As cheese is expensive, Jacques says you shouldn't waste it and shares this easy party app that uses up leftover bits.
“Here’s a great recipe to make when you have several different kinds of leftover cheese. This mixture will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, so you can have it on hand for surprise guests. Be sure to trim off any mold or dry crust from the cheese before using,” says Jacques.
Not only is Jacques a culinary legend, but he’s also an amazing artist — and his new book Menus: A Book for Your Meals and Memories combines the two. (It made this year's list of Oprah’s Favorite Things!)
Recipe adapted from "Fast Food My Way" by Jacques Pepin. Copyright © 2004 by Jacques Pepin. Used with permission by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
- ½ pound assorted cheeses, such as a mixture of Gloucester, feta, blue, Gouda, and Gruyère
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup dark raisins
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, if needed
- About 30 thin wheat crackers
- About 30 mint or spearmint leaves
Cut or crumble cheese into about ½-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Toast pumpkin seeds in a skillet over medium to high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add to the cheese in the bowl, along with raisins, honey, lime juice, and pepper. Mix well, taste for salt (some cheese is salty), and add salt, if needed.
Mound a heaping teaspoon of the cheese medley on each of the crackers, stick a mint leaf on top, and serve.
