Host Your Own Cheese Night

The Night of Cheese wrap-up is complete! In case you missed a course, here is the rundown:

Decor and Overview

First Course

Second Course

Third Course

Fourth Course

Fifth Course

Sixth Course

Maybe you are completely tired of cheese at this point (shame on you!), or maybe this series has inspired you to throw your own cheese tasting. If you are looking for any easy place to start, you can refer to the ideas and tips in the posts above, or you can check out this post I wrote for From Scratch Club about De-Mystifying the Cheese Plate. Learn about how many cheeses you should put on a cheese plate (three or five), what type of milk to choose, mixing textures, appropriate serving sizes, how to arrange the plate, adding accouterments, and much more! If you have any more questions about cheese (how to use it, how to buy it, what to do with it), email me or leave me a comment!

A Night of Cheese - Sixth Course

The final course for the Night of Cheese was the simplest course to assemble. A play on a classic dessert offering, Seaver Brook Blue (from Bonnieview Farm, South Albany VT) was plated next to a dollop of buckwheat honey. Traditionally, chestnut honey would accompany this style of cheese, but chestnut honey can be tough to come by here in the States. Buckwheat honey is a comparable alternative and is just as tasty.  It's gentle earthiness and rich flavor help to balance the pungency of the blue cheese. The sweetness of the honey compliments the sweetness in the cheese.

The Churchill's 10 Year Tawny Port was paired alongside the Seaver Brook Blue. The port's rich and complex taste is typical of a tawny port, but it's unique brightness balanced the other heavy textures of the cheese and honey.

No recipe here. It was all about simple, delicious ingredients and easy assembly.

A very special thank you to Eric Paul, The Cheese Traveler, for his expertise. Without him, this night would not have happened! Be sure to follow him on Facebook. Bonnieview Farm cheese can be purchased through The Cheese Traveler, online, or at regional farmers markets.

A Night of Cheese: First Course

The first course in A Night of Cheese featured one of my favorite cheeses - Fresh Goat's Milk Cheese from Coach Farm (Pine Plains, NY). The cheese was smooth and creamy with a little bit of tang on the finish. Its most notable feature was probably the creaminess, which coated the entire palate, but a close second would be the grassy notes that proved how fresh the cheese really was. Each diner received half of a two ounce cheese "button" alongside a candied orchid. The hardened sugar on the orchid provided a nice crunch to contrast with the cheese, while the floral qualities highlighted the "grassiness." Diners simply plucked off the petals to enjoy with each bite of cheese.

The beverage pairing was a Non-Vintage Cuvee M from Mumm Napa (Rutherford, CA). This demi-sec sparkling wine featured particularly small bubbles and a long finish, which were excellent for cleansing the palate and cutting the creamy texture of the cheese. For more info on sparkling wine dryness, read this post.

I really loved this course. It was the perfect jumping off point for the rest of the evening. The candied orchids were an elegant touch that could not have been simpler to make. Try making a batch of candied edible flowers to decorate cakes and other baked goods! (Besides orchids, other edible flowers include herb and fruit blossoms, violets, johnny jump-ups, carnations, lilacs, nasturtiums, English daisies, marigolds, and hollyhocks, among others.)

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Candied Flowers

One egg white (or powdered egg whites - mix according to manufacturer's instructions)
Castor sugar or superfine sugar
Edible flowers

1. Select your flowers. Be sure to choose flowers that have been grown for culinary purposes without pesticides and that are blemish free (you want them to look pretty, after all!). Wash them gently or wipe with a wet sponge to remove any dirt. Allow to air dry.

2. Beat an egg white until slightly frothy. With a small clean paintbrush, lightly coat each flower (front and back) with the egg white (work in batches to avoid the egg white drying too fast on the flower).

3. Coat each flower thoroughly with the sugar. To make your own superfine sugar, pulse white granulated sugar in a food processor several times (be careful - don't turn it into powdered sugar!).

4. Allow each flower to dry for 12-24 hours on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. Candied flowers will last up to three months in a cool, dry environment. Avoid eating the white base of each flower, which tends to be bitter.

A very special thanks to Eric Paul, The Cheese Traveler, for his expertise. Without him, this night would not have happened! Be sure to follow him on Facebook. Coach Farm goats milk cheese can be purchased through The Cheese Traveler or at any of these establishments.

Herbed Salt

Get ready for one of the easiest, most useful recipes ev-ah. Herbed salt takes less than 5 minutes to make, but has myriad applications. Try a little on homemade french fries or potato chips. Or try a lot, a la salt-crusted fish. It's a simple touch that makes the dish just a smidge more special. It's also a great way to use up an overflow of garden herbs. I recently brought this to a From Scratch Club food swap and people clamoured for it!

Have any other suggestions for herbed salt use? I'd love to hear!

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Herbed Salt
Makes Approximately 2 Cups

2 cups Kosher salt
1/2 cup finely chopped herbs

1. Wash and thoroughly dry your herbs (you can use any herbs you like - I went Provençal and used thyme, rosemary, tarragon and sage). Finely chop herbs.

2. Combine herbs and salt together. Store in an airtight container (you can use immediately, but I like to let it sit for a day or two to let the flavors marry). Keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

SWILLED: Peach Cocktails

Today's peach-fix comes in the form of a summery libation (or two). Peaches are surprisingly versatile when it comes to cocktails and work well with several types of alcohol and mixers. I'm over at From Scratch Club today talking about two peach cocktails (and a mocktail substitute), the Positano Peach and the Sweet Savannah Sipper. Make them tonight to help kick-off your Thirsty Thursday and prepare for the weekend!

PS - Eric really liked the non-alcoholic version of the Sweet Savannah Sipper, and here's proof (he just learned "Cheers!" too, so he likes to clink glasses with Dave :-)

Strawberry-Basil Popsicles

The strawberry marathon continues! This time around it is Strawberry-Basil Popsicles, a super-easy treat that is just perfect for the heat and humidity coming our way in the Northeast.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at my Aunt Laura's house. Her kids were about my age (my cousin Logan is just a month older than me), and since my aunt worked as a secretary for the school, she had summer's off. My first introduction to homemade popsicles came from those summers, when Aunt Laura would take Kool-Aid or whatever other fruity drink was around and pour it into an ice cube tray. She would place plastic wrap over the top, then stick toothpicks into each cube segment and freeze the whole thing to make little mini popsicles. The weight of the popsicle was often too much for a flimsy little toothpick, but it was no matter to us, we were happy to have a chilly treat for those hazy Upstate New York summers. Making these popsicles reminded me of Aunt Laura and, like any good food should, evoked memories of other times.

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Strawberry-Basil Popsicles
Makes 6-8

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
10-12 basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
4 cups strawberries

1. Combine the sugar, water, and basil in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil.

2. Remove sugar mixture from heat and allow to cool. Be sure to muddle the basil leaves with a wooden spoon to release oils. This is essentially a basil simple syrup recipe. Use more or less basil to taste. Remove basil leaves after about 10 minutes.

3. In a blender, puree strawberries. Add basil simple syrup and blend again. For a smoother consistency, strain mixture through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Pour mixture into popsicle mold or into biodegradable disposable cups. Place popsicle stick or spoon into the center of each popsicle and freeze for three hours or overnight.

4. To unmold popsicles, simply run the mold or cups under hot water for a few seconds. Best enjoyed barefoot and/or in a hammock.

PS - In case you couldn't tell, this recipe is baby-approved.