One thing that I learned a lot about, and got a lot of practice doing, when I worked at the manor, was putting together a Cheese Tray for dinner parties or other celebratory occasions. I can now put together a really attractive one with confidence and knowledge.
This is saying a lot, considering the fact that I grew up eating only plastic cheese, and wouldn't have touched a smelly cheese with a ten foot pole! I have come to love a great variety of this wonderful food, and am game to try almost any kind, having developed in my later life what I would consider to be a really adventurous cheese palate!
I owe a lot of this knowledge and experience to my ex boss, who was a great tutor in teaching me what was right and proper when it came to putting together a great cheese tray!
The first thing you will want is a nice surface to lay everything out on. A large flat board works well. At the Manor we used a large flat wicker basket/tray.
Today I have used one of my larger wooden cutting boards. It doesn't really matter if it is a big banged up, because you will be covering it. I have chosen several nice paper doilies to do this . . .
My boss used to pick up these paper leaves whenever she would go to the States, and bring them back to use on the Manor Cheese trays. We had them in all sorts of colours, shapes and sizes.
We could usually get away with using only three or four of these, so they did last a long time. But paper doilies work very well also, just so you know.
Another thing to remember is that you don't have to break the bank with the cheeses you choose to buy and serve. You will want at least four different kinds, and you should buy the most expensive cheese that you can afford to buy.
You will want a soft cheese, such as a goats cheese, ash covered or not . . . please don't be tempted to use cream cheese. A Cheese tray is not the place for that. (If you do want to serve cream cheese, a block of that placed onto a plate with a hot pepper jelly, gently warmed to loosen it and poured over top goes very nice.)
A semi-soft such as a brie or a danish blue, perhaps a reblochon . . . a semi hard, like a stilton blue, or a comte, maybe a manchego. I like the white stilton with mango and ginger, or with cranberries . . . and of course you will want something hard.
A really good crumbly well-aged cheddar is nice, as is a Parmesan or an Asiago. There are over 500 varieties of cheese in the world that you can choose from, and they are all very delicious.
One rule of thumb you will want to follow, is to bring the cheeses to room temperature before serving. They taste much better at room temperature.
You will need something to eat with the cheese. Crackers, toasted slices of baguette, crisp breads and the like. I have chosen a selection of crackers here.
The digestive are always favourites to serve with a fruity cheese . . . there was a time when I thought holiday crackers meant buttery round crackers. I have grown so much since then and I am fond of many different kinds and in fact they would be my last choice as they are far too crumbly and break up too easily.
At the manor the crackers were handed around in an antique silver biscuit barrel. Most of us, however, don't have budgets that run to one of those.
Today I have simply arranged my crackers in an attractive porcelain dish.
You will also want something sweet, or nutty or salty to go with your cheeses. Some people add chacuterie such as a good salami, or proscuitto ham.
Nuts also go well. Toasted walnuts are nice with most cheeses, as are toasted almonds.
We like fruit with ours. Today I used some really nice sweet sable grapes and crisp slices of a sweet apple . . .
If you are using grapes a set of grape shears comes in really handy. At the manor we had beautiful silver ones, but again, not all of us can afford something like that.
What you can do however is to clip the grapes ahead of time into small managable clusters before placing them attractively on the tray. A small round bladed knife for cutting the cheese is also a must.
If you have included soft cheeses, you will also want another one to use for them so that you don't contaminate your lovely goats cheese with the strong flavoured stilton, etc. and vice versa.
Another thing which goes really nice with cheese is Membrillo, a delightful sweet semi solid fruit paste/cheese made from the Quince. It is really delicious, but somewhat hard to find.
Apple jelly or butter goes very well with a good cheddar. You can also use hot pepper jellies, etc.
I always add a small bowl of a pickle or relish. A well flavoured chutney works perfectly with cheese. Sweet, sticky and spicy they help to really enhance the beautiful flavours of cheese.
We are huge fans of the English Provender range of chutneys in this house. (Cheese and chutney sandwiches are a real love!)
English Provender have a wonderful variety of chutneys available for use with your holiday cheese trays. In fact I would call them cheese-board-tastic!
Today I used their Caramelised Red Onion, but it is only one of many that are available. My Cranberry Chutney would also go very well.
Great cheese pairing tips for the ultimate cheese board:
- Caramelised Red Onion Chutney – pair with a strong hard cheese like mature Cheddar or strong blue cheese like Blacksticks blue or Stilton
- Sweet Tomato and Chilli Chutney – pair with smoked log cheese or a hard cheese like Red Leicester, mild Cheddar or Double Gloucester
- Plum & Bramley Apple Chutney - pair with white soft cheeses like brie and cambazola, rind washed cheeses like Epoisses or Morbier, or try blue cheeses like Blacksticks blue or Stilton
So as you can see today, putting together a cheese tray for the holidays can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. It needn't cost a lot of money, and it certainly doesn't take a lot of time.
I have never met a person yet, whose eyes don't light up when you bring one out. A nice cheese tray can make a perfect finish to a holiday meal, as well as going very well as nibbles with drinks.
However you choose to serve one, it is bound to be a popular addition to your holiday celebrations!
This
content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English
Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading
this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report
it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting.
Do come again!
PS - any cheese leftovers will also work very well in a Gourmet Mac and Cheese. Just saying! Check it out!
I think one of my favourite things about any holiday meal has to be the stuffing, or dressing as it is sometimes also called! The two terms seem to be used interchangeably, although arguably stuffing would denote something which has been stuffed into something else, and dressing . . . well, dressing usually makes me think of salads and something tasty that you pour over top of them!
My mother always made the best stuffing. She used plenty of sage and poultry seasoning. She also used raw onion, rather than cooking the onion. Stale bread, salt and pepper and mashed potato made up the rest, with perhaps a small amount of the turkey juices.
It was a bit unconventional for sure, but we always thought it was the best and there is not a one of us in my family today that wouldn't kill to have my mother make it again for us. Somehow whenever I try to make hers, mine never ever tastes as good as the memory of hers does in my mind!
This is very similar, but it is my own version and it is also very, very good. I cook my onion first as some people find the sharpness of raw onion quite unpalatable. You can either stuff it (completely cooled) into the bird, or you can bake a casserole dish of it along side of the bird. Either way, you are in for a real treat!
225g fresh soft white bread crumbs (8 slices, 1/2 pound)
salt and black pepper to taste
Place the chopped onion into a saucepan. Cover with the water.
Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer over low heat for
15 minutes. Drain very well. Stir in the butter and the remaining
ingredients, tossing to combine and seasoning to taste. Allow to cool
completely if you are using it to stuff a bird. If you are cooking it
separately. Place into a buttered dish. Dot butter over the top.
Cover and bake in a 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4 oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake for a further 10 minutes to crisp up the top if
desired.
Note - One potato mashed can be stirred into the bread crumbs along with the onion and then you have Bread, Sage & Onion Stuffing. This is as my mother always made it.
What would a leftover turkey sandwich be without a layer of stuffing to give it some extra flavour! Not half of what it should and could be I wager! Bon Appetit!
One thing I love most about this time of year and the holidays is the abundance of root vegetables, which are at their freshest and finest. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnips, rutabaga, etc. I am a root vegetable lover.
This simple and easy bake makes good use of a variety of root vegetables. It makes a wonderful holiday side dish as well. It is colourful and delicious!
You simply peel and thinly slice your vegetables and then blanch them for a few minutes in some lightly salted boiling water. I like to slice my vegetables by hand, but you can use a food processor or a mandoline if you want to.
I really don't mind slicing them by hand. It is the type of mindless chore that I enjoy. I just peel and then slice them thinly, practicing mindfulness . . . I am usually in another world entirely. I find it quite relaxing.
Once you have sliced and blanched them, they are simply layered in a shallow baking dish (s) with some good olive oil, seasoning and chopped parsley. Make sure you save some of the blanching water to pour over them in the dish . . . just enough to cover the bottom layer. If you forget to do that you could use a good vegetable stock.
Once they are layered in the dish(s) you simply cover the dish loosely with two layers of buttered baking parchment and pop them into the oven and bake. One half hour covered, and one half hour uncovered.
At the end of that time they will be tender and golden and soooooo tasty! Perfect for enjoying as a delicious side dish for all of your holiday meals, be it turkey, or ham, or beef, or pork . . . I dare say that this goes well with anything, even fish.
Its simple, and healthy and very adaptable also. I have used sweet and white potatoes today, along with some celeriac (celery root) and parsnips, but you can use carrots, swede (rutabaga), onions, or any other root vegetable which you enjoy, in any combination. This is delicious!
*Root Vegetable Tian*
Serves 12
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.
Begin layering the vegetables in the baking dishes. Making about 3 layers and sprinkling each layer with some salt and black pepper, some parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Pour enough of the cooking liqeuer into the bottom of each baking dish, just to cover the bottom layer of vegetables. Cut out two pieces of baking parchment large enough to cover each casserole. (4 pieces of paper) Oil them lightly and then place two on top of each baking dish loosely.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the baking parchmet and bake for a further 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and golden. Garnish with more parsley to serve
Colourful, healthy, easy to make and delicious! What more could a person ask for? Bon Appetit!
Today I tortured my pasta hating husband with some comfort food from my
childhood, which rang all my bells, but left him feeling rather off key!
haha He says he hates pasta, but he always eats it when I make it. I
think it's because he knows it's cheap . . . and that part of him that
grew up during the War and during rationing, likes a good bargain!
This might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is mine. I love macaroni. I love tomatoes. I love cheese.
Put the three together and
you have my idea of heavenly bliss. I could eat this until it comes out my ears.
This is a great meal to throw together to feed your hungry family on a
weeknight when you know you aren't going to have a lot of time . . .
Also for when it's getting close to payday and you are wanting those hard
earned pesos to stretch that little bit further.
I always pick up blocks of cheese when it's on special at the shops and
keep it in my freezer until I need it. It is perfectly find for cooking
with and to be honest that's how most of the cheese in this house gets
used.
Oh we will have the odd piece, every now and then, just with some crackers, and maybe some fruit. But, truth be told, most of the time . . . it's used in cooking.
I always pick up tins of tomatoes when they are on special as well. We
love our tinned tomatoes in this house.
If you've got a tin of tomatoes
in the cupboard, you've got the makings of a tasty meal. That's my
opinion at any rate!
We also always have milk. I keep a large jug of fresh milk in the refrigerator, and I have several cartons of long life milk in the cupboard. Of course you could make this
really decadent and use half cream and half milk.
And I have done that
from time to time and it is rather good, if I don't say so myself . . . but normally I just use plain old ordinary milk.
This is the kind of comfort food that your mom or gran might have cooked.
You could brown off some lean minced beef and add it along with
some onions, but it's not really necessary because . . . this tastes pretty fabulous just the way it is. Who says simple has to be boring??
*Scalloped Macaroni*
Serves 4
Serves 4
This may be simple and plain, but don't let that fool you. Sometimes the simplest things are the most delicious of all.
225g uncooked macaroni (1/2 pound, 2 cups)
240g grated strong cheddar cheese (2 cups)
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (2 cups)
160ml scalded milk (2/3 cup approx. To scald milk, put into a beaker and
heat on high in the microwave for 1 minute, or heat in a small saucepan until bubbles appear
around the edges. Don't let it boil.)
a handful of coarse breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs
1 TBS melted butter
salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Butter a 1 litre casserole dish and set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions in lightly salted water, just to al dente. Drain well, rinse with cold water and drain again.
Layer the macaroni, cheese and tomatoes in the prepared casserole dish, as follows: a third of the macaroni, a layer of cheese, half of the tomatoes, a third of the macaroni, a third of the cheese,the remaining tomatoes, the remaining macaroni and ending with the remaining cheese. You will want to lightly season each layer of macaroni, remembering that the cheese will be salty so heavy on the pepper, and salting judiciously! (Love that word, don't you?) Pour the scaled milk over top of the casserole, running a knife down through it here and there so that you make sure it goes well to the bottom. Mix the bread or cracker crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the milk is bubbling up and the top is nicely browned. Serve hot.
Note: you can add some finely chopped raw onion with the tomatoes if you wish. I sometimes do
These old fashioned comfort meals are the best of all I think. They come in especially handy on busy days when you are lacking in time and inspiration. Those old gals sure knew what they were doing! Bon Appetit!
Cranberry, Pecan & White Chocolate Flapjacks. Prepare yourselves to fall in love. This is a fabulously moreish and delicious bar you are really going to enjoy!
Sorry for the background in these photos today. I was fighting with waning light. We have had one of those days. We set off for the grocery shop fairly early, only to discover that there were roadworks on one of the major roundabouts to get to where we wanted to go.
Roadworks in the UK mean one thing . . . a huge traffic nightmare.
As a result a trip which should not have taken very long took twice as long and so I was very late getting these delicious bars into the oven and back out again!
I had to take my photos quickly before it was too late. I didn't have time to set up a plainer background.
Don't let that put you off of making these delicious flapjacks however! They are easy to make and fabulously tasty!
In North America a flapjack is a pancake. Here in the UK it is a scrumptious buttery and sweet oaty slice/bake! Perfect for enjoying with a hot cuppa!
This delightful version is filled with lovely toasted pecans, white chocolate bits, and dried cranberries . . . aside from the usual things that is . . .
Incredibly moreish. Incredibly delicious.
The main ingredients is porridge oats (not quick oats not old fashioned). Plus there is plenty of dessicated coconut.
Add to that a scrummy mix of melted butter, brown sugar, and . . . *gulp* . . . lush golden syrup. Oh boy, but these are incredibly tasty.
This is a winning combination.
Melted white chocolate is drizzled on top. I say that rather loosely, because I have NEVER been able to drizzle white melted chocolate.
If I don't manage to burn it first, I end up dobbing it on. That's the best I have ever been able to manage.
Dobbing it . . . and in as decorative a manner that I can. Any tips to share anyone? Anything that actually works will be great!
I have tried everything. Even mixing in a bit of shortening doesn't work for me. I really need help with this!
Never mind. They taste great even if they aren't as pretty as they could be with beautifully drizzled chocolate.
You seriously want to be trying these. Not only are they very simple to make, but I believe they are destined to become one of your favorite teatime treats!
*Cranberry, Pecan and White Chocolate Flap Jacks*
Makes 12
Makes 12
Sweet and scrummy. Just perfect for those times when you want a little something to give you some extra energy.
140g butter, plus extra for greasing (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
200g of porridge oats (2 cups)
25g of dessicated coconut (1/4 cup)
50g light muscovado sugar ( 1/4 cup packed)
5 TBS golden syrup
170g toasted pecans, broken into chunks with your hands (1 1/4 cups)
60g dried cranberries (scant 1/2 cup)
100g bar of white chocolate (about 3 1/2 ounces)
Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 by 11 inch
baking tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Melt the butter together with the sugar and golden syrup, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool.
Stir together the oats, coconut, pecans and cranberries. Pour the cooled butter mixture over top. Stir to combine well. Break up 2/3 of the chocolate into bits and stir into the mix. Press into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and mark into squares while still warm. Allow to cool completely, then cut all the way through. Melt the remaining white chocolate and drizzle it over top of the bars. (HAH!) Store in an airtight container.
I wasn't quite sure what to make of flapjacks when I first moved over here. I are not like granola bars . . . or even like cake bars . . . but they are very delicious no matter. Crisp edged, buttery and chewy middled. They always go down a real treat! One bite and you will be in flap jack heaven. Buttery, sweet, nutty and oh-so-very hard to leave alone. Resistance IS futile. Bon Appetit!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan@aol.com
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