In honor of Jacques Pépin, whose 90th birthday we were privileged to celebrate, we're sharing our twist on his wonderful Fromage Fort recipe. This classic French spread transforms leftover cheese into something magical-perfect on toast, crackers, or as a dip. True to Jacques' philosophy of using every bit of food and wasting nothing, this recipe makes delicious use of all those cheese scraps and ends. Using a blend of Toma, Toma Provence, Gouda, and Bay Blue, and the results were fantastic.
Servings: Enough for about 50 pieces of toast
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 pound leftover pieces of cheese, a combination of as many hard and soft varieties as you desire (Toma, Toma Provence, Gouda, and Bay Blue), trimmed to remove surface dryness and mold
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt, if needed
Place the peeled garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process for a few seconds, until coarsely chopped. Add the cheese, white wine, pepper, and salt (if needed) and process for 30 to 45 seconds, until the mixture is soft and creamy but not too smooth. Place in a crock, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Note: Usually, cheese is salty enough so additional salt is not necessary.
