Seasonal Cheese

Most of us are unaware that Cheeses have a season.

To find seasonal cheeses you need to visit a decent cheese shop like Sheridans on South Anne St. (also Galway and various farmers markets).

The milk from cows, sheep or goats fed on winter hay will never provide as good a flavour as the rich grass and wild flowers available in the springtime.

You can particularly taste the difference in a fresh goats cheese made from spring milk such as St. Tola (Co. Clare), Sainte Maure (Loire) or Roves de Garrigues (Provence).

Washed rind cheeses can be eaten all year but summer is also the best time to eat the likes of Reblochon, Durrus and Ardrahan

Tartiflette is a modern classic from the Savoy although only around since the 1980s (created by the reblochon promotion board).

This is a popular dish with winter skiers in the French Alps but is even better in summer. Feel free to swap the bacon bits with spinach or cress to make this vegetarian.

Tartiflette

175g streaky rashers or lardons
2 medium onions
1.5kg Potatoes
240-250g very ripe Reblochon, Durrus or Ardrahan
200g Crème Fraiche
50g Butter

De-rind and chop the rashers and fry with the chopped onions until the bacon has begun to crisp slightly and the onions have begun to colour ever so slightly. Remove from the heat.

Wash and peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. As you cut them add them to a large pot of cold water. Bring the pot slowly to a boil and cook the potatoes gently until they are soft but not cooked through. Drain and run under cold water to allow to cool a little.

Rub the butter around a large ovenproof dish and add a layer of sliced potatoes, followed by some bacon and onion, followed by some thin slices of cheese. If the rind on the cheese is hard you should remove it but if it is soft you can leave it on. Continue until you have filled the dish and topped with the last of the cheese. Pour the crème fraîche over the top and sides and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with a green salad and some crusty bread.