Cape Town – It’s
April, it’s autumn and it’s cheese festival time.
This hugely popular annual event takes place from April 25 to 27 at Sandringham, off the N1 at exit 39, where, once again, there will be much to taste, to see, to listen to and to do.
This is a family fest, where children are well catered for, and where they enter free of charge, if under 14.
As before, the choice of cheeses will be bewildering, as our large and artisanal producers showcase their speciality cheeses.
Whether your palate prefers soft, hard, blue, white or speckled cheese, produced from cow, goat or sheep, you will be able to savour samples at the festival and buy what you like best.
This year the number of accompanying culinary products will increase, and there will be plenty of liquids, alcoholic and non-intoxicating to wash down all the samples.
Cape foodie personalities will be there in droves, demonstrating their talent for using a variety of cheese in innovative dishes. The number of new products on show will enable visitors to keep up with the latest in ingredients, gadgets and convenience foods.
Tickets are available through Computicket and all Shoprite and Checkers stores at R130 for adults and R100 for senior citizens. No tickets will be sold at the gates. The festival is open from 10am to 6pm on all three days.
For more information, see www.cheesefestival.co.za or call 021 975 4440 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. See their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com /pages/Cheese-Festival/103882408706.
The theme for this year’s Cheese Festival is “let’s innovate”. To give you a headstart, here are four innovative and delectable recipes, one savoury, three sweet, starring various kinds of cheese. Any or all of them could add pizzazz to your menu when entertaining family and friends.
Baked Camembert with sour cream crackers
This low-carb recipe, created by Angela Gorman, can be savoured by those following the Banting diet. It makes a great starter or finale, and buffet table item. Locally grown pecan nuts could replace the walnuts.
Baked Camembert
A few sprigs fresh thyme
1 Camembert cheese (any size)
¼ cup (4T) honey, or to taste
1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the thyme sprigs on the top of the Camembert and secure with kitchen string or toothpicks. Transfer the cheese to an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with honey and scatter toasted nuts over the baked cheese. Serve immediately accompanied by crackers.
Sour Cream and Chive Crackers (Egg-Free)
230g almond flour
small bunch (about 20g) fresh organic chives
70g sour cream
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 100°C.
Chop the chives finely and add to remaining ingredients. Knead mixture for 30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer dough to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Top dough with another layer of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the baking paper as thin as possible.
Remove the upper baking paper. Mark the dough into squares. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Check frequently so that the crackers don’t darken or burn.
Cool completely and break into squares.
Frozen pashka
Traditionally served on Easter Sunday in Eastern European Orthodox households, this frozen version of pashka makes an impressive finale that will serve 20 diners in style.
It’s another winner from Landbouweekblad food editor Arina du Plessis and, as it can be made in advance, a good choice for a party dessert that will free up the cook for other courses.
250ml finely diced dried apricots
250ml finely diced dried figs
80ml brandy
1x250g tub mascarpone
180ml castor sugar
4 extra-large egg yolks
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1x230g tub plain cream cheese
2x230g tubs creamed cottage cheese
100g soft unsalted butter
100g red glace cherries
60ml preserved ginger in syrup, chopped
45ml candied peel, finely chopped
100g pecan nuts, chopped
Combine the apricots, figs and brandy in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to cool to room temperature. Spoon out half of the fruit and leave the rest in the brandy to serve with the pashka.
Beat the mascarpone, castor sugar and egg yolks well until thick and pale. Pour the mixture into a glass or metal bowl and set over a saucepan with gently simmering water. Stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Beat the cream cheese, cottage cheese and butter until smooth. Add the cooled mascarpone mixture and gently stir to mix. Fold in the apricot and fig mixture with the cherries, ginger, candied peel and nuts. Line a container with muslin and spoon the pashka mixture into it. Fold the muslin over the top and put a heavy chopping board on top. Freeze for 24 hours. Turn out on to a serving plate and spoon the remaining fruit in brandy syrup over.
Baked chocolate hazelnut cheesecake
For those who maintain the best cheesecakes are always baked, here’s a winner, created by Arina du Plessis who is the food editor of Landbouweekblad. It is uncomplicated and quite quickly prepared, once you have the ingredients assembled.
Crust
200g chocolate biscuits
100g ground almonds
125ml melted butter
Filling
2 x 230g cream cheese tubs
250ml sour cream
125ml castor sugar
2 extra-large eggs
30ml cornflour
30ml cocoa
30ml cake flour
60ml hazelnut liqueur (like Frangelico)
45 ml hazelnut chocolate spread (like Nutella)
Additional cocoa powder
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Grind the biscuits and add almonds and butter. Mix until you have moist crumbs. Transfer to a springform pan (22cm in diameter) and press crumbs to bottom and against the sides. Keep in fridge until needed.
Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, castor sugar and eggs until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix cornflour, cocoa, cake flour and hazelnut liqueur to form a paste. Add to the cream cheese mix, add the hazelnut chocolate spread and beat until well mixed. Pour onto the crust, spread evenly and bake for about 45 minutes or until the sides are firm and the inside still soft.
Chocolate cheesecake with pomegranate jelly
An unbaked cheesecake that will have your guests drooling, combining chocolate and cream cheese with pomegranate flavours. It was dreamed up by the Private Hotel School and serves 8–10.
Base
1 packet digestive biscuits
100g walnuts (optional)
100g butter
45ml peanut butter
Filling
30ml gelatine granules
90ml orange juice
180g dark and white chocolate, coarsely chopped
250ml cream cheese, softened
50g white sugar
375ml whipping cream
Jelly topping
8ml gelatine granules
125ml pomegranate juice
50g white sugar
Make the base: Place the biscuits and the nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture reaches the consistency of coarse bread crumbs. Transfer to a clean bowl. Melt the butter and peanut butter together and pour over the biscuit mixture. Mix together until sticky enough to be pressed into shape. Line a cake tin or mould with baking paper and press in the biscuit base. Bake at 180°C just for 3-5 minutes to set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Make the filling: Sprinkle the gelatine over the orange juice in a saucepan and allow to soften over gentle heat, stirring constantly until gelatine has dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and cool slightly. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together with electric mixer until smooth. Add the melted chocolate, then beat in the cooled orange juice. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until stiff. Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture, combining thoroughly. Pour the filling into the mould with the base and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.
Make the topping: Sprinkle the gelatine over the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and allow to soften for 1 minute, stirring. Stir in the sugar and cook over a low heat until the gelatine and sugar have dissolved. Leave to cool. Pour the cooled mixture over the set cheesecake and place back into the refrigerator to set.
Another foodie festival
* If olives are your thing, then make your way to the Swartland towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West at the foot of the Kasteelberg for the annual Riebeek Valley Olive Festival on May 2 and 3.
The Olive Emporium in the centre of Riebeek Kasteel will play host to local South African olive producers with a wide array of wares. Wines from local cellars, artisanal beers, local food and live entertainment will be available over the weekend.
From the emporium, make your way on one of the free shuttles and tractor trips to the other participating venues where a wide array of olive products, entertainment, and food await.
An Olive Passport, valid for the entire weekend and which will give you access to participating wine farms, the Olive Emporium and the Olive Boutique, is R70 per person. It can be purchased online at www.webtickets.co.za or on the day. Tasting glasses and tasting coupons will be available for purchase. For more information, contact Riebeek Valley Tourism on 022 448 1545.
Myrna Robins, Cape Argus