Fromage Forte

Ingredients

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pound leftover pieces of cheese (trim to remove surface dryness and any mold)
1/2 cup Latah Creek Chardonnay
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley for topping (optional)

Directions

Place peeled garlic in bowl of food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add
cheese, wine and pepper. Process for 30-45 seconds until mixture is soft and creamy
but not too smooth, add more Chardonnay to get your desired consistency. Form cheese
mixture into a ball or log, and place onto a serving platter. Sprinkle cheese ball with
chopped parsley, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve as is,
or for an interesting twist, spread the cheese mixture on top of baguette slices and place
them under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and hot. Serve immediately.

Ellena's Notes

I don't care when or where I serve this, everyone asks for the recipe. It's so easy that I can tell them on the spot without writing it down. I make this for almost all of our events at the winery because it is my most requested recipe!

Fromage Forte is a special recipe I found years ago in a very old and worn French cookbook. The French call this recipe strong cheese. The cheeses can be of hard or soft varieties. Last time I made this I used leftover Brie, English Huntsman, Mozzarella, Goat Cheese, and Gorgonzola. If I use pepper jack cheese, I omit pepper from the recipe. You choose what to do - use your favorite cheeses.

Delicious when served with a dry white wine like our Chardonnay or a full-bodied red like our Merlot.