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Festive Kitchen

We aim toCHEESE!

Choose your cheeseEveryone has their favourite cheeses, and three to five varieties on your Christmas cheeseboard is about right – any more will overwhelm the pal-ate. You should offer your guests a hard cheese, such as Cheddar, Red Leicester, Cheshire, or Double Gloucester, a soft or creamy cheese such as Brie, Camembert or Vacherin, a blue cheese such as Blue Shropshire or Danish Blue, and a goats’ cheese, such as Chevre or Beacon Blue. To make your cheeseboard really stand out, you could also include a continental cheese, such as Parmesan or Edam, and you’ll need to allow around 100g of cheese altogether per person.

A crumbly, creamy Stilton is the classic cheese to enjoy at Christmas, and you don’t need to spend a fortune, as most supermarkets do good versions. The best way to store Stilton if you’re buying a lot is to wrap it loosely in waxed paper and cover it with cling film, before refrigerating. You can freeze Stilton – by cutting it into small pieces and placing it into a freezer bag – but it may have lost some of its strong flavour when thawed, so it’s then better used in a sauce.

A delicious festive touch is to include a cheese with dried fruit, such as a Wensleydale with cranberries. This tends to dry out quickly once it’s opened, but leftovers can be crumbled (and frozen if necessary) to make a tasty stuff-ing for chicken breasts (read on for more ideas of how to use up leftover cheese.)

Make your festive cheeseboard a real showstopper with our expert guide

Above: Wensleydale Crimson from Long Clawson Dairy

Christmas is a time for giving, for spending time with loved ones… and for eating lots and lots of cheese! Whether it’s the main attraction at a party or the culmination of Christmas dinner, here’s how to produce your cheeseboard with a festive flourish – and some mouth-watering ideas for any leftovers that’ll make you jingle all the ‘whey’!

FIND DAVIDSTOW AT THE CHEESE COUNTER OR WITH THE PRE-PACKED CHEESES

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All above boardGet the cheeses, still in their wrappings, out of the fridge at least an hour before serving to bring them to room temperature and allow the flavours to develop. Just before serving remove all the wrapping, but keep rinds on, so that the cheese keeps its shape and looks attractive.

Cheeseboards are most often made of wood or marble. Wooden boards make the cheese easier to cut, whereas marble may be a better choice for a party cheeseboard, as it will help the cheese to keep cool and not melt in a hot room. Whichever you choose, make sure your board is big enough to allow each cheese room to breathe, and to be cut comfortably, and that you have a separate knife for each cheese, so you don’t mix up the flavours.

Again, presentation is a matter of personal taste. You can either keep things minimal-ist – even a simple ‘wreath’ of biscuits ringed around your cheeses looks Christmassy - or you could go to town by serving with exotic fruits, like halved pomegranates or persim-mons, which are in season, and available at many supermarkets.

Taking the biscuit… and other bits on the sideIn general, blue cheeses go best with a slightly sweet biscuit, soft cheeses with a crisp, light cracker. Figs, grapes, apples and celery partner perfectly with cheese, and pickled walnuts are a traditional Christmas accompaniment.

If you’ve got a glut of homegrown fruit or veg, home-made chutney impresses, and is easy to make, although there’s a wealth of deli-cious shop-bought options available – perhaps mellow caramelised onion, sharp rhubarb, fruity apple, or fresh tomato.

To drink, semi-hard, hard, and aged cheeses, like Gouda or Cheddar go well with red wines such as a Shiraz or a Pinot Noir, while Chardonnay, or a good quality sparkling white is a wonderful match for creamy cheeses like Camembert or Brie. And, of course, there’s always good old vintage or tawny Port, the tradi-tional Christmas accompaniment to cheese.

But try not to over-indulge to the point where you forget to wrap up your cheese

when you’ve finished eating! It’s best wrapped in wax paper, followed by a layer of plastic wrap. It won’t like to sit about in the fridge for too long, as it’ll dry out. You can freeze cheese successfully (grate it beforehand if you like) but it will be crumbly when thawed, so it’s ideal for cooking.

Grate expectations: inventive ideas for cheesy leftovers.It’s always good to have things in mind to use up leftover cheese. ✓ Mix with shredded turkey to make quesadil-

las for a quick light lunch: try turkey, Brie and rocket with red pepper pesto, or roasted vegetables with goats’ cheese.

✓ Make a three-cheese sauce by adding a pinch of mustard powder to a basic white sauce, then remove from the heat and add a couple of tablespoons each of three differ-ent grated cheeses.

✓ Hard cheeses can be melted into a deli-cious, decadent fondue. Swiss Gruyere and Emmental are the classic ingredients, but Vacherin and Comte also work well. If you’re entertaining child-free, you could slosh in some leftover champers!

✓ Macaroni cheese is a budget-friendly staple after the Christmas blow-out, and you can add any leftover ham or gammon. Make an extra batch for the freezer to look forward to on a cold winter night.

Applewood® is the UK’s No.1 Smoky Cheddar Cheese. Made in the heart of Somerset,

Applewood® boasts a delicate smoky flavour and a lovely smooth texture, finished with a hand-dusting of paprika for good measure. Applewood® has been awarded Best Vegetarian Cheese for the last three years, voted for by consumers! Available in a number of formats from Tesco. RRP £1.75

Applewood®

❝Get the cheeses,

still in their wrappings, out of the fridge at least

an hour before serving to bring them to room

temperature and allow the flavours to develop.

Above: Blue Shropshire from Long Clawson Dairy

Right: Macaroni cheese makes a great a budget-friendly meal.

Festive Kitchen

GreatChristmasgift

Whether It’s A Gift Or Treat, It Will Be On Our Shelves, Made With Love & Affection By Our Cheesemaking Elves

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Cheese at Festive Kitchen

Cheers to the CHRISTMAS CHEESETesco finest* offer a superb range of cheese selection boxes that would be a welcomed guest to a cracking festive cheese board, or as a delicious gift under any Christmas tree. Here are two of our favourites:

Tesco finest* Selection of Award Winning British Cheeses (720g)A superior selection of the finest* British cheeses, combined to offer a gift solution or simply for home entertaining.

Red Leicester – A creamy cheese with a zesty tang. Hand-made at the Belton Farm in Shropshire, using traditional methods and typically matured for 10 months.

St. Endellion Brie – A luxurious, Cornish Brie, hand-made with Cornish double cream to create a rich and creamy soft cheese. The milk and cream, supplied by local farms, are combined with specially selected cultures to provide a traditional ripening style of Brie. As the cheese ripens, the texture softens and matures into the characteristic golden creamy paste. The result is a deliciously creamy and full-bodied soft cheese, with a wonderful character and complexity of flavour, which is tangy and deliciously rich.

Mature Blue Stilton – Made by master cheesemakers for more than 100 years, this cheese is aged for longer to create a creamier texture that is more mellow and balanced in flavour. It is made in Leicestershire using local cows’ milk and protected by a PDO. Each Stilton cheese is individually graded and hand-selected to be sure of the finest quality.

Traditional Double Gloucester – With its smooth and buttery texture, this rich, golden straw coloured cheese offers a creamy, mellow flavour. It is hand-made using traditional methods at Belton Farm in Shropshire.

Vintage Cheddar – A full-flavoured cheese with fruity and pepper notes, handmade in the West Country at Ford Farm on the Ashley Chase Estate. This cheese is made from milk gathered from herds within a strict 30-mile radius of the farm. It is made by the expert team of cheesemakers who use traditional methods and recipes.

Somerset Goat’s Cheese – A cheese with a clean and creamy taste that is distinctive of fresh goat’s curd, with a firm and crumbly core giving way to a creamy

outer layer covered in a delicate velvety soft white coat. It ripens from the outside towards the centre. When young, it is mild and crumbly, as it matures the white curd becomes softer and creamier and develops a fuller flavour. For more than 20 years, master cheesemakers have been carefully crafting this Somerset Goat’s Cheese at The Lubborn Creamery in the beautiful valley of Cricket St Thomas.

The Tesco finest* Christmas Cheese SelectionThe Tesco finest* Christmas Cheese Selection offers three delicious, carefully selected hand-made cheese varieties.

Coastal Bite (280g) – A rugged, mature cheddar cheese, aged for up to 15 months on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast and with an intensely rich, mature flavour. Look out for a characteristic crunch when you bite into it – the result of calcium lactate crystals which form naturally as the cheese matures.

Wensleydale with Cranberries and Blueberries (200g) – A sweet, mild Wensleydale, hand-made to a traditional recipe, combined with the sharpness of tangy cranberries and fresh, juicy blueberries.

Cave Aged Goat’s Cheese (100g) – A deliciously subtle, clean flavoured cheese that is firm in texture – similar to a cheddar. Each 100g goat’s cheese truckle is aged deep within the Dorset Caves which further enhances its flavour, adding a unique, earthy and nutty dimension.

Each cheese in the Tesco finest* Christmas Cheese Selection is encased in a shiny black wax coating which will not only stand out on the festive cheeseboard, but will preserve the flavour and freshness of each individual variety.

Losing yourself in the heady heaven of flavours and aromas when wandering down the cheese aisle at Christmas can be a welcome problem to the cheese connoisseur although some of us might be overwhelmed by so many tasty options. Fret not, these selection boxes offer a fine introduction to the wonderful world of this festive favourite. Cheese is such a versatile ingredient – be it sat on a cracker, enjoyed on its own or in any of our inventive recipe ideas starting on page 39….. Enjoy!

For more information about cheese available at Tesco visit realfood.tesco.com/our-food/a-guide-to-cheese.html

*Products are subject to availability in selected stores

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Cheese at Festive Kitchen

A CHEDDAR LOVER’S

Guide

Where does it come from?Somerset is the original home of Cheddar. The County is renowned for its lush pastures, perfect for grazing dairy cows. It’s this which makes the milk rich and creamy, which is exactly what you need for Cheddar making. All our finest* Cheddar comes from the heart of the Somerset countryside ensuring that we make the most of the perfect environment for cheddar-making and also centuries of family cheddar-making know-how.

What is the difference between mature, extra mature and vintage? Mature is a rich and creamy flavoured Cheddar. Its consistency is smooth which makes it perfect for grating and slicing and also is a hit with smaller children who can find the other maturity levels a bit too strong for little taste buds.

Extra Mature is matured for longer than mature and so it’s flavour is slightly stronger and its texture crumblier. It’s a perfect all-rounder as it grates well but also is perfect as the main event. It’s more powerful flavour but versatility makes it a hit with families.

Vintage Cheddar is the strongest of the three. Much crumblier in texture and more powerful in taste. A good Vintage should have a crunch to it as well. Perfect as the centre piece of a cheeseboard or as the main event in a sandwich topped with a sweet or spicy chutney.

How should I eat Cheddar?Cheddar should be eaten at room temperature for all its flavours and aromas to be at their best. So if you’re using it on a cheeseboard this Christmas make sure you take it out of the fridge a little bit before you need it.

Cheddar is by far and away the nation’s most loved cheese – perfect for everything from a Sunday evening round of cheese on toast to topping a Wednesday night lasagne. But do you know your mature from your vintage? Here’s a few hints, tips and facts from our cheese experts to help you get the best from your favourite fridge staple.

Getting the best from the best

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Cheese at

Makes 8 scones

Ingredients

225g Plain White Flour

80g Tesco finest* Extra Mature Cheddar, grated. Plus extra to sprinkle.

20g Caster Sugar

70g Butter (very cold)

75g Sour Cream (light)

40g Dried Cranberries

75ml Milk

4tsp Baking powder

1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon

Cheddar Sconeswith Cranberry & Cinnamon

Method

❶ Heat oven to 200c/180c fan. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture and then rub together using your fingertips until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

❷ Mix the milk, sour cream, grated Cheddar and cranberries together in a small bowl. Stir into the flour mixture with a fork until the mixture is binding together to form a dough. You may need to use and additional tbsp of milk if the dough is too crumbly.

❸ Tip the dough on to a lightly floured surface and shape into a square

roughly 22cm x 22cm (9”x9”). Fold the dough in half to make a rectangle, pat down and cut in half vertically. Then cut each half into 4 to make 8 square portions. Place the scones onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

❹ Mix the egg and a little milk together in a small bowl; brush the egg wash on top of each scone and sprinkle with some grated cheese.

❺ Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 12/15 minutes or until gently browned. Remove to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

How to make Cheddar look great on a cheeseboardAlways cut the block at an angle so that you can lay one halfway along the other and really show off the true texture of the cheese.

Can you freeze Cheddar?Yes, and it’s a great way to reduce food waste. Even though Cheddar is best enjoyed at room temperature on a cheeseboard, if you grate the cheddar prior to freezing it, it’s perfect for topping pizzas and pasta bakes straight from the freezer for quick and easy weekday meals.

What makes our finest* Cheddar selection so special? All of our finest* Cheddar is made by the Clothier family, they have been farming and cheese-making in Somerset for over 150 years. They use a secret recipe handed down through the generations to craft their Cheddar and every batch of Tesco finest* Cheddar is monitored and graded by their Master Cheese grader whose nose is insured for over £5 million pounds.

From animal welfare to the ingredients used, only the finest will do when it comes to our finest* range, and our Cheddars are no exception. To some, just an everyday staple, for us, a craft and flavour to be treasured and savoured as a true British classic.

Pick up our finest* Mature, Extra Mature and Vintage Cheddar in store today

The kitchen on Christmas day can be manic from dawn until dusk. We’ve created these Cheddar, Cranberry & Cinnamon Scones, perfect for a quick and easy Christmas morning breakfast or evening snack, so that one meal at least can be prepared in advance and still taste great. They’re also perfect for freezing, so a great item to have on-hand for those unexpected relatives popping round.

❝

❝

These are so delicous hot or cold! A real Christmas treat to look forward to!

EDITOR – Victoria Howdle

Tried & Tested

A D V E R TO R I A L

Stilton Surprise Long Clawson Dairy are specialist Stilton cheesemakers based in the heart of the Vale of Belvoir in Long Clawson. Their Blue Stilton cheese

has a creamy texture and rich flavour which makes it a perfect addition to any cheeseboard. But what can be done with that small left over piece that sits in the fridge at the end of the festive season? Simply crumble the cheese into some mayonnaise, add a little lemon Juice and mix together to form the perfect Stilton dip/spread. This is perfect served on crackers, in jacket potatoes, in a sandwich or, if you’re feeling really creative put a spoonful in a shot glass and serve with crudities. A simple suggestion which can look quite spectacular and can be enjoyed by Stilton lovers and novices alike as the addition of other ingredients tempers the flavour making it much milder. Why don’t you try it this Christmas?

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Cheese at Festive Kitchen

Ingredients

Tesco finest* Smoked Scamorza Mozzarella

Ciabatta

Cherry Tomatoes

Parma Ham

Garlic Clove

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

Smoked Scamorza Mozarella – authentic Italian cheese.

Method

❶ Rub sliced ciabatta with a garlic clove and a little olive oil.

❷ Griddle the bread untill it has nicely charred grill marks.

❸ Grate or chunk Smoked Scamorza over the slices. Top with cherry tomatoes and place under the grill until the cheese is bubbling and tomatoes softening.

❹ Finish with a slice of Parma ham, a little sea salt, grind of black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!

Smoked Scamorza has a subtle, smoky flavour with a sweet, light caramel note. A semi-soft white cheese, Scamorza has a texture that is firmer, more elastic and with less moisture than traditional Mozzarella and can be used as both an eating/board cheese and in recipes. The Smoked Scamorza flavour is achieved by a natural smoking process using beech wood and the resulting colour is dark almond with a lighter interior.

Scamorza is an Italian stretched curd cheese made from pasteurised cow’s milk. Artisanal cheesemakers generally form the cheese into a round shape, and then tie a string around the mass one third of the distance from the top, and hang to dry. The

resulting shape is pear-like. Since Scamorza has excellent melting

qualities, it is often used to flavour baking dishes, for griddling or topped with prosciutto for extra zest. Scamorza can be used as a substitute for Mozzarella in cooking as it imparts more interest in the recipe.

The smoky flavour of Scamorza pairs well with oak-aged Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or Orvieto.

Try this simple recipe as an introduction to the joys of Smoked Scamorza – when melted its smoky taste truly comes to the fore!

❝

❝The amazing smoky flavour of the Scamorza really enhanced the taste of the Parma ham and cherry tomatoes. A match made in heaven!

EDITOR – Victoria Howdle

Tried & Tested

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Cheese at Festive Kitchen

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cranberry sauce

2 teaspoons French mustard

25g of butter at room temperature

2 slices wholemeal bread

50g grated Edam, or 2 slices

1 slice of turkey breast, or chicken if Turkey isn’t available

A handful of fresh baby spinach leaves

A delicious festive twist to your toastie!

Method

❶ In small bowl, mix cranberry sauce and mustard, put this to one side

❷ Heat large frying pan over medium heat, with no oil.

❸ Spread one side of each bread slice with butter.

❹ Place 1 slice of the bread butter-side down in pan and spread with cranberry and mustard mixture.

❺ Top with half the grated, or 1 slice, then add the slice of turkey and spinach. Top with the remainder of the Edam and bread slice, butter-side up.

❻ Turn sandwiches once until bread is golden and cheese is melted.

Why don’t you try it this Christmas?

Over the holidays, try this great recipe to make your favorite toastie even more special during those cold winter months.

FUN facts!● Edam is liked in over 80 countries

around the world.

● The red color of the wax used to come from the juice of poppy roses.

Do you fancy a perfect

TOASTIE? Edam is an excellent cheese to use for your toastie due to its great melting characteristics. Edam doesn’t go crumbly or turn oily when melted and the flavour is greatly enhanced by the melting process. It’s not surprising that Edam was once the most popular cheese in the world!

Edam cheese is instantly recognizable thanks to its red wax and cannonball shape. It has been produced at the same location for well over 100 years according to a traditional recipe from 1898.

A key part of Edam’s popularity is its versatility. It can be sliced, grated, baked or melted in toasties and sandwiches or used in your cold and hot meals.

Combined with the subtle flavour Edam complements a range of ingredients, helping busy cooks to plan an assortment of affordable meals to keep families full and delighted from breakfast to dinner.

The firm, yet creamy texture offers lots of ideas for entertaining friends and family.

Edam also adds its own ‘seal of approval’ so consumers know they are eating the genuine product.

Ever wondered how to make other fabulous toasties? Or baked potatoes with Edam?

Visit edam.co.uk for more inspiration, recipe suggestions and information.

Did you know, when melting your Edam:

✓ Edam doesn’t turn oily.

✓ Edam doesn’t crumble.

✓ Flavour is greatly enhanced.

Convince yourself: try Edam for FREE at Tesco!

Visit edam.co.uk to learn more on how to get your money back.

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Serves 6

Ingredients

800g brussels sprouts – trimmed and cut in half (smaller ones can be left whole).

Olive Oil

Zest of one lemon

Black Pepper and Sea Salt

50g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano – the king of Italian cheesesParmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan is a nutritious cheese with a rich, fruity flavour. Parmesan is superb over many fresh pasta dishes although more and more cheese lovers are using it as an eating cheese like they do in Italy. So why not break some Parmesan into bite size chunks and add them to your festive cheese board along with a small dipping dish containing balsamic vinegar? Dip the parmesan into the balsamic vinegar and eat – simply gorgeous!

And for the main event, how about Brussel Sprouts and Parmigiano Reggiano – add a tasty, Italian twist to this Christmas vegetable staple….

Method

❶ Mix the sprouts, 2 tbsp olive oil, lemon zest, sea salt and black papper together in a bowl. Tip on to a large baking tray and spread out.

❷ Roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 200ºC/gas 6.

❸ When the sprouts begin to brown at the edges sprinkle over the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and then roast for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the Parmesan is a light golden brown. Be careful not to let them burn! Enjoy!

Parmigiano Reggiano DOPThe King of Italian Cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP is produced exclusively in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bologna, on the plains, hills and mountains enclosed between the rivers Po and Reno and is still made in the same way today as when it was first produced nine centuries ago.

Tesco Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is produced by their supply partner Castelli in their dairies situated in the Provinces of Reggio Emilia and Parma, in the heart of the production area. The cheese contains only milk from the area, salt, rennet and of course – time. It takes a minimum of 12 months of care and attention as the cheese matures before it can be called Parmigiano Reggiano.

For the past 70 years, since the granting of the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), the final inspection of the cheese is carried out by an expert from the PR Consortium with the aid of a traditional hammer and skewer. Only then can the cheese be granted its stamp of approval.

❝ ❝These were so delicous that even my youngest asked for seconds! The Parmesan and lemon were a great combination that complimented the sprouts perfectly.

EDITOR – Victoria Howdle

Tried & Tested

Cheese at Festive Kitchen