When I saw this recipe at Vegetarian Times I immediately copied it into my binder...but then it sat there unmade for quite a while...
...but then I made the Vegan Wheat Thins and thought of it...and I already had all of the ingredients...
...but although it's a very easy recipe to accomplish - it does take 2 full days...first soak your cashews overnight...
...then rinse-drain-rinse-drain...
...put the cashews in the food processor...
...along with some oil...
...some lemon juice...
...some salt...
...and some tahini...
...and process...for a long time...about 5-6 minutes...
...until it's all smooth and creamy...
...spoon mixture into a cheesecloth lined strainer...I can already tell from licking the spatula that this is going to be delicious...
...you're supposed to use rubber bands to secure the ends of the cheesecloth as you form it into a log...but I used the little twisty tie thingies and I think they worked better than rubber bands...set your strainer over a bowl...and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours...see - 2 whole days to accomplish this recipe...
...then you bake it at 200 degrees until the 'cheese' on the outside is set and the inside is still creamy...
...crack some peppercorns...I used my trusty 25 year old nutcracker man...but crack them any way you wish...so Karen - do you still have yours? - remember we got them at the Big Lots beside K-mart on Western Blvd my first year in Raleigh...for a dollar...so that was money well spent...
...Ahhh! they smell so good...
...roll your little log in the peppercorns - it's still warm at this point - so don't burn your fingers...
...pressing to adhere...
..wrap in plastic wrap and chill - it will firm up some more...
...arrange on a pretty platter (this one was made by the Man's Great-Aunt Emma and we love it so much!)...with some Vegan Wheat Thins...or other crackers of your choice...I was also thinking that some thinly sliced toasted rye would go really well with this...
...and serve with your little Guy Buffet Waiter Cheese Spreaders - the happiest one in the pack...
...this stuff is so good - creamy - tangy - salty - spreadable - delicious!...
...I'm thinking of rolling a log in some fresh dill this summer...doesn't that sound yummy?...
Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese
from the Vegetarian Times
Makes 10-oz. round
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs. tahini
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns or coarsely ground black pepper
Directions
1. Place cashews in large bowl; cover with 3 inches water. Soak overnight.
2. Drain liquid, rinse cashews under cold water, and drain again. Purée cashews, oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt, and 2 Tbs. water in food processor 6 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
3. Place large strainer over bowl, and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon cashew mixture into cheesecloth. Fold sides of cloth over cheese, and form into 6-inch-long oval loaf. Twist ends of cloth and secure with rubber bands. Set in strainer over bowl, and let stand 12 hours at room temperature. Discard excess liquid. Chill.
4. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap cheese, and scrape into 7-inch-long log on cheesecloth. Rewrap, and twist ends to secure. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes, or until cheese becomes set on outside but still soft, turning occasionally. Cool, and chill.
5. Unwrap cheese. Sprinkle with peppercorns, pressing to adhere.
oh my goodness. i'm totally making this. thanks for sharing... it looks so, so good!!
ReplyDeletehey! yes, of course i have my nutcracker man....but i just see him at christmas time - he gets packed away the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteso, where did we get the cheese spreaders? 'cause i have some just like them!
love, k
Looks good and reasonably simple to make, albeit timeconsuming :-)
ReplyDeleteI am amazed that you can make 'goat cheese' from cashews. It does look good. Love, MOM
ReplyDeleteThis sounds fantastic! I'm very interested in making cheese at the moment. I'm going to give it a go in the very near future.
ReplyDeleteNo way! It looks like hummus at first. Man that was cool. Loving your nutcracker dude.
ReplyDelete@staceThanks Stace! It really is totally worth it!
ReplyDelete@KarenHey K,
ReplyDeleteI love the Nutcracker Man...the little Guy Buffets came from William Sonoma many years ago...I must have gifted them to you some Christmas...
Love,
T
@JoyfulThanks Penny! It's really good...just a little bit too salty...I'll cut down on the salt next time...
ReplyDelete@ElizabethHey Mom! It's really good...just hard to wait for 2 days to try it...
ReplyDeleteLove,
T
@JuliaThanks Julia! It's really good...we gobbled it all up...
ReplyDelete@angThanks Angela, You're right it does resemble hummus...but I guess the with baking and all it forms a nice little cheese-y log...so good...
ReplyDeleteLooks good, I will give it a go - I love cashew nuts.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds wonderful. I've got to buy some cashews...I've got everything else. The wheat thins sound great, too. Thank you for the recipes.
ReplyDeleteYum! Sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThat does sound good, I like the creaminess of anything with cashews in and can see this would make a nice spread. I wonder if it would be as nice if you used it right after the blending part and skipped the letting it sit and baking it part? Hmmm, maybe I'll try it both ways. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete