Fromage Fort

Fromage Fort is a blend of old bits of leftover cheese, a bit of wine, garlic, salt and pepper I first read about in a feature on Jacques Pepin in Food and Wine magazine that captivated me.

The more I cook, the more I become a true ingredient maximizer. I freeze a half cup of pumpkin puree, a half can of chipotles in adobo, old bread for bread crumbs, etc. and I just love using every bit of every thing - even if its a few days, weeks or months down the road.

So, Fromage Fort is perfect for me. By blending leftover chunks of cheeses with wine, salt (easy on the salt because most cheese is salty) and black pepper with a clove of garlic in a food processor you create heaven from what might be garbage. Puree the mixture until soft but still with some texture.

I used Parmesan, goat cheese, mascarpone, Gorgonzola and an aged Romano.

It can be served cold with crackers, but I found that could be rather strong tasting and look slightly gray in color (read: unappetizing). I much prefer spreading on slices of crusty french bread or sourdough and broiling until golden brown. Serve with a big glass of wine. It's like grilled cheese for grown-ups!

Fromage Fort on Toast:
(serves 4-6)
1 lb cheese pieces (approx)
Splash white wine (maybe 2-3 tbs)
Dash salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Sliced baguette or sliced sourdough bread

Directions:
Blend first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Spread over bread slices and broil until bubbly and golden brown. Serve immediately.