Sometimes you just get so used to something being there that you forget how much you love it.Mr Isitjustme? and I generally do our grocery shopping together - not because we enjoy it you understand but rather because we share cooking duties at home with me cooking when he has a heavy day at work and he cooking when I simply can't be bothered.We shop together so that those little favourites of ours don't get forgotten by the other.
And so it happened that as we were walking down the dairy aisle in our local Tesco last week that Mr Isit? chucked an enormous block of Dubliner cheese into the trolley.After I'd thrown a strop about excessive cheese buying he showed me the price ticket in front of the cheese.It turned out that buying this large block rather than the pack of sliced cheese I usually get for eldest boys lunch saved us €1.39...who'd have thought husbands could be useful in supermarkets?.We're big cheese eaters in our house and adore a good cheese that can drive an unsuspecting child away from a refrigerator in .05 seconds but we'd forgotten over the past while how much we enjoyed the lovely rich smoky taste of Dubliner cheese.
Given the size of the block - we're talking about something similar in size to one of JR Ewings high-tech 1st generation mobile phones in the eighties here, I decided to incorporate it into a recipe.I had a poke about in the fridge and given the fact that asparagus was the special offer at the farmers market in Oranmore, I settled on this.I suppose You could call it an asparagus and Dubliner cheese gratin.
You Need:
16/20 asparagus spears
1med onion, quartered
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
3oz white wine
6 oz heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2oz breadcrumbs
2oz Dubliner Irish Cheese
1 large knob of Kerrygold Irish Butter, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
Do this:
Snap tough ends off the asparagus, wash and save. Cook the asparagus tips in boiling water for a few minutes - they should be just short of tender - then cool. Now put the ends into a pot with the onion, garlic, wine and approximately 12 ounces of the asparagus water. Bring to boil and keep at a lively simmer for about 15 minutes or until the water is reduced by half. Strain off the vegetables and return stock to the pan. Pour in the cream and add mustard, then cook the sauce at a rolling boil until reduced to a fairly thick pouring sauce.
Season to taste.
Make a crumble by combining the crumbs, cheese and softened butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the asparagus on individual plates, pour sauce over asparagus and then sprinkle with a generous amount of crumble. Place each plate under the broiler/Hot Grill until the crumble browns and the cheese begins to melt. Serve immediately.
Oh I should also mention this dip I made last night which we ate while watching a movie with the boys....Yummy!
Dubliner Cheese Dip
You Need:
12 ounces grated Dubliner cheese
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Do This:
Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl and chill (both yourself and the dip)for at least an hour. Serve with a selection of bread sticks and vegetables cut into sticks for dipping (celery, carrots, peppers, Courgette). Makes enough for about eight people so I generally double the lot - hungry children.
I'm a born again Dubliner!
Is it just me?
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