Murray's Cheese Blog

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013

Recipe: Murray’s Pasta Primavera

This one’s a keeper. That’s what you’ll say when you taste this Murray’s adapted springtime favorite.

Murray’s Pasta Primavera with Parmigiano Reggiano

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb penne
2 t olive oil
½ cup diced onion
1 cup medium diced marinated artichoke
1 cup roasted tomato
¾ cup (6 ounces) chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup crème fraiche
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, additional for topping
3 cups loosely packed arugula
Salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta per box instructions.
While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large sauté pan on high. Add onion until aromatic; about 2 minute.
Add artichoke and tomato, cook for 3 minutes.
Add stock to pan and reduce by half, about 4 minutes.
Once reduced, add peas, cook for one minute and mix in crème fraiche and Murray’s Parmigiano Reggiano, cook for 2 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat; add arugula, stirring until wilted. Combine mixture with strained pasta, and serve with grated Murray’s Parmigiano Reggiano. Don’t be shy.
Enjoy at room temperature or heated through.

Serves 4

March 7, 2013March 7, 2013

Easy Brunch Recipe: Roasted Tomato & Artichoke Quiche

With this easy quiche recipe, there’s no need to wake up early to enjoy a delicious brunch at home. Quiche is a savory yet filling breakfast option. For a truly lazy morning, you can even opt to make the quiche the night before. Just heat up your creation in the toaster oven, morning of. To round out the meal, pair with a mixed greens salad with a simple balsamic vinegar dressing. Don’t forget to top with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano!

Continue reading “Easy Brunch Recipe: Roasted Tomato & Artichoke Quiche”

February 26, 2013March 22, 2018

How to Throw A Raclette Party

Raclette comes from the French word Raclerâ, which means “to scrape.” It is a cheese traditionally eaten in Switzerland. The Swiss cow herders used to take the cheese with them when they were moving cows to or from the pastures up in the mountains. In the evenings around the campfire, they would place the cheese next to the fire and, when it had reached the perfect softness, scrape it on top of some bread. Today we use fancy machines to do the melting, but the results are just as tasty. The cheese has a mellow, slightly funky flavor that makes it the perfect accompaniment to almost anything, and the texture is ideal for melting.

Throwing a Raclette Party is easy. The key is to have a nice variety of meats, veggies and bread for topping with the gooey cheese. There are 2 kinds of raclette machines: one holds a quarter wheel of the cheese and heats it under a lamp, the other heats individual portions of cheese on little pans. If you don’t have a raclette machine you can use a nonstick pan to melt slabs of the cheese, it’s just a little messier.

Here are some of our favorite things to serve with raclette:

Artisanal Breads

Vegetables: Small Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Butternut Squash, Cipolline Onions, Cauliflower

Meats: Prosciutto, Speck, Jambon Royale, Finocchiona Salami, Chorizo, Roasted Pork

Fruits that go with cheese: Sliced pears, sliced apples

Fruits to refresh the palate: Grapes, Berries, Dried fruits

Acidic and briny bites to refresh the palate: Cornichons, Olives

February 19, 2013

Murray’s Better than Basic Mac & Cheese

1 lb pasta of your choice (we like Martelli Maccheroni), cooked a few minutes shy of the instructions
1 cup grated Cheddar (about a ¼ lb)
1 cup grated Scharfe Maxx (about a ¼ lb)
1 cup grated Emmenthaler (about a ¼ lb)
1 cup grated Gouda (about a ¼ lb)

Béchamel

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups whole milk

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in flour. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until mixture gets slightly darker in color. Add milk to the butter and flour mixture and stir constantly until it comes to a boil. Once the Béchamel boils, it will start to thicken. Once thick whisk in the cheeses, stirring until melted.
Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.
Pour into a large baking dish, Dutch oven or cast iron pan and Bake at 375 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes until lightly browned on top.

Serves: 6-8 people.

February 19, 2013March 22, 2018

Murray’s French Onion Soup Mac & Cheese

Brilliant: combine two classic winter warmers into one delicious dish. Creamy, pungent Scharfe Maxx is the star here. It melts like a dream and its big, oniony flavor makes this mac over the top savory.

BUY THE KIT

INGREDIENTS

2 large onions cut into thin strips
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ lb pancetta, cut into quarter inch strips (optional, or use bacon!)
1 lb pasta of your choice (we like Martelli Maccheroni), cooked a few minutes shy of the instructions
2 cups grated Scharfe Maxx (about a 1/2 lb)
2 cups grated Emmenthaler (about a 1/2 lb)

Béchamel

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups whole milk

In a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat, add the onions and olive oil and cook until caramelized, about 40 minutes. Be attentive, don’t overstir. When nicely browned and very soft, place in a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan set over medium high heat, cook pancetta until crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and reserve pancetta.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in flour. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until mixture gets slightly darker in color. Add milk to the butter and flour mixture and stir constantly until it comes to a boil. Once the Béchamel boils, it will start to thicken. Once thick whisk in the cheeses, stirring until melted.
Stir in the cooked pasta, the onions and the pancetta until well combined.
Pour into a large baking dish, Dutch oven or cast iron pan and Bake at 375 degree oven for 45 minutes until lightly browned on top.