Top 5 – Cheese & Produce combinations

I love cheese, I love it’s varied forms, it’s texture and its saltiness, but most of all I love the way it combines with vegetables and herbs.  I use cheese a lot; I would probably eat cheese in some form every other day, sometimes more often, and I usually eat it with something from the garden.   Now I have to admit I do struggle with strong cheeses, I don’t particularly like blue or the French farmhouse style cheeses so this list is pretty heavy on the southern European styles.  Which means there’s plenty of scope for you to tell me what I’m missing out on, and I hope you will do just that.  For me though you can’t go past the following combinations:

Beetroot & Feta – The sweetness of the beetroot works brilliantly with the saltiness of the feta.  A great combination – especially if you throw in some mint for good measure.

Chilli & Cheddar – A water cracker, some chilli jam and a bit of strong cheddar – the perfect combination in my world.

 Spinach or Silver beet & Ricotta – I love silver beet and ricotta cannelloni, I love spinach and ricotta pastries, I love silver beet and ricotta gnocchi, and I love spinach and ricotta ravioli.  In a nutshell I love silver beet (or spinach) cooked with ricotta.

Basil & Parmesan – Parmesan goes well with a lot of vegetables; tomatoes, peas and eggplant in particular spring to mind, but for me it has to be basil and Parmesan.  Pesto – Yum!

Tomato & Mozzarella – I love a simple tricolour salad for lunch; avocado, tomato and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil.  Can’t get any better!  Actually it could if the quality of Mozzarella was better in Australia (if you know of a decent one then I will be most appreciative) but that’s a whole other story again.

And a special mention goes to: Dill & Cream Cheese – when I feel like a really decadent lunch I’ll mix some dill through some cream cheese, spread it on some sour dough and top with smoked salmon.  Yum!

So before you head over to The New Goodlife to check out her Top 5 this week let me know your favourite garden produce and cheese combinations – if it becomes a new favourite I shall be eternally grateful.

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31 Responses to Top 5 – Cheese & Produce combinations

  1. Mmm feta and watermelon is great as well. I have even been known to bake feta with all sorts of spices and herbs top. Pop it on a slab of melon and a touch of caramelised balsamic, sigh. Love all your choices as well

    • Liz says:

      Its been ages since I had feta and watermelon, it got so trendy there for awhile that I got a bit sick of it but now that you’ve mentioned it I need to eat it again, and soon! I do like the idea of feta baked with herbs and spices – sounds delicious.

  2. Bek says:

    I second watermelon and feta. I also love spinach (or tomato, zucchini, beetroot, broadbeans… anything really) with grilled halloumi. The buffalo guy – sorry I don’t have better info – at both Collingwood and Kington farmers markets does good mozarella, as well as Shaw River which I get it from Thomas Dux on the odd occasion I go there.

    • Liz says:

      I will have to try the Buffalo guy at Collingwood Childrens Farm – not sure why I haven’t thought of that. Grilled haloumi is great with all veg I can think – very lax of me not to include it.

  3. Mark Willis says:

    If you have quinces, you can make Membrillo (a sort of very dense jam) that goes brilliantly with Manchego cheese from Spain. I love blue cheese (e.g. St.Agur or Roquefort) with pears. Halloumi goes well with lightly grilled tomatoes.

    • Liz says:

      I definitely second the Halloumi and tomatoes, and indeed haloumi and lettuce I find goes well too. I’m not sure if I could find Manchego cheese here – I will have a go though and I do like the sound of it with quince jam.

  4. Barbara Good says:

    I was going to mention blue cheese and pear too, and I’m not typically a blue cheese fan. I also like grilled figs with blue cheese (mild blue cheese I should add), it’s something about the sweetness that takes away the overpowering nature blue cheese can have.

    I love goat’s cheese too especially in a salad with beetroot, beetroot leaves and walnuts. Or with broad beans and mint.

    Did you hear the women from Holy Goat Cheeses talking on 774 this afternoon. Very informative.

    And finally I wanted to mention I love your beetroot chutney stirred through some cream cheese for an instant dip – it’s been a hit everywhere I take it.

    • Liz says:

      I tend to find a lot of goats cheeses a little too ‘feral’ for want of a better word. I struggle with anything that leaves my mouth furry which many of them do. Having said that broad beans, mint & feta I love. I’m going home to try beetroot chutney with cream cheese – great suggestion.

  5. Daphne says:

    I love brie and jam on crackers, be it onion jam or fruit jams. Yummy. Broccoli goes great with cheddar. Cheese sauce is classic as is broccoli and cheddar soup. And I swear if you combine cheese and eggs you can put in any veggie and it will taste divine. I had a Parmesan and zucchini frittata yesterday for lunch.

    Your last combination really makes me want to have a bagel with dill cream cheese, lox, a little bit of onion, and cucumber. Yum.

    • Liz says:

      Ah cheese and eggs – great combination, ditto the brie and jam and of course broccoli and cheddar, they all work so well don’t they?

  6. Just a simple cheese and pickled beetroot sandwich?

  7. Michelle says:

    Ooh, I have to give a plug for Chevre and Roasted Sweet Red Peppers (with a dressing of pomegranate molasses, red wine vinegar, and olive oil). And perhaps with some homegrown capers tossed in the mix! Or a few olives if the capers aren’t to hand.

    And I’ll second Mark’s choices of Membrillo and Manchego, and the pear and blue cheese combo.

    A brilliant Top 5, all delicious. This is making me hungry…

  8. Rowena says:

    Assorted vegs (raw or cooked) dipped into a fondue gets my vote! Also a chevre, leek and potato tart in the oven makes the kitchen smell so goooooood.

  9. Leanne Cole says:

    I am sorry to say, I am not a fan of cheese, it is something I regret. I see so many people enjoying it, but I really don’t like the taste of most cheeses. I like some soft cheeses, but that is about it.

  10. Oh yum! Cheese with anything.

  11. Patricia says:

    Hi
    If you want a better Mozzarella – Gavin from http://www.greeningofgavin.com/ runs cheese making courses over in Melton which covers the basics of Ricotta and Mozzarella!!

    Here is the link: http://www.littlegreencheese.com/

    He says that once you make your own you will never buy supermarket cheese again!!

  12. Sarah says:

    All your ideas sound good Liz – that ricotta gnocchi looks delicious! I really like goat’s cheese with red onions and roasted squash, and tallegio is delicious melted through spinach or on mushrooms.

  13. Jo says:

    I adore cheese, and my daughter takes after me, we could eat it until it comes out of our ears. I do love a simple cheese and spring onion sandwich, if it’s a crumbly cheese such as Wensleydale or Cheshire, all the better. Then there’s Christmas cake and cheese, I don’t know if this is just something from Yorkshire. I don’t like Christmas cake, but I’d certainly eat it with cheese if I did. Thank you so much for your comment on my blog, it really means a lot.

  14. Have just returned from travels and am contemplating a garden in seasonal decline, however the chard is still holding on — thanks for reminding me to try out your ricotta and chard gnocchi!

  15. Diana says:

    Now I feel much more hungry :).

    I can’t eat a lot of cheese at the moment since Abby a bit allergic if consume too much while still breast feeding.

  16. Nina says:

    A grating of parmesan or similar is great over soup – minestrone/vegetable/beef & vegetable. I’m having that right now, in fact!

  17. Lrong says:

    I like eating cheese too… your dishes look really tempting, especially the one with the feta cheese…

  18. bumblelush says:

    oh, I love this post because I love cheese too. My favorite combination is my Old Reliable tomato-basil-mozzarella, and sometimes I add avocado too. I don’t think I”ve ever had beet & feta, but I bet it would taste great. Can’t wait to try it myself.

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