Warm cheese. Fresh herbs. I scan menus for the combination and order it every time _ in salads, with vegetables, over pasta, on grilled breads.
Burrata on grilled toast with kale pesto and cherry tomatoes set the mood at a recent ladies lunch. Wood-oven-fired pizza topped with fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella started our night out with the couples group. Recent springtime travels in Spain had us encountering all manner of Spanish cheese and fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano and parsley.
The cheese itself need not be warm to suffice _ but it shouldn't be cold either. Nearly all cheese has maximum flavor and aroma at room temperature. Same for the herbs too. Use them at room temperature, or warm them simply with the heat of the food they accompany.
The first recipe, inspired by a dish I enjoyed at Ariete in Coconut Grove, Fla., pairs room-temperature burrata with a braise of ham and greens. In February, the restaurant served it with braised Brussels sprouts. In spring, I like to use tender dandelion greens, the season's first snap peas and a shower of the garden's first mint and chives.
Serve the dish as a simple main course at brunch accompanied by warm brioche rolls. Or, substitute a disk of a soft, ripened French-style goat's cheese known as bucheron (I like the Montchevre brand from Wisconsin) for a shared appetizer with sliced French bread before a dinner of grilled steak and thinly sliced fried potatoes.
I'd happily make a meal of cheese turnovers topped with salsa verde, the Italian green condiment made with fresh parsley and briny capers. To that end, I keep a container of the salsa in a jar in my fridge and a freezer container filled with the cheese-and-herb-filled turnovers in the freezer.
I admit that making turnovers requires kitchen time and patience, but these turnovers can be baked from their frozen state. So, on rainy spring days, I make a batch or two to have on hand to bake into golden crispy goodness as needed (or craved).
For the filling, I like to use no-salt-added farmer cheese sold in tubs near the cottage cheese. Like a pressed cottage cheese, this spreadable, soft cheese is milky and creamy; it reminds me of France's fromage blanc. Add chopped fresh herbs (fresh wild ramps if you can find them at your local farmers market) and a bit of garlic, and the filling will keep in the refrigerator for several days. By the way, leftover filling makes a great spread for bread.
The dough for the turnovers contains butter and cream cheese (more cheese!) for an easy to work with, slightly rich, forgiving dough. Even rerolled scraps from this dough yield tender turnovers. The dough can be made in advance and refrigerated for several days. Then, roll out and shape the turnovers at your leisure.
Serve the turnovers warm from the oven with the salsa condiment for dunking. The briny relish also tastes great served over grilled fish, stirred into cooked pasta or as the dressing for a salad with grilled vegetables.
