Excerpted from page 192 HERBED SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH GOAT CHEESE Sugar snap peas are one of nature's finest treasures. As the name implies, they are naturally sweet, and their texture is crunchy. Because of that combination, they meld effortlessly with the other ingredients in this dish. The "snap" counters the creamy goat cheese, and the earthy tarragon contrasts perfectly with the vegetable's natural sugars. Snap peas are available in the spring and fall and are especially good when they are just picked. If you can't find them, this dish works equally well and looks just as beautiful with fresh green beans. Simply cook the green beans about a minute or two longer than the snap peas.
2 pounds fresh sugar snap peas, stems and strings removed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium shallots, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus additional sprigs for garnishSalt and freshly ground pepper
12 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cartons), cut in half lengthwise
1/2 pound fresh goat cheese, such as Redwood Hill, cut into small pieces (if the goat cheese is particularly creamy, spoon it onto the vegetables; or use fromage blanc)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water. Set aside.
In a large saute pan, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are limp but not brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the chopped tarragon and peas, stirring to coat the peas with the oil, shallots, and tarragon. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Arrange the pea mixture, tomatoes, and cheese on a serving plate; garnish with additional tarragon. Do not mix.
Serves 8 to 10
Excerpted from page 248
SONTHEIM FINE CHEESES
In a large meadow in southwest Colorado, about thirty Brown Swiss cows lazily spend their day wandering. Their singular duty is to provide one of the best types of cows' milk that exists. That milk is then transformed into some of the finest cheeses produced in this country. Indeed, Sontheim Fine Cheeses live up to their name.
The Tilsit cheese, in particular, is remarkable. It is round, golden, raw milk washed-rind marvel that is relatively mild but entirely flavorful in its youth (around three months) and bursts with flavor as it ages. To some, the aged version is simply strong, as ripe German Tilsit traditionally is. But to those who like assertive cheese, it is firm but not hard, reminiscent of the texture of an aged Gouda. It is a cheese that is not made elsewhere in this country.
Bruno Sontheim, patriarch of the family, is the cheesemaker, having learned his craft in his homeland of Bavaria. He has chosen to stay close to his German roots in his cheesemaking, which is proving to be an education for American consumers, who may never have tried these types of cheeses. In addition to the Tilsit and Soft Tilsit, Sontheim also makes a hard, dry, washed-rind cheese called bergkaese. Traditionally bergkaese is eaten with bread, butter, and a salad of greens, onions, some radishes, and vinegar and oil. But Bruno's wife, Sylvia, who manages their household of four children and works ninety hours a week outside the home to support the fledgling cheesemaking business, says she enjoys bergkaese another Bavarian way: homemade spaetzle (a German noodle) layered with the cheese and topped with onions that have been caramelized in butter. The dish is then cooked until the cheese is melted and the flavors have melded.
The Sontheims received early accolades for their cheese, having garnered awards from the American Cheese Society for their Tilsit soon after they began making cheese in the U.S. in 1997. Like many cheesemakers, they have not had an easy time gaining recognition beyond a few specialized cheese sellers who grasp that this cheese is special. This is partly due to their remote location, and it is also because marketing cheese is a Herculean task for which, paradoxically, they have little time. For now, their cheeses are sold at the better retail shops around the country, through mail order, and at Colorado farmers' markets, where they always sell out. The Sontheim cheeses have a certain air about them that is a departure from other cheeses made in America. Perhaps that comes from the traditional names and recipes for the cheeses, or perhaps it's because these people are relatively recently immigrants, much like the Europeans who started the cheesemaking traditions in America.
Whatever the case, the Sontheim cheese is stunning, and it is a treasure waiting to be found.
