The Cheese Board (13 page)
Authors: Cheese Board Collective Staff
Oat Scones
An oat scone makes a hearty breakfast. It has a lingering caramel taste. The addition of oats makes it necessary for the dough to sit for a bit so that the oats can absorb some of the liquid. Rolling and folding the dough gives the finished scone a layered, flakier crumb. Unlike most Cheese Board scones, this scone can be treated like a biscuit and split in half for jam.
MAKES 10 TO 12 SCONES
Preparation time including baking: 1 hour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
¾ cup dried currants
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Sift the flours, baking soda, and baking powder together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
If using a stand mixer,
add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
If making by hand,
add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner
knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner
knives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
Place the dough on a generously floured surface. Pat it into a 2-inch-thick rectangle and dust the top with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half, short ends together, and roll it out again until it is 1 inch thick. Repeat this process a second time. Fold a third time and roll out into a rectangle with a final size of 6 by 12 by 1¼ inches thick.
Dip a 3-inch circular biscuit cutter or drinking glass into flour and cut out scones from the dough. Place the scones on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. The scraps can be rolled out again and the process repeated until all the dough is used.
Brush the tops and sides of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a rich, golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
LIFE AS A WHOLE
I had gone to work right out of college for General Electric, in the jet engine department. I realized in a relatively short amount of time that I wasn’t a good fit for a corporation because they really wanted to mold you into a certain type of person. I was in management, and they wanted me to wear a dark coat and dark pants and a dark tie. You were a company man there; you weren’t really an individual. I wasn’t drafted right off because I had a deferment as I was working on jet engines that were going to Vietnam. During the day I was working on these engines, and in the evening and on weekends I was involved in the movement protesting the Vietnam War. One of the things that I hated about that work was that duality: living two lives, not really being one person. It didn’t make any sense to me.
Joining the Cheese Board allowed me to bring my life together into one circle, one whole. My political philosophies coincided more naturally with the Cheese Board and the politics of the collective movement it embodied. I was finally able to express, through my work, my philosophy about life, politics, society, and the relationship between myself, my friends, and my workmates, and it has been that way ever since.
—Michael
Cheese Scones
Out of the twelve different kinds of Cheddar we stock, we selected a three-year-old Wisconsin Cheddar for this recipe. This cheese was the perfect choice because of its sharp flavor and beautiful orange color. The scones are spiked with a dash of cayenne, then gently patted out and cut into triangles. Many of us love this scone for lunch with a side of cottage cheese and
homemade salsa
.
homemade salsa
.
MAKES 10 TO 12 SCONES
Preparation time including baking: 50 minutes
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons finely ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound sharp orange Cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and sprinkle it lightly with cornmeal.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cayenne together into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl.
If using a stand mixer,
add the salt and cornmeal to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Gently mix in the Cheddar. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. With a few rotations of the paddle, mix just until the ingredients come together. Do not overmix the batter; the cheese should remain in chunks and there should be some loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
add the salt and cornmeal to the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Gently mix in the Cheddar. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. With a few rotations of the paddle, mix just until the ingredients come together. Do not overmix the batter; the cheese should remain in chunks and there should be some loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
If making by hand,
add the salt and cornmeal to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Very briefly mix in the Cheddar. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. With a few strokes of a wooden spoon, mix just until the ingredients come together. Do not overmix the batter; the cheese should remain in chunks and there should be some loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
add the salt and cornmeal to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinner knives until it is the size of small peas. Very briefly mix in the Cheddar. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. With a few strokes of a wooden spoon, mix just until the ingredients come together. Do not overmix the batter; the cheese should remain in chunks and there should be some loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
Place the dough on a generously floured surface. Pat it into a 6 by 9 by 1½-inch-thick rectangle. Divide the dough in half lengthwise and then cut each piece into 6 even triangles. Place the scones on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart.
Brush the tops of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until light brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
I do a lot of baking by sound. The scones have a sound they make when they have mixed the right length of time and have the right amount of liquid. It’s a smacking, kissing sort of sound. You have to make the scones many times to get to know what that sound is.
—CARRIE
Roasted Tomato Salsa
This is the traditional Mexican-style tomato salsa we sell at the Cheese Board. We make it by the five-gallon bucketful. The tomatoes and chiles are roasted and then puréed, blackened skin and all. If you prefer a milder salsa, cut back on the number of chiles.
MAKES 3 CUPS
Preparation time: 20 minutes
5 Roma tomatoes
3 jalapeño chiles, stemmed
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup finely chopped green onions (including green parts)
½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, roast the tomatoes and chiles until the tomato skins are blackened and beginning to fall off, about 10 minutes. Put the tomatoes and chiles in a food processor with the garlic and green onions and pulse for 15 seconds, or until the salsa has a chunky consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cilantro and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Never add sugar to salsa; just use great tomatoes in season. Roasting the tomatoes adds flavor and character to the salsa.
—Mateo
Tomatillo Salsa
This bright, tart salsa with a deep green color is enlivened by confetti-like pieces of red and yellow bell pepper.
MAKES 3 CUPS
Preparation time: 30 minutes
¾ pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
6 jalapeño chiles, stemmed
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
2 small cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup finely chopped green onions (including green parts)
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
In a large saucepan combine the tomatillos and jalapeños. Add water to cover and bring to a low boil. Cook for 25 minutes, or until the tomatillos are soft and starting to fall apart. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add the bell peppers and garlic and pulse for 20 seconds, or until just puréed. Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the green onions, cilantro, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
When you boil the jalapeños in the water, it mellows the heat, but you still get their flavor. This salsa is great with goat meat or
lengua
tacos. Any traditional Mexican barbecue has to have green salsa.
lengua
tacos. Any traditional Mexican barbecue has to have green salsa.
—MATEO
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