The ingredients of this recipe celebrate the abundance of the Mill City Farmers Market. Cheese from Cosmic Wheel Creamery. Bread from Baker’s Field Flour & Bread or Nistler Farms. Honey from Nistler Farms or Ames Farm. Garlic and fresh thyme from Burning River Farm or Mhonpaj’s Garden.
This First Snow Cheese, the main star of this recipe, is a seasonal offering from Cosmic Wheel Creamery. It’s creamy and buttery, with a mild flavor. This cheese will melt in your mouth, both fresh and especially if you bake it like in the recipe below. The rind has a slightly mushroom-like flavor that complements the overall taste. As with other soft-rind and Camembert cheeses, as it ages it develops a stronger, more complex flavor with nutty and earthy undertones. Rama will have First Snow available for a few more weeks, so makes sure to grab some on your next visit to MCFM.
This recipe is so easy to make, and it feels luxurious at the same time. It’s perfect for dinner with friends or as a appetizer during the holidays. As the cheese gets perfectly melted in the oven, the wonderful aromas of roasted garlic and thyme will fill your kitchen. You can serve the baked cheese with toasted bread or fruit & nut crackers. And the amount of honey, hot pepper flakes and garlic is easily adjustable per your taste.
Baked Camembert with Garlic and Honey
By Iglika Petrova
Ingredients
- 1 block First Snow Cheese from Cosmic Wheel Creamery (or other soft rind cheese)
- 3-4 large garlic cloves, peeled from Burning River Farm or Mhonpaj’s Garden
- 2 tablespoons honey from Nistler Farms or Ames Farm
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or a drizzle of hot chili oil (from TonzKitchen, optional/to taste)
- 5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed (from Burning River Farm or Mhonpaj’s Garden)
- 5-6 bread slices, toasted and cut in half (from Baker’s Field Flour & Bread or Nistler Farms)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Slice the garlic cloves into a little less than a 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Place the block of cheese on a cutting board and using a paring knife, make a series of small slits in the cheese to tuck in thin slivers of garlic. Push one garlic slice in each slit (see photo below for reference) and set any remaining garlic aside.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper that is a little bit bigger than the block of cheese. Place the cheese on top of the parchment, and place both in a small oven-proof dish that is just a bit bigger than the size of the cheese.
- Mince or press the remaining garlic into a microwave-safe bowl. Add the butter, and honey, and microwave just long enough for the butter to melt, roughly 30-40 seconds. Stir to combine and pour over the cheese. Sprinkle the thyme leaves and the hot honey flakes on top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 min, or until the edges turn golden brown and the cheese starts to melt. Remove from the oven and press gently using a butter knife to check if the cheese has melted in the inside. If it has not softened, place back in the oven for 5 additional minutes.
- When done, let it cool for 5 minutes. Wrap a cotton towel around the sides or the handle of the hot dish to prevent someone from touching it. Serve with the slices of toasted bread.
