I love those clean-out-the-fridge type recipes – the ones where you can throw bits and pieces of whatever you have together and tastiness results.
After the holidays, I had a cheese drawer full of bits and pieces of delicious cheeses. I wasn’t even sure what some of them were by looking – I had to taste to make sure. I had cheddar, gruyere, parmesan, gorgonzola, monterey jack. So, I decided to experiment with throwing them all in the food processor and adding some liquids and some flavorings to see if I could make a cheese spread that would be as tasty as some of those spreadable cheeses you can buy in the “specialty cheese” sections at the grocery store. You know the kind: small tubs of cheeses flavored with “garlic and herbs” and the like. They are delicious, but very spendy.
I had bits of various cheeses, about a pound total. I threw them into the food processor with ricotta, garlic and parsley. This was too bland, so I added some white wine vinegar, cayenne pepper sauce and cracked black pepper. I slowly added a little water at a time, until the right consistency resulted.
I found that the spread is best served at room temperature, and served with good crackers or toasted baguette slices.
RUSTIC CHEESE SPREAD
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 pound assorted bits of cheeses, such as cheddar, gruyere, parmesan, etc.
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons diced flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
A few dashes cayenne pepper sauce
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Water as needed for consistency
Place all ingredients except water in food processor and process for about 2 minutes, or until very smooth. Add water in about 1 tablespoon at a time, until a smooth and spreadable consistency results. Serve at room temperature with assorted crackers or toasted bread slices.
– posted by Donna
