La Tur, Prima Donna & Chebris Cheese

A few weekends ago my youngest daughter invited some friends over for dinner and a sleepover but also invited their parents for dinner. We served Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Herb Goat Cheese that were easy to prepare and were delicious. There are a lot of steps you can do ahead so you can spend more time with your guests.

My wife asked me to pick up some fresh goat cheese from my buddy Cheeseman Jack who unfortunately is closing his cheese stand at the Farmer’s Market in Ardmore I go to every Saturday morning. Good news is he is keeping his cheese store at Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia open so I guess that means more trips into the city for me. Jack is one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to cheese. He can be a little opinionated when it comes to cheese and life in general, but his encyclopedia knowledge of cheese makes up for it.

I asked Jack for 3 different cheeses to serve before dinner while we were standing around getting to know each other a little better. Here are the three cheeses he selected and each was fantastic in its own way. I’ll try to write more about each cheese in the coming weeks, but for today I just wanted to share these wonderful examples of fine cheeses with you.

Be sure to get to know your local cheese expert so they can give you great suggestions as did my friend Cheeseman Jack. And also be sure to read my Cheese Primer on how to buy cheese.

You can see the three different cheeses, what they cost (I think per pound in this case) and the type of milk used to make it.

If you can’t decide on a cow’s milk, goat’s milk or sheep’s milk cheese, why not have all three. That’s what is used to make this buttery Italian cheese from the Piedmont area call La Tur. You can read more about it at  Le Tur Cheese.

Chabris is a hard cheese from the Basque Region and is made from a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk.  Not sure if you are going to find this very easily but if you have a good cheese shop near you, be sure to ask if they can order some. It is a wonderful find.

Of the three, this Prima Donna is both my wife’s and my favorite. Prima Donna is an aged Gouda from the Netherlands. It is not as aged as some of the 4 to 6 year old Gouda that I write about at Aged Gouda Cheese (and where you can see a photo of Cheeseman Jack too), but it is lot different that the Laughing Cow Babybel cheese you picture in your head when you think of Gouda cheese. This is a cow’s milk cheese that is hard with a sweet - nutty flavor and hints of caramel on the finish.

Try New Cheeses

I know we often get into a rut and buy the same three or four cheeses whenever we have a party or just for having around the house, but I urge you to go out and try something new. There are so many great cheeses being made around the world that you owe it to yourself to give them a try. And remember, let these cheeses come to room temperature before serving.

And please let me know some of your own favorite cheeses so I can give them a try.

We were very fortunate to receive a gift for a month’s worth of “hand-selected premium fruit” from Harry & David from one of my wife’s friends. It is a wonderful gift especially this time of the year when you can use a perfectly ripe orange or ruby red grapefruit to get you through the cold winter days. I tell my youngest daughter when giving her a section of Clementine that she is putting a little sunshine in her mouth with each bite.

This week the postman showed up at the door with a box of extremely juicy HoneyBell oranges that came with their own plastic bibs that took me a while to figure out what they were. After browsing the Internet for a while to learn more about what some people say is the sweetest orange around, I also learned that they are not really in the orange family botanically, but are really tangelos.

In fact, when I went to the supermarket and asked the grocer if they had any Honeybell oranges, he sent me over to the Minneola Tangelo short for Minnesota Tangelo which is a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine.

I’m guessing they get their name from their shape but to me they look like Christmas ornaments you hang on the tree. I found out from the literature sent with the Honeybells that those that “grow close to the trunk have a thicker skin and almost always have the characteristic “bell” on top. Those that grow toward the outside end of the limb have thinner skins and often don’t have the “bell.”

The box of Bells also came with a card with a couple of recipes including this one for HoneyBell Juice Cocktail that my wife decided to make. I have always been interested in photography but not very good at it so I am making an effort to take better photos of what I cook.

My kids tease me about bringing my camera to the table each night playing with the light and composition but it’s the only way I’m going to get better. I even reached out to some food photographers for some help and will share what I learn from them. If you have any tips you would like to share, my ears are open. So if you see a lot more photos on my posts, you know what I’m trying to learn and share with you.

HoneyBell Juice Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 4 HoneyBells, peeled but leave the yellow pith (I’m guessing it is good source of fiber)
• 1 apple
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 mango, peeled and pitted
• 2 slices of fresh pineapple about 1/2 inch thick with the skin removed (we used already cut up chunks of pineapple available at the supermarket)

How to Make HoneyBell Juice Cocktail

Prep all the ingredients coring the apple and cutting them into quarters. Peel and pit the mango. Get your pineapple ready depending on what you are using. Remove the tops from the carrots but leave the skin on.

To make the juice, just add everything to a juice machine (juicer). As you can see from the photo, my wife used a juice extractor and a juicer both of which pre-date our marriage. They have been sitting around in various kitchen cabinets gathering dust from New York City to Park City, Utah now back east here in Philadelphia so it was great to get them out and use them. Like old friends you haven’t seen in a while, it was a pleasure to make their acquaintance again.

Very Old Juice Extractors

We made more than what’s showing in the measuring cup but the kids and I were drinking it faster than my wife could make it. I thought the photo looked pretty good so that’s why it is included.

Yesterday we juiced up some other fruit including strawberries and bananas and the drink was equally delicious. I’m guessing if you have quality fresh fruit around, it is hard to mess up a fruit juice drink. I’m hoping to keep the juicer and extractor a little busier now that we’ve enjoyed the nutritious and delicious concoctions they create.

If you have a favorite juice combination, please be sure to share it with me.

This is a very easy to make soup that is perfect when you need a quick meal on a cold night like we are having here in Philadelphia. I completely changed this recipe around from one I found in a magazine my wife purchased at the airport on our way back from Park City, Utah.

I didn’t have most of the ingredients called for in the original recipe so I made this one up based on what I had in the freezer and pantry. Everyone, including the kids enjoyed the results and it was even better the next day for lunch.

Italian Sausage Spinach and Artichoke soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound of Italian sweet sausage
• 6 cups of chicken stock or broth
• 1 pound artichoke hearts, I used jarred in water but you can also use frozen but be sure to thaw them out before using.
• 1 pound of cleaned spinach leaves
• 1/4 pound of snow peas
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve with soup.

How to Prepare at Home

Mise en Place - prep the sausage as describe below, rinse off the artichoke hearts and cut them into quarters, clean the spinach in cold water and grate some Parmesan cheese. Please do not use the stuff that comes in a green can.

Heat soup pot over medium high heat until hot (do the water test), add olive oil and then the sausage. You can cut the sausage casing to remove the meat but I like to squeeze them out of the casing into the pot when its hot. Throw away the casings. As the sausage is browning, break up the pieces with a wood spoon or spatula.

Be sure to stir the sausage so it doesn’t burn. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to brown.

Add the chicken stock/broth, artichoke quarters plus 1 cup of water. Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer.

Add the spinach and snow peas, cover and cook for a few minutes until the spinach wilts and the snow peas are tender.

Serve in large soup bowls, garnish with Parmesan cheese or serve the cheese on the side and let your diners add to taste.  Some good crusty Italian bread would be nice too. I served it with white rice to make a meal out of it but it would be a good started too.