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Baked Saint Marcellin
by Fromageries de l'Etoile
Ingredients:
1 Saint Marcellin
1 red apple
1 eggplant
breadcrumbs
1 egg yolk
oil for frying
Directions: Mix egg yolk with breadcrumbs. Cut the eggplant into 8 thin slices, dip them in the breadcrumb mixture and fry them. Cut slice the apple into 8 pieces. Divide the cheese into 4 pieces. Place 1 slice of eggplant, 1 apple slice, a piece of cheese, another slice of eggplant and another apple slice on each of four skewers. Bake in 350°F oven until the cheese begins to melt and serve immediately. Serves 4.
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Brie Pizza Pie
Ingredients:
1 pie crust
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
8 oz Brie
2 lg plum tomatoes
10 cured, pitted black olives
2 tbs sweet onion
1tbs minced oregano
2 tbs grated Parmesan
flour
Directions: Bring pie-crust to room temperature and unfold onto a floured baking sheet. Fold 1/2-inch over the edge of the pan and crimp the edges. Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the rind from the Brie and cut into Small cubes. Cut tomatoes into thin round slices. Slice olives as desired. Spread olive oil over crust and sprinkle with half of the Brie. Add tomatoes and olives. Top with onion, remaining Brie, oregano and Parmesan. Bake approximately 20 minutes, until the crust is crisp and cheeses are slightly bubbling.
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Burgers with Bleu d'Auvergne
Ingredients:
3 lbs lean ground beef
4oz crumbled Bleu d' Auvergne cheese
½ cup minced chives
¼ tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
Directions: Mix ground beef, Bleu d'Auvergne, chives, hot sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, salt and mustard. Cover and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours. Preheat grill to high. Form the beef mixture into 10 -12 patties. Oil grill. Grill patties 3 - 10 minutes, depending on your liking. Add a slice of Bleu d'Auvergne on top if you like, and any other garnish you enjoy.
Try this recipe with Fourme d'Ambert as well.
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Chicken tartine with Pont-l'Evêque
Ingredients:
4 slices country-style bread
¼ lb Pont-l'Evêque
2 chicken breasts
Marinade
- 1 lemon
- 3 oz olive oil
- 1 branch rosemary
- 1 tsp curry
- salt & pepper
Directions:For the marinade: Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, rosemary and curry, season and mix. Marinate the chicken breasts for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°. Remove the rind from the Pont l'Evêque and cut into thin strips. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and wrap them in aluminum foil. Close tightly and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Open the aluminum foil (be careful of the burning hot steam) and set aside to cool. When cool, cut into thin strips. Grill the slices of bread on one side. Spread a few chicken strips on the ungrilled side of the bread. Spread the cheese strips onto the chicken. Bake for a few minutes, until the cheese melts. Serves 4.
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Chicken with Fourme d'Ambert and crispy potatoes
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2/3 cup hazelnuts
7 oz Fourme d'Ambert
2/3 lb crème fraîche
Pepper
Salt
1 bunch chives
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 lb potatoes
1 1/2 oz olive oil
3 tbs butter
2 tomatoes
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Crush the hazelnuts in a blender to the consistency of breadcrumbs. Peel and grate the potatoes. Cut the Fourme d'Ambert into cubes. Chop the chives and flat leaf parsley. Cut the chicken breast into strips and coat them in the hazelnut crumbs. Cook the chicken strips for about 20 minutes. In a frying pan heat a covering of olive oil and fry the grated potatoes in small stacks. Heat the cream and melt the cheese cubes in it. Adjust the seasoning. Serve chicken and potatoes with sauce and tomatoes seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, herbs and a splash of red wine vinegar. Serves 4.
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Comté croquettes with fried parsley
Ingredients:
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
13.5 oz milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 lbs Comté
1 bunch of curly parsley
2 lemons
salt
freshly milled black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 qt groundnut oil
3 cups breadcrumbs
Directions: Melt the butter in a pan over a gentle heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and mix together using a wooden spoon until it starts bubbling gently. Then gradually add the cold milk in small quantities. Separate the eggs, keeping only the yolks. Away from the heat, beat the egg yolks thoroughly. Grate the Comté and add to the mixture. Season and add the nutmeg. Spread the mixture out in a dish and leave to cool in the fridge. Make cylindrical shapes out of the dough (or cut into rectangles) and coat firstly in the flour, then in the seasoned beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. For a thicker coating, you can dip the dough in the egg again and coat with more breadcrumbs. Heat the oil to 350° and fry the melts and the parsley sprigs. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve the melts with the fried parsley and lemon quarters.
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Courgette gratin with Epoisses
Ingredients:
3 courgettes/zucchinis (medium-sized)
¼ lb potatoes
7 oz Epoisses
1 tbs salted butter
1 cup whipping cream (30% fat)
salt & pepper
Directions:
Wash the courgettes/zucchinis. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut the courgettes/zucchinis and potatoes into thin rounds. Par-cook them in steam separately for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the Epoisses into slices. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a gratin dish and fill it with a layer of potatoes and a layer of courgette/zucchini. Top with a layer of cream and a few slices of Epoisses, and season to taste. Repeat until you have used up all of the ingredients, and end with a layer of cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes so that the vegetables are fully cooked and the cheese is melted. Serves 4.
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Epoisses salad
Ingredients:
2 oz unsalted butter
1 tbs walnut oil
3 cored apples, cut into 8 slices
4 oz walnut halves
1 small radicchio
2 heads chicory
1 sm head lettuce
3 tbs dry white wine or cider
1 sliced Epoisses wheel
3 peeled and sliced celery stalks
Directions: Heat butter and walnut oil in a frying pan. When butter is foaming add the apple slices and fry each side until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel. Add walnut halves to the pan, fry until golden brown and drain on paper towel.
Tear salad leaves into small pieces. Place the white wine or cider in a small saucepan, add the Epoisses and on gentle heat, stir continuously until the cheese has melted. Divide the salad leaves, celery, walnuts and apples equally and spoon the cheese on top. Serves 6.
Try this recipe with Camembert as well.
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Farfalle with Bleu d'Auvergne and walnuts
Ingredients:
1 lb farfalle pasta
5 oz Bleu d'Auvergne
4 tbs fresh cream (30% fat)
3 1/2 oz walnuts
4 sprigs chives
rock salt
salt & pepper
Directions:Crush the walnuts. Wash and snip the chives. Cook the farfalle al dente in boiling water with rock salt. In a mixing bowl, crush the Bleu d'Auvergne with a fork and mix in the fresh cream. Pour into a saucepan and cook until you get an even sauce. Add the walnuts and season to taste. Place the pasta in dishes, cover with sauce, garnish with chopped chives and serve. Serves 4.
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Fondue
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove (split)
1 cup Cantal (or Tomme de Savoie) cheese
1 cup Comté (or Beaufort) cheese
1 cup Emmental (or Morbier) cheese
1/2 cup Beaufort (or French Gruyère) cheese
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp Kirsch
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
12 cups bread (cubed)
Directions: Rub the inside of ceramic fondue pot with garlic clove. Place wine, garlic clove and lemon juice into pot and place over medium-low heat. Bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Remove garlic clove. Grate or plane cheeses and add to fondue pot. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. In separate bowl, whisk cornstarch, Kirsch and nutmeg; stir into the cheese sauce. Continue to heat while stirring, until thick and smooth. Do not overheat or the mixture will separate.
Keep fondue warm over low heat, then put it over an alcohol lamp (Sterno) at the table. Let fondue continue to bubble during the meal and stir it from time to time so that it stays creamy. Spear bread cubes with fondue forks and dip them into the cheese.
*Note: If the fondue is too thin, add more grated cheese; if it is too thick, thin it with wine. The wine, incidentally, is critical-it should not be too aged and should contain abundant acids.
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French fries with Saint Felicien sauce
by Fromageries de l'Etoile
Ingredients:
2 Saint Felicien
2 tbs flour
1 pt milk
nutmeg
salt & pepper
your favorite French fries
Directions:Prepare your French fries. Peel off cheese rind and divide into small cubes. In a saucepan, melt the cheese with a small amount of water for 5 to 10 minutes. At the same time, mix flour and milk in a bowl (avoid lumps). When the cheese is melted, add the mixture flour / milk. Stir over medium heat while stirring to a creamy mixture. Add a bit of nutmeg and, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over French fries or on the side for dipping. Serves 4
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Green Bean Salad with Cantal
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sea salt
3/4 lb fresh green or yellow beans
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbsp minced shallots
1/3 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
2 tsp walnut oil
ground pepper
2 oz crumbled Cantal cheese
Directions: Boil a medium pot of salted water and cook beans 2-3 minutes. Cool under water and drain well. Heat olive oil in 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and brown for 30 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Add walnut oil and beans. Stir 2-3 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle Cantal on top and serve.
Try this recipe with Comté, Beaufort or Mimolette, as well.
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Grilled steak tartar with Roquefort
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 onion
1 tbs capers
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs fresh parsley
1 tbs mustard
1 egg
5 oz Roquefort
salt & pepper
Directions:Peel and finely chop the onion. Chop the capers. Wash the parsley, remove the leaves and chop into small pieces. Place the hamburger in a bowl along with the onion, capers, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and mustard. Season with salt and pepper, then blend in the egg yolk. Refrigerate 20 minutes to firm up the mixture. Split into 4 pieces and roll them into balls. Make a small hole in each and put a piece of Roquefort cheese into each hole. Cover the hole, flatten and grill as long as desired. Serves 4.
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Ham and Livarot pastry
Ingredients:
2 slices smoked dry-cured ham
7 oz Livarot
1 apple (Reinette d'Armorique if possible)
4 sheets brick pastry
2 tbs salted butter
Bechamel (White) sauce
- 1 tbs salted butter
- 2 tbs flour
- ¾ cup whole milk
1 pinch nutmeg
salt & pepper
Directions: For the sauce: In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat and add the flour. Mix until you get an even mixture and cook for 3 minutes over low heat (with no change in color). Set aside to cool. In another saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Slowly pour the milk into the cooled butter and flour and mix with an eggbeater. Bring to a boil for around 5 minutes, mixing constantly. Season. The sauce should gradually thicken, becoming smooth and creamy. Cut the pieces of ham lengthwise into two, then widthwise into two. Cut the Livarot cheese into 8 slices. Wash the apple (do not peel), and cut into very thin rounds. Cut the sheets of brick pastry in half. Melt the butter and brush the sheets of pastry with it. Assemble the pastries by layering a slice of ham, a slice of Livarot a bit of white (Bechamel) sauce and a slice of apple in the middle of each half sheet of brick pastry. Fold. In a non-stick frying pan, brown the pastries in the remaining butter over low heat (if necessary, hold them together using a toothpick) for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, so that the cheese melts. Serves 4.
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Leek au gratin with Brie
Ingredients:
8 leeks
¼ lb Brie
2 tsp butter
Béchamel (White) sauce
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tbs salted butter
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- salt & pepper
Directions: Separate the green and white parts of the leek. Remove the outer leaves of the white part and wash. Cut into slices 1 ½ - 2 inches long. Par-cook with steam (leave the leeks slightly crunchy). For the béchamel sauce: in a saucepan, just barely melt the butter over low heat and add the flour. Mix until you obtain an even mixture and cook for 3 minutes over low heat (so there is no change of color). Allow the mix to cool. In another saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Pour slowly onto the cooled butter and flour and mix using an eggbeater. Bring to a boil for around 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste. The sauce should slowly thicken, becoming smooth and creamy. Set the oven to grill. Cut the Brie into cubes and add to the white sauce. Allow the cheese to melt. Butter a baking pan, place the slices of leek next to one another, top with the sauce and bake under the oven's grill until the surface becomes a crispy golden brown. Serves 4.
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Mac and Cheese with Comte
Ingredients:
1 lb elbow macaroni (or other favorite)
l 1/4 lbs shredded Comte
1 tbsp butter
2 chopped garlic cloves
¼ chopped onion
1 cup milk
2-3 tbsp bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place macaroni in a large pot of boiling water with a bit of salt and cook 8-10 minutes or, to desired tenderness. Drain and rinse with warm water. In the macaroni pot, under low heat, melt butter with garlic and onion. Remove from heat and add milk and 1 lb of cheese. Then blend in the macaroni. Grease a casserole dish with the olive oil and transfer the mixture from the pot to the casserole dish. Top the mixture with remaining Comte and bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes.
Try this recipe with Mimolette or Cantal as well, or mix all three.
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Mimolette Salad
Ingredients:
watercress, spinach or arugula
finely sliced red onion
shaved Mimolette
Directions: Layer greens of choice with onion slices and Mimolette shavings. Salt/pepper to taste. Serve alone or with your favorite dressing.
Try this recipe with Comté, as well.
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Onion soup with Saint-Nectaire
Ingredients:
½ lb onions
2 tbs butter
4 cups beef bouillon
5 oz Saint-Nectaire
½ lb rye bread
salt & pepper
Directions:Peel, wash and mince the onions. Melt the butter in a saucepan, and brown the onions until they turn a slightly golden color. Pour in some of the bouillon. Season to taste, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the rind from the Saint-Nectaire and cut it into thin slices. Cut the bread into pieces. In a soup tureen, make alternating layers of cheese slices and pieces of bread. Finish with the cheese. Sprinkle with bouillon and bake under the oven grill so that the surface becomes crispy golden brown. Serves 4.
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Pasta with Reblochon
Ingredients:
½ wheel Reblochon
10 1/2 oz short pasta
4 cups chicken bouillon
½ tbs salted butter
8 slices dry cured ham
salt & pepper
Directions:Cut the Reblochon into pieces. Bring the chicken bouillon to a boil. Soak the pasta in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse. Place the pasta in a stewpot and pour in the chicken bouillon. Cook over high heat for 12 minutes. Set the oven to broil/grill. Place the drained pasta in a dish greased with butter and sprinkle with pieces of cheese. Bake under the oven's grill until the cheese becomes a gratin. Serve with the slices of dry-cured ham. Serves 4.
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Pasta with salmon and Fourme d'Ambert
Ingredients:
2 cups pasta (farfalle, penne, macaroni)
4 thin slices smoked salmon
¼ lb Fourme d'Ambert
½ cup whipping cream (30% fat)
1 egg
2 tbs Parmesan
rock salt
fine salt
pepper
Directions:Cook the pasta (al dente) in boiling water with rock salt. Drain. Cut the slices of smoked salmon into thin strips. Set the oven to broil. Cut the Fourme d'Ambert into small pieces and place into a saucepan with the cream and melt over low heat. Mix with an eggbeater. Remove from heat, add the egg yolk, season and mix. Add the pasta and strips of smoked salmon to this mixture. Mix and pour everything into a gratin dish and top with grated Parmesan. Bake for 5 minutes under the broiler so that the surface becomes a crispy golden brown. Serves 4.
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Port Salut and crab meat sauce
Ingredients:
1 pt heavy cream
1 pt half and half
1/4 oz fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, diced
1 bay leaf
6 oz Port Salut cheese, cut into small chunks
1/2 tsp butter
2 oz brandy
8 oz crab meat
red pepper
salt & pepper
1 tsp absinthe (optional)
Directions: Sauté garlic and shallots in butter until shallots are translucent. Deglaze with brandy and ignite. Add remaining ingredients except Port Salut, crab meat and absinthe. Cook on medium low heat until mixture is reduced by half. Whisk in the Port Salut. Cook for about 5 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly combined. Add absinthe and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf, and purée. Strain through a mesh strainer. Add crab meat, salt and pepper to taste and serve over your favorite pasta.
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Port Salut quiche
Ingredients:
6 thick bacon slices, cut into bite-size pieces
1 frozen deep-dish pie crust
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thinly
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup half and half
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
pepper
8 oz Port Salut cheese , rind removed and grated
Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook crust according to package directions.
In a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place bacon into the bottom of the baked crust.
Pour off most of fat from the skillet. Add green onions and cook at medium heat until tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and add rest of ingredients from eggs to nutmeg. Whisk until fully blended. Sprinkle cheese over bacon in crust. Pour in egg mixture on top. Dust quiche with pepper. Place quiche on a cookie sheet in the middle of your oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top begins to puff and a knife comes out clean. (Cover the crust with foil if it browns too quickly.)
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Port Salut stuffed turkey burgers with kalamata olive mayonnaise
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 small white onion
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tbs chopped, sun-dried tomatoes (use either tomatoes packed in oil or reconstitute dried ones in some boiling water firs)
4 cubes Port Salut cheese (1/2 by 1/2 inch)
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbs chopped kalamata olives
4 hamburger buns
lettuce
1 sliced tomato
Directions: Slice the onion and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until dark in color, add fresh thyme and remove from heat. Set aside and let cool. Meanwhile, mix kalamata olives with mayonnaise. Set aside. Mix oil and vinegar together in a small bowl. Set that aside also. Add sun-dried tomatoes to onion mixture, then add turkey. Mix and combine into four burgers. Using your finger, make an indentation in each patty. Insert a cheese cube in each burger and re-form them so that the cheese is inside. Brush each burger with olive oil and vinegar on one side. Then salt and pepper. Place the seasoned side down in a pre-heated grill pan. Grill for 6 to 7 minutes or until the meat reaches 160/165°F. Before turning over on the second side, brush with the oil and vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and let rest for a couple of minutes. Layer the kalamata mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and burgers on buns.
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Potato, Swiss Chard and Comté Gratin
by Jim Leiken, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, NYC
Ingredients:
1 lb Swiss chard leaves, washed
3 lbs (6-8) medium Yukon potatoes, peeled
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 small shallot, sliced
2 sprigs thyme
1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 Tbs butter
6 oz grated Comté cheese
Salt and pepper
Directions:Preheat oven to 350˚F and place rack in the center. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; set a bowl of ice water on the side. Boil the Swiss chard leaves until tender, about 3 minutes, then remove and chill in the ice water. Squeeze dry and chop roughly. In a small saucepot, combine the heavy cream, garlic, shallot and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half; strain and discard solids, and then stir in nutmeg. Grease a 12-inch gratin dish with the butter. Slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch thick rounds. Assemble the gratin by layering the ingredients in this order: shingled layer of potato, sprinkle of salt and pepper, 1/3 of the cheese, 1/2 of the Swiss chard and a few spoonfuls of the cream. Repeat once, and then top off with one more layer of potato, seasoning, remaining cheese, and remaining cream. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until browned and cooked through (you can check doneness by piercing the potatoes with a fork). Serve hot.
Serves 6-8
Note: the gratin can be cooled and held in the refrigerator for 3 days. Reheat in oven when ready to serve.
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Potatoes au gratin with Camembert
Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes
1 wheel Camembert
¾ cup whipping cream (30% fat)
10 oz whole milk
salt & pepper
Directions:Peel and wash the potatoes, then cut them into very thin rounds. Butter a gratin dish and arrange the potatoes in it. Preheat the oven to 300°. Slice the Camembert. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and add the slices of Camembert. Melt the ingredients slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon. Season to taste. Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Bake for around 50 minutes. Serves 4.
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Potatoes with Fromager d'Affinois
Ingredients:
9 oz of Fromager d'Affinois
4 large potatoes
1 zucchini
1 red pepper
1 tbs olive oil
salt & pepper
Directions: Preheat the oven to 390°F. Wash and wrap the potatoes with aluminum paper. Cook them for 45 minutes. Wash and cut the zucchini and red pepper into small cubes. Cut the Fromager d'Affinois into cubes. Cook them in a tablespoon of olive oil. When the vegetables are tender, add salt and pepper and set aside. Once the potatoes are cooked, scoop them and stuff with Fromager d'Affinois cubes. Return them to the oven for a few minutes to brown. Serve with the mix of zucchini and red pepper.
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Pullet with rice and Munster
Ingredients:
1 cup short grain rice
1 lb pullet breasts
¼ cup flour
1 oz peanut oil
rock salt
salt & pepper
Munster cream
- 5 oz Munster cheese
- 1 onion
- 1 leek (white part)
- 1 oz whipping cream (30% fat)
- 1 1/2 oz dry white wine
Directions:
For the Munster cream:
Peel, wash and chop the onion. Remove the rind from the cheese and cut it into cubes. Remove the outer leaves from the white part of the leek, wash and mince. Place in a saucepan along with the onion. Add the cream and white wine. Cook 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the Munster, let it melt and mix. Cook the rice in boiling water with rock salt. Drain, place in a saucepan, add half of the Munster cream and mix. Cut the pullet breast into thin strips and season. Roll in flour. Heat the oil and fry the meat quickly. Make a small dome of rice in the center of each dish and place a few pieces of pullet breast on top. Drizzle a small amount of Munster cream over the pullet. Serves 4.
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Ravioli with Saint Marcellin
Ingredients:
For the dough
7 oz flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp olive oil
salt (a pinch)
For the filling
1 Saint Marcellin
3 1/2 oz grated gruyere
1 egg
1/2 oz butter
salt & pepper
For the ravioli
egg white (optional)
Directions: For the dough. Mix all the dough ingredients, adding flour slowly. Mix with your hands for 10 minutes or until it is soft and smooth. Gather the dough into a ball and allow it to settle for 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap. Mix all filling ingredients well with a fork. After 1 hour, roll the dough and cut into and equal number of small squares. Using half the squares, place the filling in the middle of each. Cover with a second slice of dough and press around edges. Spread egg white with a pastry brush. Boil ravioli in salted water for 8 minutes. Serves 4.
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Salmon tartar with Ossau-Iraty cream
Ingredients:
10 1/2 oz salmon tartar (have your fishmonger prepare it)
1 shallot
1 lemon
salt & pepper
3 oz fresh cream
7 oz Ossau-Iraty
Directions: Add the chopped shallot and lemon juice to the salmon tartar. Add salt and pepper. Melt the cheese with the fresh cream over low heat. Mould the tartar like a Charlotte cake and drizzle the warm cream around it. Serves 4.
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Scallop tartine with Comté
Ingredients:
12 scallops
1 lemon
6 tbs olive oil
1 tbs pink peppercorns
4 slices country-style bread
2 oz Comtê
1 tbs chives
salt & pepper
Directions:Squeeze the lemons, pour the juice into a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the oil; add the peppercorns and mix. Cut the scallops into thin strips and lay in a plate. Pour the contents of the mixing bowl on top. Marinate and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. Set the oven to the grill/broil setting. Cut the Comtê into thin strips. Wash and finely chop the chives. In the oven, toast the slices of bread on one side. Let them cool slightly and, on the untoasted side, place a layer of slices of the drained scallops. Top with strips of Comtê. Grill in oven just enough to melt the cheese. Sprinkle with chives. Serves 4.
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Stuffed Cheese Pumpkin
by Chef Daniel Boulud
(adapted from a recipe prepared by his mother, Marie)
Ingredients:
1 cheese pumpkin, approximately 10-12 pounds
1 kabocha squash (or butternut squash)
2 tbs. olive oil
1 loaf sourdough bread
1 clove garlic, peeled
3/4 lb. apple wood smoked bacon, cut into approx 1/4 inch thick batons
1/2 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 bunch chives, sliced
1 lb. Comté cheese, grated
5 cups half and half
3 tbs. Thanksgiving Spice blend
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:Preheat oven to 350˚F. Slice the kabocha squash in half, remove the seeds, rub the inside with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lie the squash flesh side down on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until cooked through (check with the tip of a paring knife).
Meanwhile, turn the cheese pumpkin upside down, and with a small serrated paring knife, remove a circular cap wide enough to later fill the pumpkin with stuffing (approximately 10 inches in diameter). Cut the sourdough bread into 1 inch thick slices and toast. Lightly rub the toasted bread with the clove of garlic. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper-towel lined plate and set aside. When the cooked kabocha squash is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh with a spoon and cut into a rough dice. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the half and half with 2 tablespoons of thanksgiving spice blend, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the inside of the cheese pumpkin with salt, pepper and the remaining thanksgiving spice blend. Begin filling the pumpkin starting with a layer of bread, then half of the bacon, half of the pecans, half of the pumpkin seeds, half of the chives, and half of the cheese. Pour in about half of the half and half mixture and lightly press down. Repeat with remaining filling ingredients to reach the top of the pumpkin. Pour in the remainder of the half and half to reach the top of the pumpkin. Return the cap to the pumpkin and transfer onto an aluminum foil lined baking tray. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the cheese pumpkin is cooked though. Serve warm, scooping a bit of the cheese pumpkin from the sides along with the filling.
Serves 10-12
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Stuffed tomato with Chabichou du Poitou
Ingredients:
8 large tomatoes
3 Chabichou du Poitou
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil
6 tbs breadcrumbs
1 tbs snipped parsley
1 tbs snipped basil
salt & pepper
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400°. Wash the tomatoes and cut out a "hat" in the top part of each. Hollow out each tomato with a small spoon. Season the removed tomato pulp with salt and pepper. Cut the pulp into cubes. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Crumble the Chabichou du Poitou. Mix it with the garlic, breadcrumbs, tomato cubes, parsley and basil. Fill the hollowed tomatoes with the mixture. The filling should overflow a little. Top with a dash of oil. Bake in the oven, on the middle rack, for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4.
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Summertime steak and Brie bites by Sydne
Compliments of ANCO Fine Cheese
Ingredients:
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1 - 2 tbs prepared horseradish
8 oz Brie, rind removed, cut into 1/4-inch slices
12 oz steak, cooked to medium rare, thinly sliced
1 small radicchio, washed, leaves separated
15 toothpicks, soaked in water
Directions: In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and horseradish until thoroughly combined. Set aside. Spread a teaspoon of horseradish mayonnaise over each steak slice. Lay one steak slice atop radicchio leaf and top with a Brie slice. Carefully roll, wrapping radicchio around steak and Brie. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat assembly, using all ingredients. Grille wraps over medium heat until Brie bubbles. Serve immediately with additional horseradish mayonnaise for dipping.
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Tomato and Reblochon quiche
Ingredients:
10" quiche dish
6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped into pieces
Salt
1/2 cup melted butter
7 oz of Reblochon, rind removed and cut into large pieces
3 eggs
10 1/2 oz crème fraîche
Pepper and freshly ground nutmeg
2 tsp of freshly chopped parsley
Butter to grease the dish
5 sheets baking paper
Directions: Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for approximately 15 minutes. Place in a colander to let excess water drain/evaporate. Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease the dish and arrange the first layer of baking paper. The edge should stick over the dish about 3/4". Brush the melted butter evenly over the sheet, then put the next sheet on top. Continue until there are 5 sheets of paper. Cover with a damp towel and set aside. In a dish, mix the potatoes and cheese. Add the eggs, cream and 3/4 of the parsley and mix. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a little nutmeg. Put about a 1/3 of the mixture into the dish on top of the baking paper sheets, level off, and place alternate layers of tomato slices and the cheese sauce. Finish with a layer of tomato slices. Fold the overhanging edges of paper inwards and brush on the remaining butter. Bake the quiche for approximately 30 minutes until browned. Cool for 10 minutes. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve.
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Tomato clafoutis with Roquefort
Ingredients:
¾ lb cherry tomatoes
7 oz Roquefort
1 tbs cornstarch
8 oz whole milk
8 oz whipping cream (30% fat)
5 eggs
1 pinch nutmeg
salt & pepper
Directions:Cut the cheese into small cubes. Pull the stalks off the tomatoes, wash and drain. Spread the Roquefort cubes and tomatoes in an oven pan. Preheat the oven to 350°. Break the eggs and beat into an omelet. Mix the cornstarch and the cold milk in a bowl. Add the cream and beaten eggs and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Gently pour over the cheese and tomatoes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (to check the clafoutis is cooked, pierce with the blade of a knife: it should come out clean). Set aside, wait until cool and enjoy! Serves 4.
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Tomatoes with Delice de Bourgogne
Ingredients:
4 heirloom tomatoes
8 oz Delice de Bourgogne
basil
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions: Wash and dry the tomatoes and cut them into slices. Slice the Delice de Bourgogne and place a slice between each slice of tomatoes in a serving tray or plate. Drizzle with olive oil and, salt and pepper to taste.
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Veal chops with Pont-l'Evêque
Ingredients:
4 veal chops
2 tbs salted butter
1 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 oz heavy cream (30% fat)
1 ½ oz white wine
1 tbs veal stock
3 oz Pont-l'Evêque
salt & pepper
Directions:Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan and brown the veal chops on each side. Season, place in an oven pan and set aside. Degrease the pan the chops were browned in, pour in the white wine, bring to a boil and add the veal stock. Bring to a boil again and add the cream. Season to taste. Remove the rind from the Pont-l'Evêque, cut the cheese into thin strips and spread the strips out on the veal chops. Bake until the surface becomes crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven, cut the chops into slices and serve in dishes with the sauce. Serves 4.
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Veal Cutlet and Emmental Sauce
Ingredients:
4 veal cutlets
8 oz Emmental
8 slices pancetta
8 sprigs rosemary
12 sage leaves
2 tsp olive oil
1 shallot
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup cream
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut veal in half, lengthwise. Heat small amount of oil and brown cutlets about 3 minutes. Put unwashed pan aside. Veal: Place cooked cutlets in greased baking dish. Put a slice of Emmental on each cutlet, add 2 slices pancetta and top with rosemary sprig and sage leaves. Bake for 10 minutes, until Emmental is melted. Sauce: Brown chopped shallots (in unwashed pan used for cutlets). Add white wine, pour in cream and sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Emmental. Let the cheese melt before pouring over cutlets and serving.
Try this recipe with Cantal, Comtê, or Tomme, as well.
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Veal filet with Comté and wild mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 veal filet mignon (about 2 lbs)
1 lb mushrooms (boletus, chanterelle, horn of plenty, etc.)
3 tbs salted butter
3 oz white wine
¾ cup veal stock
2 ½ oz Comtê
salt & pepper
Directions:Melt 2 tbs butter in a pot and quickly fry all sides of the filet mignon. Pour in the white wine and veal stock. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the Comtê and clean the mushrooms. Melt 1 tbs butter in a frying pan and sautê the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 350°. Take the filet from the pot and cut it into thick slices. Boil the cooking juice until it thickens. Lay the slices of filet mignon in a gratin dish. Surround with the sautêed mushrooms and top the meat with the slices of Comtê. Pour the reduced au jus on top. Bake until the surface becomes a crispy gratin. Serves 4.
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More recipes coming soon.
Coffee Cheese Plate
Cheese with breakfast? How continental! This plate offers just the right selection of sweet, fruity and flavorful French cheeses to enjoy with your morning coffee.
Recommended tasting order: Crottin frais, Fleur du Maquis, Mimolette, Ossau-Iraty.
The Cheeses
Crottin frais. A young goat's milk cheese from the Périgord region east of Bordeaux. This natural rind cheese has a soft and creamy texture and a light nutty flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Chabichou du Poitu, Boucantrin, Rove des Garrigues, Crottin Champignou, fresh or aged goat cheese.
Mimolette—Nord-Pas de Calais. Produced in Flanders in the northernmost region of France, this pasteurized cow's milk cheese is pressed, cooked and shaped like a cannonball. Mimolette hardens as it ages, its interior turning a deeper orange and acquiring a mouthwatering array of fruity, nutty flavors. Best when aged 18 months or more.
If you can't find it, ask for: Aged Comté or Beaufort.
Ossau-Iraty. (AOC) Farmhouse made and ripened in a Benedictine abbey in the Basque region of southwestern France. The recipe for this sheep's milk cheese is 3,000 years old! It is semi-hard with a fairly dense, concentrated consistency and delicious sweet, fruit, nutty flavors.
If you can't find it, ask for: Another sheep's milk cheese made in the French Pyrénées.
Fleur du Maquis—Corsica. An artisanal ewe's milk cheese from the island of Corsica, whose name translates as "flower of the maquis," the French term for the scrubby local terrain. Soft, mild and aromatic, with a dusting of bluish mold that is encrusted with rosemary or savory.
If you can't find it, ask for: An herb-encrusted fresh cheese from Corsica or Provence, Tomme de Grand-Mère.
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Elegant Plate
Riesling is the most elegant grape of the Alsace region, producing a graceful, crisp white wine with a touch of sweetness. Happily, the green hills of Alsace are also home to a variety of superb cheeses. Recommended tasting order: Livarot, Munster, Tomme d'Alsace, Tomme de Savoie.
The Cheeses
Munster (AOC). An ancient washed-rind cheese that traces its roots back to monastic life in the Middle Ages. Munster is made from the milk of cows that graze in the mountains of Vosges region in Alsace, northeastern France. Its bright pinkish-orange rind turns darker and more reddish with age.
If you can't find it, ask for: Another washed-wind cheese such as Livarot or Epoisses.
Tomme d'Alsace. This is a pungent, semi-soft, washed-rind cow's milk cheese made in the Alsace region of France. The practice of washing the cheese with wine as it matures helps it to develop fruity notes with hints of mushrooms, grass, and butter.
If you can't find it, ask for: Chimay , Saint-Nectaire.
Tomme de Savoie. Many variations of this cow's milk cheese are produced in the mountainous Haute-Savoie region on the Swiss border. They are generally firm with small holes. They have mild nutty flavors and come in flattened cylinders with crusty natural rinds.
If you can't find it, ask for: Morbier.
Livarot (AOC). This ancient and noble cheese from Normandy dates back more than 700 years, originating in the monasteries. A cow's milk washed-rind cheese, it has an assertive aroma and nutty flavor. The pâte is semi-soft, creamy and smooth with small holes. The round cheeses are traditionally encircled with five strips of sedge or raffia.
If you can't find it, ask for: Pavé d'Auge, Pont-l'Evêque or Munster.
Comté (AOC). One of the most popular cheeses in France, Comté is produced in the rich mountain pastures of the Jura. Its firm and supple pâte, with holes, or "eyes," has a nutty, slightly salty yet sweet taste. Comté is produced year-round by small, cooperative dairies known as fruitières.
If you can't find it, ask for: Beaufort, French Gruyère.
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Fall/Winter Plate
Warm up by the fire with this selection of French cheeses, aged to perfection for cozy occasions. The apple flavor of the cognac pairs beautifully with heartier cheeses.
Recommended tasting order: Pavé d'Auge, Beaufort, Fourme d'Ambert.
The Cheeses
Fourme d'Ambert (AOC). Produced by cooperatives in the Auvergne region, this semi-soft, creamy blue cheese is similar to Stilton but pressed and therefore less crumbly. The cheese is poured into a mold (fourme) shaped like an upright cylinder. Its flavor is buttery and tangy, not salty or bitter.
If you can't find it, ask for: Bleu d'Auvergne, Roquefort.
Pavé d'Auge. This large, rustic cow's milk cheese is similar to Pont-l'Evêque, originally a monastic cheese dating back over 1,000 years. It is produced in a creamery in the Pays d'Auge at the northern base of the Normandy peninsula. The pâte is soft to semi-soft, with a strong woodsy flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Saint-Nectaire, Pont-l'Evêque, Camembert.
Beaufort (AOC). Famous since Roman times, Beaufort is one of the noble cheeses of the French Alps. Made from the milk of an ancient mountain breed of mahogany-colored cows, it has a dense, concentrated, buttery consistency, a fruity aroma and rich, nutty flavors with a hint of sweetness.
If you can't find it, ask for: Comté, Emmental Français, Gruyère de Savoie.
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Grand Plate
This cheese board is a superior Cheeses of France experience. With classic French cheeses, each a product of unique regional terroir, it's a fabulous tasting experience. Assemble the the cheeses for the full terroir experience, or choose one region and create your own regional Fromage Plate. The cheeses on this particular board are arranged as they might appear on a map of France. For example, the Camembert is positioned at the Northwest Normandy corner of the board and the Beaufort is at the Eastern French Alps side of the board.
Recommended tasting order: Saint-Marcellin, Brie, Camembert, Mimolette, Munster, Epoisses, Cantal, Comté, Beaufort, Bleu d' Auvergne.
The Cheeses
Saint-Marcellin — Rhône-Alpes. A legendary farmhouse cheese made from the milk of cows that graze in the mountainous Dauphiné Province in southeastern France. Small rounds with natural rinds that turn from white to light brown as they age. Inside, the pâte is softer and mild, but rich.
If you can't find it, ask for: Saint-Félicien.
Munster (AOC) — Alsace. An ancient washed-rind cheese that traces its roots back to monastic life in the Middle Ages. Munster is made from the milk of cows that graze in the mountains of Vosges region in Alsace, northeastern France. Its bright pinkish-orange rind turns darker and more red with age.
If you can't find it, ask for: Tomme d'Alsace, or another recommended washed rind cheese from Alsace.
Mimolette — Nord-Pas de Calais. Produced in Flanders in the northernmost region of France, this pasteurized cow's milk cheese is pressed, cooked and shaped like a cannonball. Mimolette hardens as it ages, its interior turning a deeper orange and acquiring a mouthwatering array of fruity, nutty flavors. Best when aged 18 months or more.
If you can't find it, ask for: Aged Comté
Epoisses (AOC) — Burgundy. This cow's milk, washed-rind cheese comes from Burgundy. Strong-smelling, with a soft, smooth and mouth-watering flavor, it is washed with wine or usually with marc spirits, which give it a distinctive aroma. The rind has an orange tinge that darkens with age.
If you can't find it, ask for: Munster, Affidelice, Perriere, Soumaintrain or Trou du Cru.
Camembert — Normandy. Camembert is a world-renowned cow's milk cheese from the Normandy region in northwestern France. This quintessential French cheese has a soft, white, bloomy rind; luxurious ivory pâte; and buttery, grassy flavor. The taste of a ripe Camembert is reminiscent of wild mushrooms.
If you can't find it, ask for: Pont-l'Evêque or Pavé d'Auge.
Bleu d'Auvergne (AOC). A delicious blue cheese from the Auvergne region of south-central France, Bleu d'Auvergne has a full and pungent taste, but it is not as strong as many other blue cheeses; it is less salty, with a creamier and more buttery taste with a moist texture.
If you can't find it, ask for: Fourme d'Ambert.
Brie de Nangis — Ile-de-France. Produced just southwest of Paris, this is one of the milder, more buttery Bries. It almost disappeared from production but has seen a revival over the past few decades. Brie de Nangis is creamy and smooth and has a slightly chalky center that becomes runny with age.
If you can't find it, ask for: A good quality Brie or Coulommiers.
Cantal (AOC) — Auvergne. A distinguished, semi-hard cheese from the central mountainous region of Auvergne, Cantal is a cheddar-like cow's milk cheese cured with salt, which brings out its full flavor. Heavy and moist, young Cantal has a sweet, milk flavor; well-aged, it has a sharper flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Laguiole or Salers are both cheddar-like cow's milk cheeses from the same region.
Comté (AOC) — Franche-Comté. One of the most popular cheeses in France, Comté is produced in the rich mountain pastures of the Jura. Its firm and supple pâte, with very small holes, or "eyes," has a nutty, slightly salty yet sweet taste. Comté is produced year-round by small, cooperative dairies known as fruitières.
If you can't find it, ask for: French Gruyère, Beaufort.
Beaufort (AOC). Famous since Roman times, Beaufort is one of the noble cheeses of the French Alps. Made from the milk of an ancient mountain breed of mahogany-colored cows, Beaufort is distinguished by its concave-shaped rind. It has a dense, concentrated, buttery consistency, a fruity aroma and rich, nutty flavors with a hint of sweetness.
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Holiday Plate
Gather with friends and family to celebrate the abundant variety of cheeses produced in France. This Fromage plate is an elegant addition to your traditional Holiday fare.
Recommended tasting order: Chabichou du Poitou, Ossau-Iraty, Camembert, Beaufort, Bleu d'Auvergne.
The Cheeses
Chabichou du Poitou (AOC). Produced in the heart of the goat cheese region of Poitou, Chabichou du Poitou traces its roots back to the 8th century. With a sweet and delicate, slightly salty flavor, and a firm, very white, smooth paâte. Its flavor strengthens with aging.
If you can't find it, ask for: Crottin de Chavignol.
Beaufort (AOC). Famous since Roman times, Beaufort is one of the noble cheeses of the French Alps. Made from the milk of an ancient mountain breed of mahogany-colored cows, Beaufort is distinguished by its concave-shaped rind. It has a dense, concentrated, buttery consistency, a fruity aroma and rich, nutty flavors with a hint of sweetness.
If you can't find it, ask for: Comté.
Bleu d'Auvergne (AOC). A delicious blue cheese from the Auvergne region of south-central France, Bleu d'Auvergne has a full and pungent taste, but it is not as strong as many other blue cheeses; it is less salty, with a creamier and more buttery taste with a moist texture.
If you can't find it, ask for: Fourme d'Ambert.
Ossau-Iraty style. Farmhouse-made and ripened in a Benedictine abbey in the Basque region of southwestern France. The recipe for this sheep's milk cheese is 3,000 years old! It is semi-hard with a fairly dense, concentrated consistency and delicious sweet, fruit, nutty flavors.
If you can't find it, ask for: another Ossau-Iraty style cheese from Basque county.
Camembert. Camembert is a world-renowned cow's milk cheese from the Normandy region in northern France. This quintessential French cheese has a soft, white, bloomy rind; luxurious ivory pâte; and a buttery, grassy flavor. The taste of a ripe Camembert is reminiscent of wild mushrooms.
If you can't find it, ask for: Pavé d'Auge or Pont-l'Evêque.
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Mediterranean Plate
Think sunshine, salty breezes, olives, grapes and high, fertile pastures. The abundance of the Mediterranean shines forth in this delightful Fromage Plate featuring cheeses from Corsica and the southern coastal regions of France.
Shown here with Rosé wine from Provence.
The Cheeses
Fleur du Maquis. An artisanal ewe's milk cheese from the island of Corsica, whose name translates as "flower of the maquis," the French term for the scrubby local terrain. Soft, mild and aromatic, which may contain a dusting of bluish mold that is encrusted with rosemary or savory.
If you can't find it, ask for: An herb-encrusted goat's milk cheese from Corsica, Tomme de Grand-Mère.
Casinca Chèvre. This washed-rind goat's milk cheese from the island of Corsica has a tart, slightly salty presence and rousing flavor profile that tingles the taste buds. Its semi-soft pâte offers a balanced and satisfying finish.
If you can't find it, ask for: A goat's milk cheese or chèvre, from Corsica, or ask for the sheep version.
Cabécou Feuille. A small, round artisanal goat's milk cheese from the Midi-Pyrénées village of Rocamadour in southwestern France. This soft and pungent cheese comes wrapped in fig leaves and is best eaten young.
If you can't find it, ask for: Chèvre figue, Rouleau de Provence, Tetoun, Boucantrin.
Thym Tamarre. Produced in Alpes de Haute Provence, this unique goat's milk cheese has sprigs of thyme and lavender tucked within. Made from the milk of goats that graze on wild pasture of thyme, rosemary, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano and other herbs.
If you can't find it, ask for: Chèvre figue, Rove des Garrigues, Provençal.
Vache de Chalais. A small, round mountain cow's milk cheese made in Alpes de Haute-Provence region in southeastern France.
If you can't find it, ask for: A cow's milk cheese from provence, Saint-Félicien.
Saint-Marcellin. A legendary farmhouse cheese made from the milk of cows that graze in the mountainous Dauphiné Province in southeastern France. Small rounds with natural rind that turns from white to light brown as they age. Inside, the pâte is soft and mild, but rich.
If you can't find it, ask for: Saint-Félicien.
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Mountain Plate
From the Alps to the Jura to the Pyrénées, French mountain cheeses are a special delight. Enjoy the complex and diverse flavors of these cheeses, made from the rich milk of ancient breeds that graze in mountain meadows. On this board, the Pyrénées cheeses are on the left (west) moving east to some central Auvergne cheeses and then deep into the French Alps cheeses on the far right of the board (east).
Recommended tasting order: Morbier, Ossau-Iraty, Tomme Pyrénées, Comté, Cantal, Beaufort, Bleu des Basques, Fourme d'Ambert.
The Cheeses
Morbier (AOC) — Jura Mountains. Morbier is an aromatic and surprisingly mild cow's milk cheese defined by the dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through its middle — a nod to the method by which it was once produced in Franche-Comté. Aged at least 60 days, Morbier has a mild taste and nutty aftertaste.
If you can't find it, ask for: Tomme de Savoie, Bethmale.
Comté (AOC) — Jura Mountains. One of the most popular cheeses in France, Comté is produced in the rich mountain pastures of the Jura. Its firm and supple pâte, with holes, or "eyes," has a nutty, slightly salty yet sweet taste. Comté is produced year-round by small, cooperative dairies known as fruitières.
If you can't find it, ask for: French Gruyère and Beaufort.
Beaufort (AOC) — French Alps. Famous since Roman times, Beaufort is one of the noble cheeses of the French Alps. Made from the milk of an ancient mountain breed of mahogany-colored cows, it has a dense, concentrated, buttery consistency, a fruity aroma and rich, nutty flavors with a hint of sweetness.
If you can't find it, ask for: Emmental Français, Gruyère de Savoie.
Cantal (AOC) — Massif Central. A distinguished, semi-hard cheese from the central mountainous region of Auvergne, Cantal is a cheddar-like cow's milk cheese cured with salt, which brings out its full flavor. Heavy and moist, young Cantal has a sweet, milk flavor; well-aged, it has a sharper flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Laguiole, Salers.
Fourme d'Ambert (AOC) — Massif Central. Produced by cooperatives in the Auvergne region, this semi-firm, creamy blue cheese is similar to Stilton but pressed and therefore less crumbly. The cheese is poured into a mold (fourme) shaped like an upright cylinder. Its flavor is buttery and tangy, not salty or bitter.
If you can't find it, ask for: Bleu d'Auvergne.
Ossau-Iraty (AOC) — Pyrénées. A classic sheep's milk cheese made with the milk of the Manech and Basco-Bearnaise ewes. Aged for at least 90 days, the shape of each wheel can vary from region to region. With an ivory pâte, an aroma of toasted hazelnuts and a sweet, buttery flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Ardi-Gasna, Abbaye de Belloc, P'tit Basque, Kaikou, Chistou, or P'tit Pyrénées.
Tomme des Pyrénées. This round, semi-soft farmhouse cheese (tomme) is large, heavy and solid, with a firm, white, dry and compact pâte and a rich flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Bethmale.
Bleu des Basques — Pyrénées. This artisan sheep's milk blue cheese is made in the mountains of French Basque country. These verdant hills are full of the wildflowers and fresh grass that give the milk its complexity, subtlety, and lightness. The cheese has earthy, fruity flavors.
If you can't find it, ask for: Bleu des Causses
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Normandy Plate
The ancient cheesemaking tradition of Normandy has produced some of the most famous cheeses in the world. Taste the heritage in every bite with this very special sampling.
Paired here with cider
Recommended tasting order: Camembert, Brillat Savarin, Pont-l'Evêque, Livarot.
The Cheeses
Camembert. Camembert is a world-renowned cow's milk cheese from the Normandy region in northern France. This quintessential French cheese has a soft, white, bloomy rind; luxurious ivory pâte; and buttery, grassy flavor. The taste of a ripe Camembert is reminiscent of wild mushrooms.
If you can't find it, ask for: Brie or Coulommiers, not from Normandy, but similar cheeses. Neufchâtel.
Livarot (AOC). This ancient and noble cheese dates back more than 700 years, originating with the monks. A cow's milk washed-rind cheese, it has an assertive aroma and nutty flavor. The pâte is semi-soft, creamy and smooth with small holes. The round cheeses are traditionally encircled with five strips of sedge or raffia.
If you can't find it, ask for: Pavé d'Auge, Pont-l'Evêque
Pont-l'Evêque (AOC). Very popular in France, Pont-l'Evêque is an uncooked, unpressed cow's milk cheese that is square in shape. The pâte is soft, creamy pale yellow in color with a smooth, fine texture and a pungent aroma. The washed rind is white with a gentle hint of orange-brown.
If you can't find it, ask for: Pavé du Plessis.
Brillat Savarin. A cow's milk, triple-crème brie-style cheese from Normandy. The creamy flavor of triple-crème cheeses comes from the practice of enriching the milk by adding cream during production. Brillat Savarin has a buttery, rich pâte and a rind of white, flowery mold.
If you can't find it, ask for: Another brie-style cheese from Normandy, Explorateur.
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Ruby Plate
The arid plains of France's southern Rhône Valley are mostly known as red wine
country, primarily the wines of the Côtes du Rhône appellation. These famously
drinkable reds meet their match with the delicious, varied selection of cheeses on
this Fromage Plate.
Recommended tasting order: Saint-Marcellin, Ossau-Iraty, Camembert, Comté,
Cantal.
The Cheeses
Saint-Marcellin. A legendary farmhouse cheese made from the milk of cows that
graze in the mountainous Dauphiné Province in southeastern France. Small
rounds with natural rind that turns from white to brown as it ages. Inside, the
pâte is soft and mild, but rich. If you can't find it, ask for: Saint Félicien, Vache de
Chalais.
Camembert. Camembert is a world-renowned cow's milk cheese from the
Normandy region in northern France. This quintessential French cheese has a
soft, white, bloomy rind; luxurious ivory pâte; and buttery, grassy flavor. The
taste of a ripe Camembert is reminiscent of wild mushrooms. If you can't find it,
ask for: Brie.
Ossau-Iraty (AOC). A classic sheep's milk cheese made with the milk of the
Manech and Basco-Bearnaise ewes. Aged for at least 90 days, the shape of each
wheel can vary from region to region, with an ivory pâte, an aroma of toasted
hazelnuts and a sweet, buttery flavor. If you can't find it, ask for: Another
recommended sheep's milk cheese that is made in the French Pyrénées.
Cantal (AOC). A distinguished, semi-hard cheese from the central mountainous
region of Auvergne, Cantal is a cheddar-like cow's milk cheese cured with salt,
which brings out its full flavor. Heavy and moist, young Cantal has a sweet, milk
flavor; well aged, it has a sharper flavor. If you can't find it, ask for: Laguiole or
Salers.
Comté (AOC). One of the most popular cheeses in France, Comté is produced in
the rich mountain pastures of the Jura. Its firm and supple pâte, with holes, or
"eyes," has a nutty, slightly salty yet sweet taste. Comté is produced year-round
by small, cooperative dairies known as fruitières. If you can't find it, ask for:
Beaufort.
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Simple Plate
Easy to assemble, easy to taste and easy to share with friends and family. This simple quartet offers a diverse experience of The Cheeses of France and is enough to entertain eight people.
Recommended tasting order: Tradition Jacquin, Ossau-Iraty, Morbier, Roquefort.
The Cheeses
Tradition Jacquin. The quintessential goat's milk cheese, produced from goats that graze in the fields around the Loire River in central western France. The light dusting of ash on these small discs attracts beneficial mold, protecting the subtle, gentle interior of the cheese. The taste is mild, milky and creamy with hints of citrus.
If you can't find it, ask for: Sainte-Maure, Chabichou du Poitou.
Morbier (AOC). Morbier is an aromatic and surprisingly mild cow's milk cheese defined by the dark vein of vegetable ash (this is usually vegetable dye now, even in the most artisanal producers' cheeses) streaking through it middle — a nod to the method by which it was once produced in Franche-Comté. Aged at least 60 days, Morbier has a mild taste and nutty aftertaste.
If you can't find it, ask for: Tomme de Savoie.
Ossau-Iraty (AOC). A classic sheep's milk cheese made with the milk of the Manech and Basco-Bearnaise ewes. Aged for at least 90 days, the shape of each wheel can vary from region to region. With an ivory pâte, an aroma of toasted hazelnuts and a sweet, buttery flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Any recommended sheep's milk cheese made in the French Pyrénées, Abbaye de Belloc, P'tit Basque, Kaikou, Chistou, P'tit Pyrénées.
Roquefort (AOC). Famous through the ages, this blue cheese is made from ewe's milk in southern France. AOC rules dictate that the cheese must be ripened in the caves of Mount Combalou for 3 to 9 months. Known for its rich, mild creaminess and soft, spicy, tart flavors.
If you can't find it, ask for: Bleu des Causses, Bleu d'Auvergne, Bleu des Basques, Bleu de Gex, Fourme d'Ambert.
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Sparkling Plate
Champagne is a historic wine region in the northeast of France, best known for its famous sparkling white wine of the same name. Cheeses that come from Champagne and surrounding regions pair beautifully with this special wine, creating a sparkling sensation when presented together.
Recommended tasting order: Pyramid goat, Clacbitou, Brie de Nangis, Langres.
The Cheeses
Langres (AOC). A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Champagne, with a firm and supple pâte, and a rich, creamy and complex flavor. Unlike many strong, pungent washed-rind cheeses, Langres is milder and more delicate. It has a distinctive dimpled top and vibrant, orange rind.
If you can't find it, ask for: Époisses, though stronger, is about the closest and is easy to find.
Clacbitou. A simple, rustic, raw goat's milk cheese from Bourgogne, Clacbitou can be enjoyed at any stage from young to mature. Aged only slightly, it develops a slight natural rind. Its pâte has a loose, melting texture, with the flavor of fresh hay and nuts.
If you can't find it, ask for: Ripened Crottin
Brie. Produced just southwest of Paris, this is one of the milder, more buttery Bries. It almost disappeared from production but has seen a revival over the past few decades. Brie de Nangis is creamy and smooth and has a slightly chalky center that becomes runny with age — though it should not be too runny when it is at peak.
If you can't find it, ask for: A Brie-style cheese such as Coulommiers, Fougerus or Camembert.
Pyramid Goat. This goat's milk cheese was a favorite of Napoleon. Produced in the Berry region, the cheese comes in a truncated pyramid shape. It has a smooth, creamy rich texture and mild flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Sainte-Maure, Tradition Jacquin, Tradition du Berry. Many fresh Loire Valley goat cheeses pair well with champagne.
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Springtime Plate
The best time to enjoy the selections on this Fromage Plate is springtime, when hints of meadow flowers and grasses pervade the flavors and aromas of freshly made cheese.
Recommended tasting order: Crottin frais, Picandine, Pointe de Bique, Coulommiers, Tomme de Savoie.
The Cheeses
Picandine. A petite, fresh goat's milk cheese with a faint aroma and light lemony flavor, Picandine is produced by a dairy in the Dordogne region of southwest France. It is white and rindless, the shape of a small hockey puck, with a smooth, soft texture similar to that of natural cream cheese.
If you can't find it, ask for: Cabécou.
Crottin frais. A young goat's milk cheese from the Périgord region of east of Bordeaux. This natural rind cheese has a soft and creamy texture and a mild nutty flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Chabichou du Poitou, Boucantrin, Rove des Garrigues, Crottin Champignou.
Pointe de Bique. Nicknamed the Eiffel Tower, this classic Loire Valley chèvre is made in a distinctive four-sided conical shape. It has a pure white, moist and semi-soft pâte with a well-balanced, full flavor that offers complex sweet, sour and salty notes.
If you can't find it, ask for: Sainte-Maure, Pyramid Goat, fresh or aged goat cheese.
Coulommiers. This small, thick Brie-style cheese has a small, fresh center, or heart, surrounded by a pâte of pale yellow, with a sweet and melting taste. It has a white mold rind, at times with a touch of red.
If you can't find it, ask for: Brie, Camembert.
Tomme de Savoie. Many variations of this cow's milk cheese are produced in the mountainous Haute-Savoie region on the Swiss border. They are generally firm with small holes. They have mild nutty flavors and come in flattened cylinders with crusty natural rinds.
If you can't find it, ask for: Tomme from other regions like Pyrénées, or Camembert for the mushroom earthiness, or Saint-Nectaire.
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Super Bowl Plate
Turn football fans into Fromage fans with this hearty selection. These cheeses pair beautifully with beer and all the trimmings of a classic Super Bowl Party. Recommended tasting order: Cap Gris Nez, Mimolette, Epoisses, Cantal.
The Cheeses
Mimolette. Produced in Flanders in the northernmost region of France, this pasteurized cow's milk cheese is pressed, cooked and shaped like a cannonball. Mimolette hardens as it ages, its interior turning a deeper orange and acquiring a mouthwatering array of fruity, nutty flavors. Best when aged 18 months or more.
If you can't find it, ask for: Aged Comté.
Epoisses (AOC). This cow milk, washed-rind cheese comes from Burgundy. Strong-smelling, with a soft, smooth texture and a mouth-watering flavor, washed with wine or marc spirits, giving it a distinctive aroma. The rind has an orange tinge that darkens with age.
If you can't find it, ask for: Trou du Cru, Affidelice, Perrière, Soumaintrain, Trou du Cru.
Cantal (AOC) — Auvergne. A distinguished, semi-hard cheese from the central mountainous region of Auvergne, Cantal is a cheddar-like cow's milk cheese cured with salt, which brings out its full flavor. Heavy and moist, young Cantal has a sweet, milk flavor; well-aged, it has a sharper flavor.
If you can't find it, ask for: Laguiole, Salers.
Cap Gris Nez. Creamy and full of flavor, this washed-rind cheese is produced by one family in the northern coastal region known as Nord-Pas de Calais. Named for the "Grey Nosed Cape" that juts into the English Channel, Cap Gris Nez is rich, pungent and fairly intense.
If you can't find it, ask for: Livarot.
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Valentine's Day Plate
A special experience designed with fromage lovers in mind! Enjoy three of the most renowned Cheeses of France on this romantic occasion.
Recommended tasting order: Camembert, Comté, Roquefort.
The Cheeses
Camembert. Camembert is a world-renowned cow's milk cheese from the Normandy region in northern France. This quintessential French cheese has a soft, white, bloomy rind; luxurious ivory pâte; and a buttery, grassy flavor. The taste of a ripe Camembert is reminiscent of wild mushrooms.
If you can't find it, ask for: Pavé d'Auge, Pont-l'Evêque, Neufchâtel.
Comté (AOC). One of the most popular cheeses in France, Comté is produced in the rich mountain pastures of the Jura. Its firm and supple pâte, with tiny holes, has a nutty, slightly salty yet sweet taste. Comté is produced year-round by small, cooperative dairies known as fruitières.
If you can't find it, ask for: Beaufort.
Roquefort (AOC). Famous through the ages, this blue cheese is made from ewe's milk in central southern France. AOC rules dictate that the cheese must be ripened in the caves of Mount Combalou for 3 to 9 months. Known for its rich, mild creaminess and soft, spicy, tart flavors.
If you can't find it, ask for: Bleu des Causses, Fourme d'Ambert, Bleu d'Auvergne, Bleu des Basques, Bleu de Gex.
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White Plate
The vineyards of the Bourgogne, or Burgundy, region of France are known for both great red and white wines. The cheeses here, from Bourgogne and surrounding regions, are paired with white Burgundy wines produced from the Chardonnay grape. You might try them with a dry Chablis for another successful pairing.
Recommended tasting order: Clacbitou, Fougerus, Epoisses,
Bleu d'Auvergne.
The Cheeses
Bleu d'Auvergne (AOC). A delicious blue cheese from the Auvergne region of south-central France, Bleu d'Auvergne has a strong and pungent taste, but to a lesser extent than other blue cheeses; it is less salted, with a creamier and more buttery taste and a moister texture.
If you can't find it, ask for: Fourme d'Ambert.
Epoisses (AOC). This cow's milk, washed-rind cheese comes from Bourgogne. Strong smelling, with a soft, smooth and mouth-watering flavor, it is washed with marc spirits that give it a distinctive aroma. The rind has an orange tinge that darkens with age.
If you can't find it, ask for: Munster, Affidélice, Perrière, Soumaintrain, Trou du Cru.
Clacbitou. A simple, rustic, raw goat's milk cheese from Bourgogne, Clacbitou can be enjoyed at any stage from young to mature. Aged only slightly, it develops a slight natural rind. Its pâte has a loose, melting texture, with the flavor of fresh hay and nuts.
If you can't find it, ask for: Ripened Crottin.
Le Fougerus. This artisanal cheese from the Ile-de-France region belongs to the Brie group. It has a supple and sweet, soft, unpressed pâte, with a salty taste. A fern leaf decorates the cheese, blending its scent with the smell of the mold.
If you can't find it, ask for: Coulommiers, Brie, Chaource, Delice de Bourgogne.
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A Mediterranean approach to healthy living.
For more than 50 years, scientists have studied the pattern of eating in the region around the Mediterranean Sea. The diet includes eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and nutrient-rich cheese in moderation every day. Researchers have linked this Mediterranean Diet to an amazing array of health benefits, from lowering your risk of heart disease to breathing easier and maintaining a healthy weight.
With rich nutrients, The Cheeses of France fit right in with the Mediterranean Diet. A little each day goes a long way in providing important nutritional benefits like calcium, protein, and vitamins. What's more, The Cheeses of France are minimally processed and free of artificial growth hormone/rBST.
In a recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and AARP,* Americans who closely followed the Mediterranean Diet were shown to have a reduced risk of death from all causes, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The Mediterranean Foods Alliance provides more details on the Mediterranean Diet and ways you can add healthy habits to your lifestyle.
*Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, December 10, 2007; 167(22): 2461-8.
How you can follow the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean Diet pyramid shows recommended types of food and how often to enjoy them.
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