenta into the leaves using a small dessert spoon or teaspoon. Sprinkle with parsley. 

Enjoy!

Endive Salad with Prosciutto Recipe

Growing up I ate a green salad pretty much every night with dinner. In Italy, we did the same, though it was served at the end of the meal. These days, I find it hard to convince my other half to eat salad. My solution is to make main dish salads. This one uses Belgian endive and is easy to make for one or a group. It has many delicious things added to a base of endive and fennel, namely candied walnuts, fresh mozzarella and prosciutto.

Endive and fennel just seem to have a natural affinity for one another. Both are crisp, but fennel has a chewier  texture and a sweetness, while endive is lighter and juicier and has a slightly bitter edge. You could use them to make a simple side salad but this one has lots of goodies to make it a main dish. Use a Champagne vinaigrette or a Dijon mustard vinaigrette to dress it. Or even just lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

One of the tricks to this salad is that one thin slice of prosciutto pulled into shreds adds loads of flavor. If you have jamon de Bellota, by all means use it. That's what I originally used in this salad. Just be sure to add it at the very last minute. Make extra candied walnuts, they are terrific for snacking.

Endive Salad with Prosciutto
One serving

1 Belgian endive, sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh fennel
1/4 cup diced fresh mozzarella
1 slice prosciutto, shredded into about 5 thin strips
2 Tablespoons walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Pinch salt
Vinaigrette

Make the candied walnuts by very gently heating the walnuts, sugar and salt in a non-stick skillet until the sugar melts and the walnuts toast. Swirl the pan so the sugar sticks to the nuts. Set aside and let cool while assembling the salad.

In a salad bowl toss the endive and fennel with a couple tablespoons of dressing. Place the salad on a plate and top with the mozzarella, walnuts and the prosciutto.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: My thanks to California Endive Farms for providing me with a generous sample of endive to use. I also wrote about endive on Recipe.com. 

Mexican Cheese Primer

Mexican cheese is readily available where I live, not expensive and yet I admit, I am often bewildered when I go to buy it. What's the difference between Cotija and Queso Anejo? Will Panela melt or crumble? If Quesadilla cheese is good for quesadillas, is Enchilado cheese for enchiladas? I have finally made sense of Mexican cheeses, thanks to lots of great information from the California Milk Advisory Board and some generous samples from Cacique, the largest Hispanic cheese brand in the US. Cacique has very detailed descriptions of all their cheeses as well as recipes when you're ready to dig in even further.

Don't be afraid to buy Mexican cheeses because you are not sure what to do with them. They are actually very easy to use and enjoy and often available in supermarkets. And they can be used in all kinds of dishes, not just traditional Mexican cuisine. Many are similar to cheeses you already know, like feta or mozzarella. It was the Spaniards who introduced cows and goats to Mexico as sources of meat and milk, so it's not surprising that Mexican cheeses bear a resemblance to European cheeses, especially ones from the Mediterranean countries including Spain, Italy and Greece.

When thinking about Mexican cheese, it's better to extend the category to Mexican dairy and divide everything into three categories, Fresh Cheeses, Aged Cheeses and Cream. I've listed the most popular and commonly available cheeses first.

FRESH CHEESES
Many fresh, or un-aged Mexican cheeses will soften but do not actually melt. Some of these cheese can be crumbled or fried. Of the fresh cheeses, only Queso Quesadilla and Oaxaca are melting cheeses.

Queso Fresco
This is the most commonly used Mexican cheese. Most similar to feta, it's mild, buttery and slightly salty, it softens, but it doesn't melt. It's typically used on salads and refried beans and it's perfect for enchiladas. You could easily use this cheese on any kind of salad, even Greek salad, in cheese spreads, blintzes, or in corn pudding.

Panela
Panela is a really fun cheese! It softens but does not melt and can be pan-fried like halloumi. Put it on salads, in potato casseroles, omelets and in sandwiches. You can also crumble it over spicy dishes. It is very mild in flavor.

Oaxaca
Like a braided mozzarella or string cheese, it does melt and gets stringy when hot. Use it for stuffing, especially in chile rellenos but also on lasagna, pizza or nachos.

Queso Quesadilla
A buttery melting cheese for use in quesadillas, but also in any grilled cheese sandwich and has an almost nutty buttery flavor. It's similar to jack cheese.

Requeson
The sweetest Mexican cheese, and very soft and grainy, like ricotta. Use it in desserts.

AGED CHEESES
Mexican aged cheeses will last longer, and are all firm because more moisture has evaporated, but range from crumbly to very hard. Of the aged cheeses, Asadero, and Manchego are melting cheeses.

Cotija aka Queso Anejo
The most strongly flavored cheese, most similar to parmesan or romano cheese but quite as dry. A little packs a punch! This is the cheese to use with corn, roll the cooked cob in mayonnaise then coat it in crumbled cotija and sprinkle it with cayenne and drizzle it with lime. Use it in place of parmesan as a topping on pasta or in a Mexican style Caesar salad.

Asadero
A buttery, mild melting cheese you can use in quesadillas, nachos or in grilled cheese sandwiches. It's very creamy and similar to fontina in flavor but like provolone in style, especially in the way you use it, sliced and draped over food to create a melted layer of cheese. You could use this on a cheeseburger or even melted in fondue.

Manchego
In Spain Manchego is made with sheep's milk cheese, but the Mexican style of Manchego made in the US, is made from cow's milk and more similar in flavor to a mild cheddar with a nutty flavor. It melts extremely well. You could use it in grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta dishes, or in Mexican dishes like queso fundido or chile rellenos. It's also great on a cheeseburger or in macaroni and cheese.

Enchilado
It is coated in mild chile, giving it a distinctive color and flavor. There are two versions, Enchilado and Enchilado Anejo, an even more aged style. It is a crumbly cheese that does not melt. It is milder than cotija and can be used as a stuffing in enchiladas or chile rellenos.


CREAM
There are creams from other Latin American countries but the Mexican style is generally most common. Try to find one without stabilizers if possible.

Crema aka Crema Mexicana
Think creme fraiche or thin sour cream, this rich yummy cream is thick but still liquid and not as firm as sour cream or American style yogurt. Drizzle it on spicy dishes, enchiladas, soups, chilaquiles. Crema can be used in cooking and on dishes as a finishing touch.