Oh, cheese, how I love thee! Recently, I discovered a new variety that has captured my heart, a crumbly yet creamy, buttery yet tangy, semi-firm hunk of pure joy that quickly became my new obsession. The moment a nugget of Castello® Aged Havarti coated my tongue with its full complexity, I wanted it every night – no crackers or baguette slices needed, only a sip of wine or craft beer and a sliver of fruit to prep my palate for another bite, and another…
For the Love of Cheese
When it comes to foods of exceptional quality, whether it be an heirloom peach from Masumoto Farms or an heirloom tomato from the farmers market, I’m a purist who prefers to savor that food in its most unadulterated form. When I received a distinguished black cushy cooler-full of Castello’s Aged Havarti it was all my family could do to refrain from devouring it all on cheese boards (if you’re a regular here, you know how much I love cheese boards!). In fact, an artisan cheese board and pairings would be my wish if I were stranded on a deserted island.
American Comfort Food Classic
But we’re not on a deserted island, so we can also enjoy a great American comfort food favorite: a crock of homemade tomato soup and a cheesy grilled sandwich for dipping.
Adapted from Ina Garten’s Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons, I use only No-Salt canned tomatoes and eliminated the added salt in the original recipe for a low sodium diet. A touch of labneh (yogurt cheese) and spiciness balances the sweet acidity of tomato soup and bright sun-dried tomatoes mixed into buttery, tangy Castello® Aged Havarti melted between thick slices of herby rosemary olive bread impart another dimension of flavor to the grilled cheese. Who wouldn’t like a miniature serving of this as an appetizer at a winter soirée or tailgate party?!! Here the grilled cheese “fingers” are already dunked, but you will want to serve them alongside and let your guests to the dunking – a soggy grilled cheese is no bueno.
Easy Tomato Soup Recipe
- 3 tablespoons EV olive oil
- 2-1/2 cups sweet onions chopped (2 onions)
- 2 cloves fermented black garlic*
- 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock preferably homemade
- 1 28-ounce can No-Salt crushed or diced tomatoes
- Large pinch of saffron threads
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream or Labne yogurt cheese*
- 4 1/2-inch-thick slices country white, sourdough or herb bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 ounces Castello Aged Havarti cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
-
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and chile flakes, cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
-
Stir in the cream, return the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently. I allowed the soup to cool and pureed it, but this step is optional.
-
Meanwhile, heat a panini grill or grill pan. Before chopping, wrap the sundries tomatoes in a paper towel to remove excess oil. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes with the grated cheese. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with the melted butter (including the sides). Turn the slices over and pile grated Havarti on two of the slices. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the cheese, buttered sides up.
-
Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Place on a cutting board, allow to rest for 1 minute, and cut into 1-inch cubes or strips depending on presentation.
*Fermented black garlic from Frieda's Specialty Produce is my secret ingredient for added umami. One tablespoon of fresh minced garlic can be substituted.
* I use Labne Greek Yogurt Cheese which is low in calories and sodium as a replacement for cream cheese, heavy cream, and sour cream.
Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons.
The Art of Cheesemaking
Cheesemaking is an age-old process and still retains aspects of the art of cheesemaking even when made in most modern plants. Cheesemakers must thoroughly master and understand the highly technical and scientific processes involved, but they must also have the touch and sensitivity of an artist. This is due to the natural variation inherent in the milk and the imperfect controllability of the microorganisms present in the milk.
The basic cheese types evolved as products of different types of milk, regional environmental conditions, accidents, and gradual improvements by trial and error. There are thousands of different cheeses but basically they are variations of about 18 distinct types of natural cheeses reflecting the process by which they are made. Any cheese professional should have the ability to describe the basic cheesemaking process for specific cheese types and be able to explain the differences between artisanal cheesemaking and cheese produced by larger manufacturers.
What makes a cheese “artisanal”? According to the American Cheese Society, “artisan or artisanal implies that a cheese is produced primarily by hand, in small batches, with particular attention paid to the tradition of the cheesemaker’s art, and thus using as little mechanization as possible in the production of the cheese. Artisan, or artisanal, cheeses may be made from all types of milk and may include various flavorings.” {Source: American Cheese Society}
Disclosure: Castello® Cheese sent me their Aged Havarti to enjoy and create with and compensated me for writing about my experience. All opinions are my own. For more recipes and information on their line of more than 40 extraordinary cheeses from creamy blues to semi-firm Aged Havarti, visit the Castello® website.
Natalie
That sounds so fabulous, and love the “crouton” idea! Thanks for sharing, Priscilla!!! Love the glassware too btw! They look like craft tasting glasses!
Priscilla
Thanks, Nat. The “crouton” is the crowning touch, for sure. And the glassware can do double duty as tasting glasses 😉
nancy
Definitely going to have to hunt down some of that cheese for Christmas!!! Love the idea of the “crouton”!!!
sippitysup
Yes, that is a winning combination. GREG