Roasted Radish and Truffle Crostini

Sottocenere is a cheese we love so much that we named a cat after it. This truffle laced, ash rind cheese makes an appearance on this yummy snack. Radishes in the raw are peppery and slightly bitter. Roast them and they become sweet, buttery and the color is just gorgeous. It's the perfect compliment to earthy truffle. Keep the pretty radish greens intact for presentation and crunch.

1 bunch radishes, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half, or quartered if larger
2 tablespoons Terra Verde Estate Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 Slow Dough Baguette
Lucky Layla Golden Butter, room temp
1/3 lb Sottocenere, grated
Truffle oil

Directions:
Heat oven to 375. When cutting radishes, you want a uniform size. Toss radishes in evoo, lemon and season with salt and pepper. Spread radishes onto a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned around the edges and fork tender. Set radishes aside to cool. Slice baguette at a slight angle. Butter each slice, top with a generous pinch of grated Sottocenere. Cut thin slices of radish and layer on top of crostini. Broil crostini for just a few minutes, until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Finish with lemon zest and a light drizzle of truffle oil. 

Tasting Plate Close Up: Latte Da Gouda

Latte Da Gouda from Flower Mound, TX

Anne Jones of Latte Da Dairy is the kind of cheesemaker who makes cheese because it enables her to have goats. A retired veterinarian, Jones applies her expertise and great love of animals to the running of her dairy. To give them the best possible care, she keeps her herd small, just 20 or so does of the Nubian and Lamancha breeds. She's quick to tell you that her girls are stars, winning numerous accolades from the American Dairy Goat Association.

Her cheeses are stars too. The American Cheese Society has graced them with multiple ribbons, including a 3rd place for her Goat Caerphilly in 2012. Jones makes delicious chevre and feta, but she sets herself apart with her aged cheeses. Hard, aged goat cheeses are rare, especially in Texas. Good hard aged goat cheeses are even rarer as they are not easy to make well.


We love her Goat Gouda. The texture is firm, but the mouthfeel is rich, not dry or waxy. It's sweet and delicate in flavor, with hints of salted caramel.


It's on the tasting plate this week. Come by to give it a try!

 

Winter Quiche with Redneck Cheddar

I love quiche for several reasons. For starters, you can put anything your little heart desires in a quiche. You can go crustless and vegan or rich and decadent. It's an opportunity to use your favorite ingredients, mine being caramelized onion (I know, I have a problem). I used some beautiful Winter veggies from Utility Research Garden, a dash of Californian fennel pollen and Redneck Cheddar. Quiche is also a food that can be eaten for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Not that the "rules" ever stopped me from eating cold, tex-mex leftovers for breakfast. 

1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cups chopped cabbage
3 or 4 mixed Daikon Radishes, trimmed and halved
Terra Verde Estate Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup half and half
3 farm fresh eggs
1 cup grated Redneck Cheddar (1/2 lb)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Pollen Ranch Fennel Pollen, a pinch or two
1 9-inch pie crust, recipe here or store bought

Directions:
For crust, roll out and place in an un-greased, deep dish pie pan, pressing to edges. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for about 11 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool completely before adding custard. For daikon, drizzle a little evoo, season with salt and pepper and toss. Roast daikon at 375 on a baking sheet for 20 - 25 minutes, or until tender. Over medium heat, cook onion in a few tablespoons of evoo, until caramelized. Add cabbage to onions and cook until all liquid evaporates and cabbage is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. When daikon has cooled, chop and add to cabbage onion mixture. Season veggies with salt, pepper and fennel pollen. Set aside. Whisk half and half, eggs and a pinch of salt for custard base. Stir in veggies and cheese. Pour into crust. Bake until filling puffs and starts to brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm with a simple arugula salad.

Close-up on this Week's Plate: Green Hill

When we decided to expand our selection beyond Texas, one of the first cheeses we sought out was Green Hill Camembert. Seven years later, it's become a reliable good friend. Whenever we need a cheese to delight a crowd of folks with diverse cheese preferences, Green Hill comes out and wins over the room.

Sweet Grass is a family-run dairy in Thomasville, a town in southern Georgia near the Florida border. Not as small as many of our dairies, Sweet Grass has over 600 (mostly) Jersey cows spread over three farms. Their mother farm was one of the first in the U.S. to implement New Zealand-style rotational grazing. By moving the cows from pasture to pasture, they give their land time to replenish its nutrients while giving their cows ample amounts of fresh green grass. As they well know, good grass=good milk=good cheese.

Green Hill's inconspicuous bloomy rind surrounds a rich, cream-colored paste remarkable in its melt-in-your-mouth smoothness. It tastes like sweet cream butter with a bright tangy finish.

Kerrisa has a great Baked Green Hill recipe too if you need something to warm you up.

Green Hill is on the tasting plate this week at the shop. Come by and give it a try!

Cheesy Turnip and Potato Soup

Draping ugly sheets over plants in your front yard sure does work up an appetite. This hearty winter soup will make you feel warm and cozy on a cold day. You should break out your immersion blender before our bi-polar city changes its mind.

4 tablespoons Lucky Layla Golden Butter
2 leeks, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 turnips (about 2 lbs), peeled, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices
1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices

1 pinch kosher salt,
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup Mill King whole milk
8oz Marieke Gouda, 1 cup grated
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lb bacon, chopped

Directions:
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion, season with kosher salt and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sliced turnips and potato, season with pepper and saute an additional 10 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Puree soup in a blender in batches, or with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return to pot. Add milk and cheese. Bring to simmer until creamy and cheese is melted. Cook bacon until crispy. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped bacon and fresh black pepper.