THE CHEESE-LOVER's GUIDE to Cooking with Traditional Cheeses

THE CHEESE-LOVER'S GUIDE to Cooking with Traditional Cheeses

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

If you've ever wondered what to order at the cheese counter, how to build a cheese board, or how to pair cheeses with your favorite foods, this guide is for you. With recipes, tips, and guidelines for finding traditional cheeses, you'll be a cheese pro in no time.

ABOUTTHEOLDWAYS CHEESE COALITION

The Oldways Cheese Coalition (OCC) is an international membership organization of cheesemakers, distributors, retailers, and cheese lovers promoting raw milk and other traditional cheeses. Formerly known as the Cheese of Choice Coalition, since 1999, we have advocated for traditional cheeses as safe, delicious, and culturally and historically signiﬁcant. We work to ensure that traditional cheeses and artisanal cheesemaking practices are maintained for future generations

Welcome Welcome to our Cheese-Lover’s Guide to Cooking with Traditional Cheeses. The Oldways Cheese Coalition has collected a wonderful group of recipes for you to try at home. We have chosen recipes that are easy to make, healthy, and most importantly, deliciously cheesy!

In this guide, you will also find tips on how to select and buy cheese, 8 Things to Look for in Traditional Cheese, and ways to connect with us. The recipes we include in this helpful guide include cheeses that are available in most independent cheese shops, cheese counters in supermarkets near you, or available to buy online. On our website, you will find a directory of cheese counters in your state. We encourage you to support traditional cheesemakers where you shop—local cheese counters, farmer’s markets, or your local supermarket.

Why Traditional Cheese? Our mission is to inspire you to embrace the joys of the old ways of eating traditional cheeses in healthy amounts. Traditional cheesemakers are struggling during this unusual and difficult time. We hope these recipes will encourage you to learn more about wonderful traditional and raw milk cheeses and how to use them in a delicious way!

Cheese-lovers ask us: why are traditional cheeses so important? There is no single answer to this, but consider some of these reasons:

Traditional cheeses, especially farmstead, support rural agriculture and diverse ecosystems. Traditional cheeses are very flavorful. Traditional cheesemakers use time-tested techniques that are safe.

Stay Connected With this in mind, we want to inspire you to seek out traditional cheeses and use them in your cooking, in addition to enjoying them on their own. Need more information? To receive monthly recommendations of new cheeses to try, plus ideas for pairings and more, please sign up for our free monthly newsletter, The Cheese Plate.

We’d love to see your cheese-inspired cooking. Please be sure to share your cheese creations on social media and help us inspire others. Tag us @oldwayscheese!

1. PACE YOURSELF Only buy cheese that will be eaten within two weeks. This ensures you are getting the best quality possible. 2. DO YOU OWN GRATING Avoid buying pre-grated, pre-shredded, or pre-sliced cheese. Cheese loses flavor and can become rancid when sold this way. 3. DON'T FREEZE Avoid freezing cheese. Many cheeses will change in texture, becoming rubbery or sticky. 4. GIVE RINDS A CHANCE Think of cheese rinds as a delicious natural covering that helps protect your cheese. In some cases, they are an integral part of the cheese. All rinds are edible, except plastic, wax, or cloth. We encourage you to try a small piece of the cheese rind. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it. Some rinds are also great flavor addition to broths and soups! 5. JOIN THE FAMILY If you have one cheese you love, learn more about the family it belongs to (such as Fresh, Washed, Alpine, Blue, etc…) It is very likely that you will like others in the same style. Ask your cheese monger about cheese families. 6. WARM UP Cheese tastes better when it is slightly warm. If you are going to be eating cheese on a cheese board or as a dessert, we suggest taking the cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before using. 7. PAPER IS BETTER THAN PLASTIC Plastic wrap is bad for cheese. It’s better to wrap it in special cheese paper, butchers’ paper, waxed cloths, or in a glass container. 8. CRUMBLE AND MELT AWAY Cheese is an excellent way to give texture to dishes. Not all cheeses melt. Some stay firm, and others crumble nicely. Use them to make bland food more exciting. 9.TALK TO YOUR MONGER Ask your cheese monger for suggestions, and be open to new things. You never know when you are going to find your next favorite cheese!

The Oldways Cheese Coalition’s mission is “to inspire people everywhere to embrace the joys of the old ways of eating traditional cheeses in healthy amounts.” To help consumers everywhere, the OCC and its Advisory Committees have written Things to Look For in a Traditional Cheese to explain what we mean by traditional cheeses and why they are important. With help from cheese experts, including the OCC Advisory Committees and peer-reviewed literature such as the award-winning The Oxford Companion to Cheese, the Oldways Cheese Coalition has established a set of attributes or desirable qualities that help define traditional cheeses. These attributes focus on: • The milk • Production practices • Culture and history Traditional cheeses are made by men and women following time-tested techniques, such as using raw milk or allowing for the development of native bacterial cultures and fungi, making cheese in copper vats, or aging on wood boards and even in underground caves. These practices are worth preserving as important parts of our global gastronomic Photo by Dave Krugman heritage, and as a way to support rural communities around the world. Traditional cheeses are also celebrated for the attentive animal husbandry involved, the time-honored cheese-making methods, and perhaps most importantly, the resulting tastes. Further, traditional cheeses generally do not contain hydrogenated oils, food colorings, emulsifiers, and other unnecessary additives found in many highly-processed cheese products. Traditional cheeses’ flavors are instead developed by using high quality milk, natural fermentation, and artisanal techniques—delicious traditions worth preserving.

© 2019 Oldways www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese Not all traditional cheeses will feature all of these attributes, as cheesemaking practices vary from country to country and style by style. Some cheeses may satisfy more of these characteristics than others. These are not presented as a litmus test but rather as what we are calling Things to Look for in a Traditional Cheese. Cheese lovers will ﬁnd that some of these attributes are included in the labels of packaged cheeses or are used to describe products at cheese counters. Consumers are encouraged to ask for more information about each of these things to look for in a traditional cheese from producers, cheesemongers, and restaurant servers. Some of the descriptors below respond to speciﬁc regulations in the U.S. and therefore are included in ingredients lists. 1. RAW MILK CHEESES

Raw milk cheeses–such as the original Parmigiano-Reggiano made in Italy or Gruyère AOP made in Switzerland— are produced with milk that has not been pasteurized or heat-treated above the body temperature of the animal before the addition of rennet, an important enzyme used in the production of cheesemaking.

Heat treatment, including pasteurization, An Oldways Photo removes most of the bacteria, yeasts, and other microorganisms that make a cheese unique. “Pasteurization is the application of mild heat to foods to facilitate the destruction of microorganism.” (The Oxford Companion to Cheese, pg. 544) While there are delicious heat-treated and pasteurized cheeses, raw milk cheeses are worth celebrating for their complexity of ﬂavor, diversity of microﬂora, and history. The quality of the ingredients, the extreme care taken by producers, and the natural cheese aging process ensure that raw milk cheeses are a safe choice. In order for a raw milk cheese to be sold in the US, the cheese must be aged at least 60 days at a temperature no lower than 1.7˚C / 35˚F. In the US, cheeses made from heat-treated milk that does not meet FDA requirements for pasteurization may legally be labeled as “raw;” however, we encourage producers to identify these cheeses in ingredient state- ments more accurately as made from “unpasteurized” milk, rather than “raw.” In other parts of the world, consumers can identify heat-treated (though unpasteurized) cheeses as thermal- ized or thermized depending on local legislative and regulatory requirements. It is the norm around the world that the ingredient list on a package must note whether the milk utilized is raw or pasteurized. 2. ORGANIC

According to US Department of Agriculture guidelines: “before it can be turned into cheese, organic milk must come from a certiﬁed organic cow. The organic cow cannot be given growth hormones or antibiotics, and its feed must be 100 percent organic. Organic feed comes from land not treated with any prohibited substances (e.g., synthetic fertilizers and most synthetic pesticides) for An Oldways Photo

© 2019 Oldways www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese at least 3 years prior to harvest. The land must be managed in a way that maintains soil fertility and minimizes erosion, while distinct and defined boundaries make sure prohibited substances don’t come into contact with organic fields. The animal grazes on organic pastures for the entire grazing season, which must be at least 120 days a year, and receives at least 30 percent of its nutrition from pasture during the grazing season. Plus, throughout its life, the animal must be raised in living conditions that accommodate its natural behaviors and support its health and welfare.” (USDA, Organic 101: The Life cycle of Organic Food Production). There are four levels of USDA organic labeling. The first and strictest is “100% organic,” in which a product must be made entirely from certified organic ingredients and methods. The second level category “Organic” is available to any product containing at least 95 percent certified organic ingredients (excluding salt and water). Both categories are allowed to use the USDA organic seal and list the organic ingredients on the information panel. Foods—including cheese—in the third (“made with at least 70% organic ingredients”) and fourth (“con- tains organic ingredients”) organic categories are not eligible to use the USDA organic seal. It is important to note that some cheesemakers, and farmers, who use organic practices choose not to pursue federal organic certification, which costs them money and requires considerable time and paperwork. In addition, the words artisan, farmstead, or traditional do not necessarily mean that a cheese is organic and vice versa. While there is debate whether organic foods are nutritionally better than conventional, it has been shown that organic grass-fed milk is higher in protein and omega-3 fatty acid, a beneficial fat thought to provide a wide range of health benefits.1 3. PASTURE-FED ANIMALS

An animal’s milk is influenced by the food the animal eats. Pasture-fed cows eat a natural diet of grasses and plants. As Ed Behr writes in The Oxford Companion to Cheese, “compared with feeding grain, milk from animals on pasture has a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fat, which makes the cheese softer and also healthier for the consumer. In addition to the grasses and legumes found in temporary pastures, which are periodically Photo by Dave Krugman plowed and replanted, permanent pastures contain many broad-leafed plants that contribute aroma to dairy products. Pasture can be an essential component of the taste of terroir of a cheese” (pg. 549). Further, researchers have found that pasture grazing leads to higher levels of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) than in milk from cows fed processed grains. This is important because, as found in a study by Dr. Hannia Campos at the Harvard School of Public Health, along with colleagues Drs. Smit and Baylin,2 higher levels of CLA have been shown to reduce the risk of a heart attack in humans. Studies in animals have suggested that CLAs can protect the heart and help in weight loss. Some producers label their products grass-fed or pasture-fed, however different standards exists due to the natural cycles of grass production and availability. Consumers are advised to inquire about claims or look for third-party certifications.

www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese 4. PRODUCTION IN COPPER VATS

Copper vats are used in the production of some of the world’s most famous cheeses including Comté PDO, Gruyère AOP, Parmi- giano Reggiano PDO, Emmentaler AOP, and a number of others. To date, only a limited amount of scientific research has explored the relationship between copper vats and cheesemaking, but what exists overwhelm- ingly points to its beneficial impact on these Photo by Dave Krugman Astraditional noted in cheeses. The Oxford Companion to Cheese, “copper vats are valued in the production of certain styles of hard cheeses.” (pg. 190) Copper plays a significant role in regulating microbiological and biochemical activities of traditional cheese.3 Both consistency and flavor improved when copper vats were used in a controlled experiment opposite of stainless steel. This holds for Emmentaler AOP cheese as well as Parmigiano Reggiano PDO4. Moreover, the production of Emmentaler cheese in copper vats has a positive effect on cheese ripening5. Copper also has a marked effect on acidification by retarding the growth of propionibacterium (the bacteria that makes the characteristic holes in Swiss cheese), allowing the cheese to mature more slowly. Slow maturation is not ideal if the goal is to produce cheese quickly and efficiently, but prolonged fermentation has been shown to contribute to the consistency and organoleptic properties of the finished product. It is thus linked to the production of cheese produced at an artisan rather than industrial scale. Traditional cheese made in copper vats also has higher levels of copper and zinc that may be a valuable source of dietary minerals.6 Regulations in the US and Canada generally do not allow the use of copper vats, demanding vats made of stainless steel for cheese production, although there are some producers whose use of copper has been “grandfathered in,” while a few others have been granted special permissions. Geographical Indication guidelines for many European-made PDO cheeses specify whether the cheese must be made in copper vats to maintain its authenticity. Therefore, consumers looking for European-made cheese in traditional ways may look for PDO or AOP labels to ensure they are choosing those original varieties. Consumers looking for US-made cheeses made in copper vats may find out by checking online or asking their local cheesemonger. 5. AGING ON WOOD BOARDS

Aging cheese on wooden boards (commonly oak, spruce, and pine) is a vital part of the cheesemaking process in many cheesemaking regions and has been in some cases for more than a thousand years. The physical material in wood boards positively contributes to cheese maturation and ﬂavor development. For instance, wood has a unique ability to create an ideal aging An Oldways Photo

www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese environment by regulating atmospheric humidity and temperature fluctuation. The porosity of wood allows cheeses to “breathe” as they age and thus contributes to the formation of natural and bacterial rinds.7 Alterna- tively, because plastic boards do not “breathe,” cheese aged on plastic may end up aging in an insanitary pool of expelled liquid. Woods boards allow humidity and moisture to be controlled during aging. A scientific study has confirmed that the microbial biofilms that form on wood boards actually have an anti-pathogenic effect.8 The colonization of beneficial bacteria on wooden boards encourage a safe and sanitary final product. Cheese consumers may not know if a particular cheese has been aged on wooden boards just by looking at it already pre-cut and wrapped. However, there is a good chance cheeses with a rustic natural rind were aged on wooden boards. Be sure to ask at the cheese counter. 6. FARMSTEAD

Farmstead production of any product means that the ingredients are grown or produced on the land or farm of the producer. For cheese, it means the cheese is made on a dairy farm from the milk of that farm’s animals. “Farmhouse” is a similar term used in Great Britain and Australia. The term fermier is used in France to indicate a cheese that has been made on a farm only with the milk from that one farm. An Oldways Photo As noted by Heather Paxson in The Oxford Companion to Cheese, a purported benefit of farmstead production is that when cheesemakers own and care for the animals that provide the milk, they enjoy “a higher degree of oversight over milk quality than is otherwise possible.” As “a commercial designation, ‘farmstead’ has successfully come to connote a wide range of desired qualities, including the complex flavors associated with artisanal production, the environmental and ethical virtues of craft farming and humane husbandry, and the social benefits of supporting small family-run farms” (p. 265) However, farmstead is not a legally regulated designation in the U.S., nor does it guarantee that the cheese is organic or produced using traditional cheese-making practices. 7. NATIVE CULTURES

Milk is a diverse microbial ecosystem. Micro-organisms present in milk used to make cheese include fungi and beneﬁcial bacteria. They often coming from the animal, the farm soil, the dairy parlor, and even from the cheesemaking vats. Some artisan producers use the existing microbial communities in milk and the dairy environment to maintain the link between soil and cheese. The presence of acidifying lactic acid bacteria, otherwise An Oldways Photo known as starter cultures, is higher in raw milk.

www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese Cheesemakers shepherd these micro-organisms in milk to create complex flavor profiles and unique textures. There are various ways to achieve this, including back slopping, aging on wood boards, or in underground caves. For example, in The Oxford Companion to Cheese, “back slopping is defined as a practice where a new batch of food to be fermented is inoculated by using a sample from a previous batch of fermented food. It is applied in the manufacture of some traditional cheeses, where whey from the previous batch is used to prepare natural whey cultures. Another example is the natural inoculation that results from the use of wooden vats for the manufacture of some traditional protected designation of origin cheeses, for example, in the manufacture of Ragusano cheese in Sicily and Salers cheese in France.” (pg. 678) Some producers use lyophilized (frozen) cultures to jump start the acidification of milk. This could be because their milk is low in native lactic cultures due to pasteurization or because they are looking to enhance a specific flavor profile. We do not oppose the use of added cultures, but cheeses made with native cultures are worth celebrating for their complexity of flavor, diversity, and connection to the place of origin. Cheese-lovers can find many cheeses made with native cultures. Some producers may include this on their ingredient lists. Consumers looking for cheeses made with native cultures may find out by checking online or asking their local cheesemonger. 8. NAME PROTECTION

Similar to the appellation system used for wines, Geographic Indications (GI) promote and protect foods made in a particular place, using specific production methods. This name protection was implemented in Europe in 1992. The United States does not have a similar framework of protection. The law is to protect the reputation of regional foods, to promote rural and agri- An Oldways Photo cultural activity, to help producers obtain a premium price for their authentic products, and to eliminate the unfair competition and misleading of consumers by inauthentic products, which may be of inferior quality or of a different flavor. The law sets up possible restrictions on the use of cheese names by New World producers. As noted in The Oxford Companion to Cheese, “the political nature of cheese naming illuminates the complex relationship between European and New World cheesemakers competing over the status of what names qualify as protected or generic.” (pg. 507) Europe has two kinds of GIs: protected geographic indication (PGI), indicating only a geographic origin, and the stricter protection designation of origin (PDO), which adds specific processing requirements. In addition, there is a third protected type of cheese—traditional specialty guaranteed (TSG). This last designation does not have a geographic component, but protection is based on method of production. Products registered under all of these designations may be marked with a special logo—something consumers can look for! Because Switzerland is not a European Union member, similar designations exist for their traditional cheeses under Swiss law. The appellation d’origine protégée (AOP, protected designation of origin) certifies that “every- thing, from the raw material to the processing and the final product, comes from one clearly defined region of origin.” (Swiss PDO-PGI Association, Definition AOP-IGP) Cheese-lovers around the world can identify those cheeses by the use of the letters AOP after the name of the cheese on labels and consumer information.

www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese Often times, the topic of name protected products is presented as a ﬁght between European vs US producers. However, because geographical indications aim to protect traditional cheesemaking practices and give certainty to consumers, we believe respecting PDO and AOP products has the potential to support traditional producers. We know consumers understand the diﬀerence between products and places of origin and encourage all producers to take pride in their cheeses. Using European names for American-made products takes away from the originality and pride that distinguishes US-based cheesemakers. We also call on European cheese producers to safeguard traditional cheese making practices, codifying the use of raw milk on Geo- graphic Indications guidelines. BEYOND THE LABEL

Protected names, like product and ingredient labeling, are informative. But they can never tell the whole story. Don’t hesitate to ask the person selling you a cheese to tell you about it! Is it a European classic — or instead, a New World take on an older tradition? What can you learn about the people behind the product — about the farm or creamery behind a particular wheel of cheese, or about generations of farmers and families whose culinary habits An Oldways Photo have kept a recipe and style of cheese alive, even for centuries, to bring you a taste of another time and place. We invite you to taste traditional cheeses at every opportunity. Which textures and ﬂavors appeal to you? Gooey and pungent? Dry and sharp? Buttery and mild? At the end of the day, traditional cheese, like any food, is only as good as it is to eat.

SOURCES 1. Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA, conjugated linoleic acid, a-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta- and redundancy analyses (British Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 115, Issue 6, 2016) by Średnicka-Tober, Dominika, Marcin Barańsk, Chris J. Seal, and Roy Sanderson. Available online. 2. Conjugated linoleic acid in adipose tissue and risk of myocardial infarction (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 92, Issue 1, 2010) by Smit, Liesbeth A., Ana Baylin, and Hannia Campos. Available online. 3. The role of copper in the manufacture of Finnish Emmental cheese (Journal of Dairy Science, Vol. 94, Num. 10, 2011) by Mato Rodriguez, L., et al. Available online. 4. L’utilizzo di caldaie di rame o di acciaio: effetti sulla tecnologia e sulle caratteristiche qualitative del Parmigiano-Reggiano (Scienze e Tecnica Lattiero-Casearia, Vol. 60, Num 2, 2009) by Pecorari, M., et al. Available online. 5. Technological aspects of copper in milk products and health implications of copper | Technica-scientific information (ALP Science, Num. 493, 2006) by Sieber, R., et al. Available online. 6. Trace metals in raw cows’ milk and assessment of transfer to Comté cheese (Food Chemistry, Vol. 129, Issue 1, 2011) by Maas, S., et al. Available online. 7. Use of wood by European Cheesemakers is authorized by the EU (Profession Fromager, Num 20, 2006) by Florence Boulenger. Available online. 8. Inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes by resident biofilms present on wooden shelves used for cheese ripening (Food Control, Vol. 22, 2011) by Mariani, C., et al. Available online.

WANT MORE INFORMATION? VISIT WWW.OLDWAYSPT.ORG/CHEESE

www.OldwaysPT.org/cheese PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO Crostini with Sweet Peas and Bitter Greens

INGREDIENTS

10 ounces fresh or frozen peas 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 ounces Parmigiano- Reggiano 24 slices crusty baguette 2 cloves garlic, peeled Extra virgin olive oil 4 ounces arugula leaves 24 large mint leaves Aged balsamic vinegar Black pepper, ground

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and blanch the peas (2-4 minutes for fresh peas, or 1 minute for frozen peas). Drain and pat dry. 2. In a food processor, puree the blanched peas with the salt. Set aside. 3. Use a vegetable peeler to make small peels from the 4-ounce block of Parmigiano-Reggiano. You should have 1 cup of peels. 4. Toast the bread until golden brown on both sides. Rub the garlic cloves onto the slices of bread, and lightly brush each slice with olive oil. 5. To assemble, spread each slice of bread with the pea puree, and top with arugula and a mint leaf. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, then Parmigiano peels and pepper.

Recipe courtesy of the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano, The Seasons of Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 ripe apricots 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons vinegar 2 teaspoons mustard Salt and pepper 1 cucumber 1 yellow pepper 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes 5 ounces Gruyère AOP 2 ounces smoked almonds 1 bunch of basil 5 ounces arugula DIRECTIONS

1. De-stone the apricots and cut into small cubes. 2. In a blender or food processor, purée the apricots with the stock, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. 3. Cut the cucumber in two lengthwise halves, and then into 1/4-inch slices. 4. Cut the pepper into quarters, de-seed, and slice into thin strips. 5. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and the Gruyère AOP into small cubes. 6. Roughly chop the almonds. 7. Remove the basil leaves from the stems, and if necessary, roughly chop the arugula. 8. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the puréed dressing.

Recipe and photo courtesy Gruyère AOP

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided ½ cantaloupe, in ½ inch slices 1 pound whole grain pasta 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 3 ounces prosciutto 4 ounces fresh mozzarella 1 cup chopped fresh basil DIRECTIONS

1. Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to brush both sides of the cantaloupe slices, then grill on an outdoor grill or grill pan, 2-3 minutes. 2. Once cool, cut grilled cantaloupe into bite-sized pieces. 3. Cook pasta according to package directions. 4. Whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil with the lemon juice, the Dijon, the salt, and the pepper in a small bowl. 5. In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked, drained pasta with the lemon Dijon dressing, then add the chickpeas, torn prosciutto, chopped mozzarella, grilled cantaloupe, and basil, and toss until well combined.

An Oldways recipe and photo

5 roasted red reppers Sherry vinegar or other wine vinegar Sea salt 4 ounces Spanish chorizo 4 ounces Manchego cheese 1 tablespoon fresh parsley Extra virgin olive oil DIRECTIONS

1. Drain peppers of the brine they were packed in. 2. Cut each pepper crosswise into ½-inch slices. 3. Arrange the peppers on a serving platter. 4. Splash with a little vinegar, and season with salt to taste. 5. Thinly slice the chorizo and Manchego cheese. 6. Arrange the chorizo and cheese with the peppers. 7. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the platter, and serve.

Recipe and photo courtesy FOODMatch

INGREDIENTS

3 cups watermelon chunks ½ cup feta cheese, diced 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses 2 teaspoons rosewater Fresh mint leaves, for garnish 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange watermelon chunks and feta cheese on a serving platter. 2. In a small bowl, mix the pomegranate molasses with the rosewater, and drizzle over the watermelon salad. 3. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. 4. Serve immediately.

Recipe and photo courtesy Al Wadi Al Akhdar

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced 3 ounces sun dried tomato halves ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup unsalted pistachios 3 tablespoons chopped basil 1 clove garlic, minced 8 ounces goat cheese ¼ cup chopped basil, as garnish DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425F. 2. Place the sweet potato slices on a greased baking sheet. Place them in the oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway. Once tender and the edges are crisp, remove them from the oven. 3. For the pesto, place the sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, pistachios, basil, and garlic in a small food processor. Process the ingredients until well combined and the pesto is smooth. 4. Once complete, spread the pesto across the sweet potato toasts, then top with the crumbled goat cheese and the extra basil for garnish, and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy Bella Sun Luci/Mooney Farms

10 large mushroom caps, divided 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided Salt and pepper 10 ounces spinach 2 tablespoons water 1 onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup dry sherry 4 ounces crumbled blue cheese 1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 500F. Arrange 8 mushroom caps, gill-side down, on a prepared baking sheet and brush each with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast 10-12 minutes. 2. Combine spinach, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes. Drain spinach, wrap in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Set aside 3. Finely chop the 2 reserved mushroom caps. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes, stir in chopped mushrooms, and cook 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and sherry and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach, blue cheese, and walnuts until heated through. 4. Remove the eight mushroom caps from oven, flip them gill side up, and divide walnut filling among roasted mushroom caps 5. Press down on the filling with the back of a spoon to flatten. Sprinkle each with panko crumbs. Bake 5 minutes more, and serve.

Recipe courtesy California Walnuts

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup diced zucchini 1/2 cup diced green onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 ounces Gouda cheese, grated 2 cups low-fat milk 1 ounce Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 3 egg whites DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an oven to 350F. 2. Place the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the bell pepper, zucchini and green onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute more. Remove skillet from heat, and divide sautéed veggies among 6 ramekins. Top with equal amounts of the Gouda. 3. Return the skillet to heat and add the milk. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and salt. 4. Whisk the eggs and egg whites together in a small bowl. Add the milk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour even amounts of the egg-milk mixture into each ramekin. 5. Place the ramekins into a large baking pan. Pour hot water into the baking pans until it sits 1-inch up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the custards are almost set in the middle. Let stand 10 minutes and enjoy.

Recipe and photo courtesy Anne and Donna of Apron Strings, via Meatless Monday

½ teaspoon olive oil 8-11 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 pieces whole-wheat naan bread (or pita) ¼ cup prepared pesto 1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1 ounce grated pecorino cheese 4 basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. While oven is heating, heat the olive oil in a medium pan. Sauté shrimp in oil for about 2 minutes per side, or until fully cooked. 3. Place naan pieces on large baking sheet and top evenly with pesto, sautéed shrimp, roasted pepper strips, mozzarella, and pecorino cheese. 4. Bake until bread is golden brown around edges and cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. 5. Sprinkle basil ribbons on top of pizzas. Transfer pizzas to a cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy Dish on Fish, a website of the National Fisheries Institute

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups whole wheat ﬂour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 small to medium zucchini, ﬁnely grated 4 scallions, sliced 4 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded 2 eggs, lightly beaten ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup milk 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced, optional DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 2. In a large bowl, add the ﬂour, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until the mixture is evenly incorporated. The dough will be a bit sticky. 3. Lightly oil a large sheet pan, and sprinkle a little bit of ﬂour onto the surface. Divide the dough into two evenly sized balls and dump them onto the sheet pan. Shape the dough balls into discs, then cut each disc into four quarters (like pizza slices), forming triangular wedges. 4. Arrange the wedges evenly on the baking sheet, then bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Best served warm.

An Oldways recipe and photo, adapted from Leanne Brown’s Good and Cheap

INGREDIENTS

7 ounces brie cheese 3 tablespoons fig spread 1/4 cup walnut pieces 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup golden raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. 2. Place the wedge of brie in an oven-safe dish. Spoon the ﬁg spread over the brie. 3. Top with the walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and raisins. 4. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is beginning to melt. 5. Serve immediately with whole wheat bread or crackers.

Recipe and photo courtesy FOODMatch

6 large eggs 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup Cremini mushrooms 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons diced shallot 1 cup peeled, diced Russet potatoes, boiled until tender 1 roasted red pepper, diced 1 tablespoon parsley 1 tablespoon basil ¼ cup grated Fontina DIRECTIONS 3 tablespoons parsley 1. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. Add the Zest of 1 lemon Parmigiano Reggiano and reserve. 1 garlic clove, minced 2. Heat the olive oil in a 12” pan over high heat. Add 24 large asparagus stalks the mushrooms and sauté, then the garlic, shallot, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil potato, pepper, parsley, and basil. Add the Salt and pepper, to serve reserved egg mixture and cook 2-3 minutes. 3. Transfer the sauté pan to the broiler and broil until light and ﬂuﬀy and almost totally set, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle the Fontina cheese on top of the frittata and broil 2 more minutes. 4. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine the parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Set aside. On a sheet pan, drizzle asparagus with olive oil, roast 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley mixture, return to the Recipe adaptation and photo from oven, and roast for 3 to 5 minutes more. North American Olive Oil Association 5. Serve asparagus with frittata.

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