Cheese Spread

We are heading out of town for three weeks. As every adult knows, when leaving one’s home for an extended period of time, one must first clear out the refrigerator; coming home to fuzzy cream cheese and a packages of gray bologna is simply an exercise in robust, offensive odors and gag-inducing textures.

I had about one pound of various cheeses in the fridge and decided to make a sort of cheese spread for our supper, knowing I’d also have enough to share with friends– a sort of food farewell.

This recipe is simple and can work with practically any cheese. Soft cheese (like brie or camembert) work beautifully, but I had some jalapeno pepper jack, lots of Parm, a few ounces of Gorgonzola piccante, and a chunk of sharp cheddar– it needed something else soft to bind all the cheeses together. Luckily, I also had a few tablespoons of cream cheese, too.

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 pound cheese– any type you like to eat/soft cheese should be scooped out of the rind

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

2-4 tablespoons cream cheese, if most of of the cheese used is as hard as cheddar or harder

With the food processor running, throw the garlic cloves into the bowl, then chuck in the fresh herbs and process for just a moment until finely chopped. Now add in the cheese and process, pulsing, if needed, until very fine. With the motor running pour in the wine and add in the horseradish. Scrape the sides and if needed, add in the cream cheese. Process until fairly smooth.

I stirred in some chopped walnuts I had, too. Dried fruit would be nice. Serve with sweet crackers (like Ritz), apple or pear slices or baguette toasts. Makes 3-4 cups and is better the second day.