For those of you who frequent my blog youknow that I never miss the Taste & Create event which gets bigger and bigger each and every time. It is the brainchild of Nicole (aka Myamii) over at For the Love of Food . I love to visit her site for all the delicious recipes and tidbits of very helpful information. She even has an on-line store with wonderful kitchen gadgets and gourmet foods. If you haven't had the chance to visit this very busy woman please take the time...you will be glad you did.This month I have been paired with Veronica of La Recette du Jour . She was born in Yorkshire, England but has lived in France since 1997. She loves to cook European and specifically Mediterranean cuisine... but... has a weakness for English puddings.
When I was paired with Veronica it was very hard to browse through her site and come up with ONLY ONE recipe I would like to try. How about Tarte a la Moutarde or Pork Tenderloin with Mustard or Besuc al Horno ?? I was undecided until I came across a dish I have heard of many times in the past year and coveted. I first heard of this dish from Aimee over at Under The High Chair . Veronica says, "This a dish from Haute Savoie (which is where reblochon, one of my favourite French cheeses, is made). Tartiflette is a classic recipe though, and very widely known in France, if not elsewhere — surprisingly we discovered it from a woman who cooked it on the spot at Lézignan market and served it as a takeaway. Easy to make, and very sustaining! Reblochon is a soft cheese about the size of a camembert."
Veronica lives in France where Reblochon cheese is widely available. This rich and creamy French cheese is quite mild for a washed rind cheese, but it's complex enough to be popular with gourmets. Your could substitute Pont-l'Evêque, Brie, Beaumont, Esrom, Beaufort, tomme de Savoie(nuttier taste), raclette, Port Salut, or fontina. Not living in France, Quebec or a larger city centre Reblechon cheese was elusive to me. Sad to say that I will need to take a trip to France...poor me...to say that I have had a true Tartiflette. It is not really Tartiflette unless you use Reblechon I am told due to its unique and distinctive flavour.
I decided upon raclette cheese which is widely available here for its good melting qualities. Although I didn't have the true Tartiflette experience I must say I still thought I had died and gone to cheese heaven......
**Tartiflette**
1 (300 grams)reblochon (cheese)
1 kg waxy potatoes
200 g smoked bacon (lardons), diced
1 onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
butter
1 large glass white wine
4 T cream
salt
pepper
*************************
Cook the potatoes in boiling water until a little undercooked. Reserve.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and gently cook sliced onion, garlic and lardons, without letting them brown. Slice the potatoes thickly, add them and continue to cook gently for 10 minutes.
Add the white wine and allow to reduce. Season with salt and pepper.
To prepare the reblochon, you should just cut it in half horizontally — connoisseurs leave the rind on. You can scrape some if it off with a sharp knife if you want.
Preheat the oven to moderately hot, butter a gratin dish, and put the potato mixture in it. Pour over the cream (actually this is a bit excessive — you can leave it out if you want). Place the halves of reblochon on top, rind-side upwards, and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted into the potatoes. Mmmm … Serve with a green salad dressed with a walnut oil dressing.
For another fantastic version try Wild Mushroom Pancetta Tartiflette.
Check out Aimee's Tartiflette too.
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
With the help of my blog sister Ivy of Kopiaste and Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen we continue our personal journey to raise awareness for those less fortunate than ourselves. Ivy held our latest event. Please visit the roundup for World Food Day - Time to be Thankful.
Everyone has so much to be thankful for. Ivy is to be applauded for all her hard work on the roundup, the startup of the forum (which I will post about in the next few days) and all you have done to raise awareness for this worldwide issue. Giz has also been working dilligently with the help of her daughter Psychgrad on their upcoming projects as well..also to be announced shortly.
Please stay tuned for more in the next few days.....
