Kitchen Tales Dairy Preserves and Cheese Related items.

I have more Feta to store in Oil and also mixed oriental mushrooms also to preserve in oil for OH like I did last year. I also have little bunches of herbs drying in the pantry as well as fresh herbs for use with the oils and the cheeses and some chilli.  However I do need to get hold of some oyster mushrooms to do the same with - I just love oyster mushrooms especially when they have been fried in butter and used as a hot dressing over salad leaves.  Scrummy.  The oikls left over from making said preserves can also be used in cooking to add a little more flavour and you cannot waste good quality food products so they get used in frying and as dressings for salads.

I have however decided to make my own goats cheese crotins.  I have been able to get the milk and I have a recipe which I have posted before which should make a kilo or so.  I love goats cheese but it is very expensive to buy and when you are in that situation the only way is to make it so that you can have a little of what you like without breaking the bank.  I noticed last week that a goats cheese log was £9.  Today it was £12.

I am afraid we are food lovers in this household and are always on the look out for different or unusual things.    I often buy preserves just to try them to see if I like them or not before going gung ho into a recipe making a batch of something and then finding out we do not like it.  So this way round I do the sorting out first and then if we do like it I go hunting for recipes.  I have picked up a beetroot ketchup today which is bright purple in colour and if we like it I shall look for a recipe and then make my own version.  I already have the sauce bottles in situ having bought them in bulk at the beginning of September.

We particularly like cheese and have just finished off a wedge of Ballyblue cheese which is creamy like a brie but a blue version.  Very creamy and best served at room temperature.  It seems to have a thicker crust than a Brie but still delicious.  Cambridge Blue is also another lovely cheese.  All would be lovely served in a part baguette layered with home made cranberry and apple jelly yummy and popped into the microwave to warm through and melt.

Well the Stinking Bishop is ordered direct from the Manufacturers http://www.charlesmartell.com/shop/

I have treated OH as he is quite partial  and I like it as well and the cheese will last six weeks in the fridge.  It is expensive but every so often you have to treat yourself.  If a whole one is too big but you are partial share it with a like minded friend that way you both get to have some but half the price.  A little of what you fancy often does you good just remember the watch word  - moderation.  We don't drink a lot  - we don't smoke but we love our grub so every so often we do drive the boat out - not frugal but we enjoy our food.

The Charles Martell website also have some other items I am particularly interested in  - I may start buying things early on next year of spirit based nature  - which I had anticipated doing last year but which I did not get around to. Have a look around the website even if you do not buy.  Doing things like this often inspires me to play when it comes to spirits and alcohol.  I am very good at stockpiling things without touching them.

I have also bought a rotating wooden cheese platter  - similar to a lazy Susan but without the dishes and two bamboo  bread boards for French Sticks as we have French bread regularly but my boards were not long enough.  I managed to get a bargain in Wilkinsons on some that were reduced.  Together with the beautiful cheese plates that we have we are more or less set up for the cheese course for the table.  Although I would like to get six more of the cheese plates in due course and there is a slate two tier display stand that I would quite like.  I also have a cheese safe/board that is ideal for storing cheese in a cool pantry.  So things are slowly coming together; extremely slowly but they are coming together.

Catch you later.

Pattypan

x