Recipe by John Ash

This makes a rich warm cheese dip with a light, airy, soufflé-like texture that can’t be beat for any occasion.  In addition to crudités, it’s delicious served to top a salad, pasta or whatever. 

2 cups whole milk ricotta (not skim or fat reduced)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not out of the green can!)

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and minced or pressed

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, finely minced, or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Butter for the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter a 2-cup baking dish or piece of oven-safe pottery and set it aside.

With a food processor add all ingredients except butter and pulse until smooth. Scrape the mixture into the buttered dish, set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes before serving hot with crusty bread, crackers, or vegetable sticks.

Recently, our Director of Winemaking Mick Schroeter conducted a tasting of various Point Reyes cheeses from their Taste of Point Reyes Gift Pack. “One of my favorite ways to pair wine with cheese is to ignore any traditional notions of what should go together and instead let the flavors speak to me. Below are recommendations and thoughts on each pairing.” – Mick 

• Gouda with Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The Gouda is complex with a nuttiness and hints of caramel and butterscotch. “I loved the texture of this cheese with the crunchy crystals (like a well aged Parm). Made for a great pairing with the earthy qualities of the Pinot.”
• Toma with Rose’ of Pinot Noir. The Toma is described as Pt. Reyes’ “perfect any time snacking cheese” and is incredibly versatile. It’s a semi-hard cheese with a creamy, buttery flavor and a grassy tang finish. “The fruity style and bright acidity of the Rose’ paired nicely with this versatile crowd-pleasing cheese.”
• Original Blue with Russian River Ranches Chardonnay. Known as the “cheese that started it all’, it has been produced on the Pt. Reyes family farm since 2000. The flavor is bold with hints of sweet milk and a peppery finish. “Blues are tricky but the brightness and acidity of the Russian River Ranches went well with this not too powerful version. Nice weight and balance between the two.”
• Bay Blue with Rose’ of Pinot Noir. The Bay Blue is known for its mellow flavor and sweet, salted caramel finish. The Bay is a classic, powerful blue and therefore a tougher match. Once I put just a touch of the local honey (included in the gift pack) onto the cheese, BAM! Both the Russian River Ranches and Rose’ worked very nicely.”

Recipes

Here are some delicious and easy appetizer recipes from local chef John Ash. These pair wonderfully with our Russian River Ranches Chardonnay.

Frico

Frico or cooked cheese is a specialty of Friuli in Italy where it is made from the local Montasio cheese.  Any hard grating cheese such as Asiago, aged Gouda, Manchego or aged Cheddar can be used.  I like shredded Parmesan which is what I’ve used in this recipe. 

Link to recipe

Baked Ricotta

This makes a rich warm cheese dip with a light, airy, soufflé-like texture that can’t be beat for any occasion.  In addition to crudités, it’s delicious served to top a salad, pasta or whatever.  

Link to recipe

Burrata means “buttery” in Italian and is a fresh cheese made from a mix of mozzarella and cream. The outside thin shell is a pasta filata curd made of buffalo and/or cow’s milk mozzarella while the insides contain a soft, doughy, stringy, mixture of curd and fresh cream. When you cut open a Burrata, it oozes with buttery and creamy panna containing scraps of mozzarella. The cream has a rich flavor and has to be eaten immediately since it is a fresh cheese.