Cheeses, spreads

Ingredients
10 each Favorite bread, sliced ¼ inch
¼ cup Olive oil
2 tsp. Black pepper, freshly cracked
16 ounces Camembert (or Brie) cheese, sliced ¼
inch thick, about 16 slices
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 each Onion, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2½ lbs. Tomatoes, ripe, cored and chopped
12 each Fresh basil leaves
to taste Kosher salt and cayenne pepper
Method
1. for the sandwiches: Heat the olive oil and cracked pepper over
low heat. Turn off and let infuse for 10 minutes.
2. To assemble, lay the sliced cheese on half of the bread slices
making sure the cheese comes all the way to the edge of
the crust. Lay the top slice on each of the sandwiches and
move them together so they are crust to crust. Cover all the
sandwiches with a layer of plastic wrap and place a medium
cutting board on top of the sandwiches to gently weigh them
down for 15 minutes.
3. Using a pastry brush, thoroughly brush the surface of both faces
of the sandwich with the pepper oil.
4. Preheat a Panini griddle on low or a medium sauté pan over low
heat. Wipe surface with a little oil. Place the sandwiches in the
press or in the sauté pan and cook until slightly browned, about
2 to 3 minutes per side until the cheese is melted. Keep the heat
low so you do not burn the bread.
5. for the tomato soup: In a medium saucepan, combine the olive
oil, onions, and garlic and cook over low heat together for about
20 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the
tomatoes and cook another 15 minutes.
6. Add the stock and basil leaves and bring to a simmer. Cook gently
for 20 minutes to develop the flavor.
7. Strain the soup into a large bowl through a china cap or other
fine strainer, or a food mill, to remove seeds, skins, and basil.
Season passed soup to taste with kosher salt and cayenne pepper.
8. Serve the tomato soup hot with the warm sandwiches. Drizzle a
generous amount of the extra virgin oil over the top of the soup
along with a few small basil tops, and enjoy.

Recipe courtesy of The Cheeses of France Marketing Council (www.cheesesoffrance.com) and The Culinary Institute of America

Chevre, from the Loire valley, is
creamy, lemony and a bit lactic—a
good contrast with the puff pastry
and the prosciutto. The creamy
texture and the fresh finish elevates
the flavors and texture of the puff pastry and the
prosciutto combination very nicely. Yield: 24 portions
Ingredients
1 cup Chèvre (French goat cheese)
2 each Puff pastry sheet, 9”x12”
1 each Egg yolk
1 tsp. Water
½ cup Fresh tomato sauce
3 ounces Parma prosciutto, sliced paper thin,
cut into ½-inch strips
½ cup Toasted walnuts, crushed
2 cups Baby arugula, stemmed
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. Fleur de sel (type of sea salt)
Black pepper, freshly ground
Method
1. Break up the goat cheese into small pieces and refrigerate for
later use.
2. To make the pizza bases, roll out the puff pastry and cut into
twelve 4-inch rings. Prick each pastry base with a fork, and
then glaze with the egg yolk mixed with the water. Bake in a
preheated 375°F oven for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the puff pastry bases from oven and cool for 1
hour. Cut each in half globally; cover each cut side with 1
tablespoon of the tomato sauce and top with the prosciutto
slices, a sprinkling of toasted walnuts, and several pieces of
the goat cheese. Bake again at 375°F for 7 minutes and remove
from the oven.
4. Toss the baby arugula with the olive oil and top each pizza with a
few leaves. Sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel and fresh pepper
and serve.