Food | A Cheesy Dilemma

Whilst a four-tier cake made of cheese was lots of fun on Saturday, come today, we have a mountain of cheese to get through. As someone who hates wasting food (I once cried just emptying out the fridge), it's somewhat concerning.

I've already given away some cheesy goody-bags and someone mentioned freezing the rest but I'm not so keen on that idea. Maybe it's a throwback from my time in France but the French don't even like cheese to be kept chilled, let alone frozen (mon dieu!), and I can't help but feel they know a thing or two about cheese, non?

So, here's the plan. I'm going to be busy making a lot of cheese-based dishes!

I started last night with a simple Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup. So far, so good. And then this evening I made this lovely looking Cheese, Leek and Tomato Tart.

I adapted this recipe.

You will need:

1 packet of ready-rolled short crust pastry
1 onion
1 large leek
A knob of butter
1 tbsp garlic olive oil
284ml pot of double cream
250g mixed cheese (I used cheddar, brie and barkham blue)
1 tomato
Sprinkling of thyme

A 23cm tart tin with a loose base. I got mine from TK Maxx for £5, and they had a big selection. I think when it comes to tarts/quiches etc. size matters, otherwise they don't set properly etc.

Preheat your oven to 180C (I have a fan oven).

First job is to prep your pastry case. I thought I was being clever buying pre-rolled pastry but when I got it out of the packet it wasn't quite big enough for the tin. Grab your closest wine bottle (or rolling pin) and roll it out a bit more so that you have enough pastry to hang over the side of the tin.

Next you need to bake your case "blind". Stick some greaseproof paper over your pastry and fill with baking beans, or you can use dried beans/lentils, anything to weigh it down a bit.

Pop it on a baking sheet (it means your not messing about with the loose base of your tart tin), and bake in the oven for 15 mins. Take out the paper and beans and then bake for a further 10 mins.

Voila!

Whilst your pastry case is cooking, slice your onion and leek into circles, and pop in a frying pan over a medium heat with the butter and garlic olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes until golden.

 Chop your cheese into small pieces and thinly slice your tomato. Whisk your eggs and cream together and season with salt and pepper.

Now it's time to layer up your filling! First the cheese...

....then the leek and onion mixture....

....before carefully pouring over your eggs and cream, and topping with sliced tomatoes.

Turn down the oven to 160C, give your tart a sprinkling of dried thyme for luck and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Serve with a glass of crisp, white wine and a spinach salad for a truly yummy summer supper.

My other cheese based plans involve the following:

- A cheese and caramelized red onion tart
- Chicken wings with a blue cheese dip
- Broad bean soup with goats cheese crostini
- Ploughman's lunch

Any other summer cheese recipe ideas for the barkham blue and brie greatly appreciated! x

Life | Birthday Week

This past week has whizzed by in a whirlwind of Birthday celebrations. 

Dan and I nearly share a birthday, we're just two days apart, with my Dad's in the middle, so it has been a busy week indeed!

We kicked off birthday week with a family dinner at Riverstation. It was a perfect summers night to be sat near the water. 

After dinner the lights were dimmed and my surprise cake arrived!

No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is me sat on a rug, in a park, surrounded by approximately nine cats (one for each life?).....my boyfriend has a weird sense of humour but I love it! And I do love cats, it's true, especially these two.

My cake wasn't the only surprise of the night. Annie and Ben asked me to be godmother to their beautiful baby boy Ralph. I'm so touched, and still get a little teary just thinking about it. Look at the little cutie.

Tuesday was the Main Event but unfortunately I had to work during the day. When I arrived home I found a glass of this waiting for me.

Heaven. I sat and chatted to Dan whilst he prepared the most amazing dinner. Oysters, Baked Cod and Lobster Thermidore, and they all tasted amazing!

The following day we were up bright and early and off to the races.

And then on Thursday, disaster struck. We both woke up on Dan's Birthday feeling terrible, some nasty stomach flu was trying to ruin all our birthday fun. All my big plans for the day had to be abandoned in favour of sleep and rest.

By Saturday we were (almost) back on form. The day of Dan's Birthday BBQ! Luckily the weather held out just long enough to get the food cooked and our friends more than made up for what we were lacking in party spirit!

                  

Dan's "birthday cake" was actually a cheese cake! He doesn't love real cake (strange, I know, I could eat it daily), but does love cheese. There were four layers; goats cheese, barkham blue, cheddar and the smelliest brie I've ever come across, it tasted good though. And we will now be eating cheese for weeks!

Then there was one more birthday surprise for me! My lovely friends had clubbed together to buy me some treats....I love them so much (my friends and the presents)!

 Check out my Tory Birch pumps and Alexander McQueen leopard print scarf! I still can't believe they all did this. I feel so special and completely spoilt.

And what was Dan's pressie from me? This rather handsome Daniel Wellington Bristol watch. I fell in love with the classic and minimalist design but also the story behind the watches. There's a design available for quite a few different cities around the UK. 

 By the time the last glass had been washed and put away, there was only one way to finish birthday week...... 

 xxx

P.S. I have to thank Jenna's Instagram and Mel's Facebook for a lot of these photo's, without them it would have been a very dull post, thanks girls!