Category: Cheese

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata

August 13, 2009

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Have you ever had burrata cheese?  If you follow food trends, you may know that it’s one of those “it” ingredients these days.  The “it” status is well warranted because it is over the top amazing and it makes this salad, which has so many wonderful things going for it, a masterpiece.

Burrata is an Italian invention and it is essentially mozzarella and cream.  Really.  The outer part is pure mozzarella and the inside is a soft mixture of mozzarella and cream.  Or it can just be described as mozzarella times 10.  It can be hard to find (Seattle people can find it at DeLaurenti) and it is expensive ($28/pound) but it really is one of those magical transforming things.

Because it is so rich, you really don’t need much.  I scaled up this recipe and was planning on buying 1 1/2 pounds of it.  When I saw the price, I quickly brought that amount back down to 1/2 pound and supplemented with fresh mozzarella (again for Seattle folks, DeLaurenti makes their own mozzarella on the weekends.)  As I was tucking the cheese in among those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, I realized that I probably didn’t even need the extra cheese.  The guys, all of whom had never heard of burrata, went totally crazy over this salad – especially the cheese.

Don’t forget – you have a chance to win a copy of The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook by telling me about your favorite cookbook here.

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One Year Ago:  Farro with Green Beans and Corn

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata, Torn Croutons, and Opal Basil
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques
Serves 6

This is the recipe as written but as I mentioned above, you could use less cheese.  If you are unable to find burrata, I would use fresh ricotta or soft goat cheese rather than mozzarella.  If this recipe seems overly fussy for what is essentially a tomato and bread salad, please proceed and make it.  It’s worth the effort.

1/3 pound country white bread
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp. oregano leaves
1/2 clove garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
3 pounds heirloom tomatoes, assorted sizes, shapes, and colors
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
2 tablespoons sliced opal basil
2 tablespoons sliced green basil
1 pound burrata cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Cut the crust off the bread and tear the remaining loaf into rustic 1-inch pieces.  Using your hands, toss the pieces with 2 tablespoons olive oil, squeeze the bread gently to help it absorb the oil.  Toast on a baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes, stirring a few times, until the croutons are golden brown and crispy on the outside but still a little soft and tender inside.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the oregano, garlic, and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt to a paste.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vinegars.  Whisk in the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil and taste for balance and seasoning.  (DT: If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle the salt over it.  Using the side of your knife, smoosh the garlic and salt together until you get a paste.  Then cut the oregano very finely into the paste.)

Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.  Core the heirloom tomatoes.  Cut half of them into wedges and set them aside.  Then one by one, hold the remaining tomatoes on their sides and cut them into 1/2-inch-thick slices.  Season the slides with the fleur de sel and some pepper.  Place the slices overlapping on a large platter, spoon a little of the vinaigrette over them, and scatter a little basil on top.

Cut the burrata into twelve slices, and tuck them in and around the slabs of tomato.  (DT: My cheese was too soft to cut so I just pulled of almond sized pieces and scattered it around.)

Toss the heirloom wedges and cherry tomatoes gently in a large bowl with the sliced shallots, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, a pinch of pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Taste for seasoning, adding more vinaigrette if you like.  Gently toss in the croutons.

Arrange the salad on the platter, piling it in the center, allowing the slices of tomato and cheese to peek through.  Scatter the parsley and remaining basil leaves over the top of the salad.


Category: Cheese,My Favorites,Salad
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Thank You Cheeseballs

August 9, 2009


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I would like to thank each and every one of you who read my (somewhat long) account of what is going on with my son Graham. I would really like to thank those of you who left lovely and thoughtful comments. I am blown away by your kindness. So, am I thanking you all by calling you cheeseballs? No, I’m thanking you by making cheeseballs.

Now, banish the thoughts of those processed, artificially colored, pre-rolled in stale nuts cheese balls you probably have seen in the cheese section of your local grocery store. This recipe comes to you by way of Martha Stewart, so you know there is nothing processed, artificial, or stale here. This is actually an ingenious recipe.

First, you make a base of cream cheese and butter with some seasonings and then you take that base and make it into three different flavored balls. One has cheddar cheese and chutney and is rolled in dried cranberries, one has blue cheese and brandy and is rolled in chopped walnuts, and one has goat cheese and scallions and is rolled in chopped parsley. It is a bit of work and you make a huge mess (or, at least I did) but you get a lot for your effort.

The first time I made this appetizer I was stunned by how gi-normous each cheese ball was. So, I divided each one in half to make two balls of each flavor, six balls in all. I served one of each and froze the rest for another time. It was great to be able to pull out something so special for impromptu dinners and one of the smaller balls will still easily feed 8 people or more. That method is how I have done it every time since and is how I recommend you do it, unless you are planning a party for 100. I love having things like this in the freezer.

Again friends, thank you. It is a less lonely journey with friends to accompany you.

One Year Ago: Pasta with Cauliflower, Peppers, and Walnut Pesto

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Cheese Balls Three Ways
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s The New Classics
Makes three – 4 inch balls (or six – 2 inch balls if you split each in half as I describe above)

You may not know this, and you may not care, but Worcestershire sauce is not vegetarian. It contains anchovies. You can find a vegan version at Whole Foods and it comes in handy when making Caesar Salad.

Base Recipe
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), softened
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cheddar and Cranberry
8 ounces sharp orange Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 tbsp. store-bought chutney
3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

Roquefort and Walnut
6 ounces Roquefort cheese
1 shallot, minced
2 tsp. brandy (optional)
1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Goat Cheese and Scallions
8 ounces goat cheese
2 tbsp. finely chopped scallions
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Put the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until combined. Divide equally among 3 medium bowls.

2. Stir the Cheddar and chutney with the base mixture in the first bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Roll the cheese ball in the cranberries to coat before serving.

3. Stir the Roquefort and shallot with the base mixture in the second bowl; add brandy, if desired. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Roll in the walnuts to coat before serving.

4. Stir the goat cheese and scallions with the base in the remaining bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Roll in the parsley before serving.


Category: Appetizer,Cheese,Party Food,Seasonal
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A Summer Tart

July 15, 2009


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If you are a regular reader here, you probably know very well my love of chocolate.  The Dana Treat formula is simple:  dessert = chocolate.  But I know that not everyone feels this way.  My own husband professes not to like chocolate – at least that is what he says before he scarfs down whatever chocolate thing I have put in front of him.  Truly, his dessert taste does run to things like apple pie or lemon tart.  And in the summer, mine does too.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate anytime, but something really rich on a hot night just doesn’t sound right.  I needed to make something for an impromptu gathering last Friday and I struggled because I know a few of the guests are true chocoholics.  I also knew some of them are not.  So, I decided to branch out and make something really different.  I turned to my dessert notebook and almost right away found this recipe.

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I have to say, on a July night, this tart is a lovely thing.  It is served cold and, while there is a bit of sugar in crust and in the filling, it seems like the sweetness only comes from the honey drizzled on top.  The rest of the tart is refreshingly, well, tart.  It would be lovely served at a fancier dinner as a sort of cheese course, followed by chocolate truffles.  But, like I said, it was pretty hard to beat on a warm summer evening.

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One Year Ago:  Orzo with Brocoli, Feta, and Olives

Honeyed Goat Cheese Tart with Pistachio Crust
From Food and Wine
Makes one 9-inch tart

If you are familiar with Fage Greek yogurt, the large container is just the right size for this tart.  You will definitely want to serve some fruit on the plate along with a tart slice.  I used blueberries, but raspberries or strawberries – or even peach slices – would be great.

1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups flour
11 ounces soft goat cheese
2 cups full-fat Greek-style yogurt
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup clover honey (DT: I used Tupelo honey)

1.  In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely ground.  In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the granulated sugar at medium speed until pale, about 1 minute.  Add the ground pistachios, almond extract, and salt and beat until combined.  Add the flour and beat at low speed until incorporated and the dough is crumbly.

2.  Scrape the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.  Using the bottom of a glass, press the dough over the bottom and up the side of the tart pan.  Refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes.

3.  Preheat the oven to 300°F.  Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Bake the crust for about 45 minutes, until lightly golden.  Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

4.  In the bowl of the mixer, beat the goat cheese, yogurt, lime juice and lime zest until combined.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.  Scrape the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours.

5.  Just before serving, in a small saucepan, cook the honey over moderately high heat until it reaches 236°F on a candy thermometer, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle the honey over the tart and let stand until the honey firms up, about 5 minutes.  Cut the tart into wedges and serve.

(The tart can be prepared through step 4 and refrigerated overnight.)


Category: Cheese,Dessert,Tart
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A Summer Galette

July 13, 2009


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Way back in February, I told you about galettes from the Macrina Bakery here in Seattle.  I shared the recipe for an extraordinary one starring butternut squash.  I’m here to share another.

My brother Alex and his family came for dinner last night.  (I just have to brag again.  Alex was – and still is – the personal trainer for Jason, a.k.a. last season’s The Bachelor.)  Randy hadn’t grilled salmon yet this summer and I know how much Alex loves salmon, so it was certainly time.  My sister-in-law Amy is also a vegetarian, so I wanted to make something special as a side, something that could be more of a main course for us.  Immediately I thought of this galette.

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This  beauty is a classic savory tart crust filled with an intoxicating mixture of Fontina and Ricotta cheeses all bound together with some egg and flavored with fresh oregano and thyme.  It is topped with arugula that has been tossed with olive oil, lemon zest, and Kalamata olive halves.  That part is topped with roasted tomato slices.  Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook actually has four galette recipes, three savory and one sweet.  I almost can’t wait for fall so I can make the Roasted Pear Galette with Chèvre and Pomegranates.  Until then, I will certainly make this lovely roasted tomato topped one again.
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One Year Ago:  Leek Fritatta

Roasted Tomato and Olive Galette with Fontina
Adapted from Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook
Serves 8-10

When writing about the butternut squash galette, I mentioned that it is easier, and more attractive, to make several small galettes rather than one big one.  I didn’t follow my own advice last night and I should have.  Everything tasted great, but the large dough was a bit hard to work with and crimp attractively.  Note that the crust recipe below makes enough for two of these large galettes.  I place the unused half of dough in my freezer for next time.

2 cups grated fontina cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
3 eggs
Kosher salt
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (DT: I used more like 2 tbsp. of each.)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough, chilled (recipe follows)
Egg wash made with 1 egg and 1 tsp. water
5 Roma tomatoes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 handful fresh arugula leaves
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Zest of 1 lemon

Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine fontina cheese, ricotta, eggs, 1 tsp. kosher salt, oregano, thyme, and a little freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl.  Mix well and set aside.

Form chilled pie dough into a ball and place it on a lightly floured work surface.  Flatten ball slightly, then roll it into a 14-inch circle, about 1/8th of an inch thick.  Carefully lift it onto a prepared baking sheet.  Spoon ricotta mixture onto center of circle and flatten to cover 10 inches, leaving a 2-inch border.  Lift border over top of the filling, tucking and folding the dough to create a gathered, or pleated, finish.  Lift each of the folds up and brush underneath with egg wash to seal the crust.  Brush all exposed dough with egg wash, then place the galette in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Wash and core tomatoes, then cut them into 12 pieces each.  Combine chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl and toss together.  Pour tomatoes onto a prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast on center rack of oven for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are deep brown.  Set aside to cool.  Leave oven on.

Remove tart from refrigerator and bake on center rack of oven for 55-60 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Let cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Place the arugula in a bowl with the olives, lemon zest, and the remaining olive oil.  Add a little salt and pepper, and toss together.  Arrange arugula mixture on center of galette and scatter roasted tomatoes over the top.  Serve at room temperature.

Flaky Pie Dough
Makes enough for 2 double-crusted (9-inch) pies, or 2 galettes

I always make pie dough in my food processor, but this amount is too much for it, so I do it by hand with a pastry blender.

5 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp. kosher salt
12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and toss together. Add butter and cut it into the flour until the texture is coarse and crumbly. You can use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. Cut the shortening up and add it in small pieces. Cut in the shortening until the dough is crumbly again. Add ice water and mix just until the dough sticks together when pinched. Pull dough from bowl onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a block. Cut it in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or wrap it again in foil and store in the freezer. One day before you are going to use frozen dough, transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw there.


Category: Cheese,Main Course,My Favorites,Seasonal,Tart
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This is Not Whipped Cream

June 17, 2009

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So, this dip is what I mistook for whipped cream the other night.  Yes, I brought this to sandwich between layers of strawberry shortcake and strawberries.  In my defense, it didn’t have the garnishes in it yet – it was just white.  But trust me, it’s much better served with crackers than with chocolate sauce.

This is a great recipe to have in your repetoire because it has few ingredients and takes next to no time.  It also tastes really good and can be made one day ahead.  It’s a lovely place to put all those gorgeous radishes you are seeing at the farmer’s markets.

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One Year Ago: Feta and Ricotta Cheese Skillet Pie

Feta-Radish Spread
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, The New Classics
Serves 4-6

Martha tells you to make your own pita chips here but I simply ran out of time.  I brought my clients store-bought pita chips instead.  Another change I made was to use more yogurt (a full 7 oz. container instead of the 1/4 cup she called for) to eliminate the need for olive oil in the spread.

1 package sheep’s milk feta cheese (7 or 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
1- 7 oz. container Greek yogurt (DT: I used low fat)
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 radishes, quartered and thinly sliced

Pulse the feta, yogurt, and lemon juice in a food processor just utnil the mixture is thick and spreadable, about 10 pulses.  Transer to a medium bowl, and stir in the parsley and radishes.  Serve with pita chips or crackers.  (The dip can be made, without the radishes and parsley, 1 day ahead.  Cover and refrigerate.  Add parsley and radises just before serving.)


Category: Appetizer,Cheese,Dip,Quick and Easy
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