SHAVUOT 2007 by Sheilah Kaufman

For me, cheese is one of my favorite “comfort foods” along with chocolate and bread puddings.

Finding great new ways to use cheese for family and friends is always an interesting challenge. Here are recipes for celebrating Shavuot that you will end up using all year, for family and special occasions. Don’t forget Chanukah is a “dairy holiday” too.

OLIVE AND BRIE APPETIZER BREAD PUDDING

This classy pairing of your favorite assortment of olives and luxurious Brie is a first-rate first course or luncheon or brunch fare. This spread can be made in either 4 1-cup or eight 1/ 2-cup soufflé/ramekins. Being too lazy to grease all these dishes, I made it in a pyrex 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and baked it for 65 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

From my newest book: UPPER CRUSTS Fabulous Ways to Use Bread (Delectable recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, main courses, vegetables, desserts and more).

butter for greasing
4 1/ 2-inch slices of stale French bread (if bread is too hard it will not absorb the custard)
4 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup coarsely chopped pitted olives, of mixed varieties

Preheat oven to 300F. Generously butter 4 1-cup or eight 1/ 2-cup soufflé/ramekins.
Tear the bread into small pieces and divide equally among prepared ramekins.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer set on low speed, cream both cheeses until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until thoroughly blended after each addition.
Gradually add milk; continue beating until well mixed. Stir in oregano and olives.
Pour custard mixture evenly over bread.
Set ramekins in an ovenproof pan just large enough to hold them snugly and add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of ramekins.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until custard is set (knife inserted off center comes out clean) and tops are golden brown.
Remove from water bath onto a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
Serve in the ramekins (warm or at room temperature) with your favorite crisp cracker.
Let un-used portions come to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.
Serves 4 as a light luncheon serving, or 8 appetizer servings.

ROASTED TOMATO PARMESAN SOUP

The fresh flavors of ripe tomatoes and rich Parmesan cheese will make you feel as though you are in the hills of Tuscany. From George Geary’s newest book 125 best Food Processor recipes (Robert Rose). Besides this recipe, the book is filled with easy dishes for all types of family meals or entertaining. George is also known for his fabulous cheesecakes. There are great new ones in this book.

6 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into cubes
1/ 2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 1/ 2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, cut in half crosswise, cored, seeds and membranes removed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk, room temperature, divided
2 cups whipping cream, room temperature
Pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to broil.
In the food processor with the metal blade, add the cheese through the feed tube and process until finely grated. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Place the basil in the processor and pulse until finely chopped, 8 to 10 times. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
Place tomatoes skin side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Broil until skin blisters, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plastic bag and let stand to steam, about 10 minutes. Peel off charred skins and discard. Set tomatoes aside.
In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring until a thick paste forms but does not brown. Whisk in 1/ 4 cup of the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about
3 minutes. Whisk in remaining milk and cream. Add tomatoes, basil, half of the cheese and heat through.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with remaining cheese.
Serves 6.

ZUCCHINI ROLLS WITH HERBED RICOTTA AND GRUYERE

These little zucchini rolls can be served as a first course as well as a side dish. They can be assembled ahead of time and then popped into the oven just before serving. This is from Paula Lambert’s new book Cheese, Glorious Cheese! In addition to being the author of two fabulous cheese cookbooks, Paula is the owner of the world-renowned Mozzarella Company.

4 large zucchini
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided for separate use
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes with their juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 leaves fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Ricotta-Gruyere Filling

1 cup (8 ounces) Ricotta, well drained
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded Gruyere
2 eggs, beaten
10 large basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/ 4 teaspoon salt
1/ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cut off both ends of the zucchini and then cut it length-wise into slices about 1/3-inch thick. Place the zucchini slices on the drain board on several thicknesses of paper towels. Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and leave to drain for at least 30 minutes. Blot dry with clean paper towels
Preheat the broiler on high and position the rack 3 inches beneath the heat source.
Pour 4 tablespoons olive oil into a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat a baking sheet with the olive oil. Place the zucchini slices on the baking sheet and brush their tops with olive oil. Place beneath the heat source and broil until browned on top. Remove from oven and turn over using a spatula, brush the topsides with olive oil, return to the oven and broil on the other side. Remove from oven and set aside.
Pour the tomatoes including their juices into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and chop coarsely. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove the saucepan from the heat, pour the tomatoes into the pan and return it to the heat. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking, until the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat. Add the basil and set aside.

For the Ricotta-Gruyere Filling, mix the Ricotta, Gruyere, eggs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper together in mixing bowl until all ingredients are well combined.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
With the zucchini still on the baking sheet, divide the Ricotta filing among the zucchini. Use a knife to spread the filling on the top of the zucchini slices as if you were buttering a piece of bread. For each slice, fold one end inward and roll the zucchini to form a spiral. Continue until all the zucchini slices are rolled up, leaving about one inch between the rolls on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the Ricotta filling is well heated and beginning to brown.
Transfer the Zucchini Rolls to a platter and drizzle the sauce over the zucchini. To serve as a first course, spoon several tablespoons of tomato sauce onto a plate and place two zucchini rotollini on top of the sauce.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes about 16 zucchini rotollini.

EGGPLANT STRATA WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Strata means layer, and this dish is composed of layers of roasted eggplant, Goat Cheese and bread that is soaked in tomato juice. It makes a nice luncheon entrée, particularly if you are serving vegetarians. From cheese maven Paula Lambert’s new book Cheese, Glorious Cheese!.

1 large eggplant, about 2 pounds
1 teaspoon salt
1/ 4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 14.5-ounce can peeled tomatoes with their juices
1 cup (8 ounces) fresh Goat Cheese
1/ 4 cup tightly packed fresh herbs, a combination of several, such as
basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, and oregano
4 slices sourdough bread
1/ 2 teaspoon black pepper

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, vertically from stem to root. Lay the eggplant halves, face down, on a cutting board, and slice into half rounds ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle liberally with salt and place in a colander to drain for 30 min to 1 hr. Use your hands to toss them after 20 minutes to facilitate the drainage of the eggplant slices.
Position a rack 3 inches below the heat source and preheat the broiler on high.
Place the eggplant slices on a sheet of paper towel and place another sheet of paper towel on top. Pat the eggplant slices dry. Pour the olive oil into a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat a non-stick baking sheet with olive oil. Place the eggplant slices on the baking sheet in one layer. Brush the tops of the eggplant with olive oil. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Cook until the eggplant is golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a wide spatula, turn the eggplant slices over and brush them with olive oil. Return to the oven and broil until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush a casserole or 10-inch soufflé dish or ceramic baking dish with olive oil.
The bread will be dipped into the tomato juice as it is layer into the casserole. Pour the can of tomatoes with its juices into a bowl. Using your hands, remove the tomatoes, squeeze out their juices and reserve it. . Squeeze the tomatoes into pieces and place them in a separate bowl.
Place the goat cheese and fresh herbs in a small bowl and stir to combine. Break the bread into large pieces, place them in the tomato juice and allow the bread to soak up all the juice. Layer the eggplant slices, the soaked bread, the tomatoes and the Goat Cheese alternately in the casserole until full, sprinkling each layer lightly with pepper. End with eggplant slices topped with the remaining tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with black pepper.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes until puffed up and browned on top. Cover with aluminum foil if the top begins to brown too quickly.
Serves 8

LEMON BLUEBERRY DREAM

This rich, smooth dessert is very much like a mousse. The blueberries and the lemon complement each other like a dream. This is delicious when accompanied by ginger cookies. Another winner from Paula Lambert’s Cheese, Glorious Cheese!

Note: The Mascarpone should be cold and kept in the refrigerator until time to use it. If Mascarpone is warm it can easily separate when it is whipped.

Note: This Lemon Dream is delicious when accompanied by ginger cookies.

Lemon Curd

6 large egg yolks
1/ 2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) Mascarpone, cold
1/ 2 heavy cream, cold, whipped

Macerated Blueberries

2 pints blueberries
1/ 4 cup Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur
1/ 4 cup sugar

For the Lemon Curd, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice and sugar in the top of a stainless steel double boiler and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a stainless steel whisk, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a metal spoon and falls off in thick sheets, about 10 minutes. Do not let the mixture come to a boil. When the mixture is thick, remove the top of the double boiler from heat and place in a larger bowl filled with ice and cold water. Stir slowly until the lemon curd is chilled. Once chilled to about 50ºF or 60ºF, stir the Mascarpone into the curd. Take care because if the lemon curd is too warm, it will melt the Mascarpone. Finally fold in the whipped cream until well incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until serving time.

To macerate the blueberries, wash and remove any stems from the berries. Place them in a colander to drain. Combine the blueberries, Grand Marnier and sugar in a bowl. Set aside to macerate at room temperature for 1 hour.

To serve, spoon lemon curd into 8 flat bowls. Spoon the blueberries and their juices over the curd. Or, if you like, layer the lemon curd and berries alternately into parfait glasses.
Serves 8

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