By Marty Meitus
Scripps Howard News Service
Boutique cheeses -- hand-crafted cheeses produced in limited quantities by small dairies -- are still the rage among gourmands. The cheese course is growing in popularity, and was a hot topic again this year at the 18th Aspen Food & Wine Magazine Classic. David Rosengarten, host of the Food Network's "In Food Today," made the following picnic recipes for the American Dairy Association for its booklet, "Perfection in a Basket." Spicy Gorgonzola Spread with Roasted Red Peppers Ingredients: 1 lb. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1-2/3 cups roasted red peppers, chopped
2 scallions, minced
2 Tbs. sour cream
1 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. hot sauce (Tabasco Sauce)
Crusty French bread Preparation: Place all ingredients except bread in food processor. Puree. Hold in refrigerator to stiffen before packing for picnic. At the picnic, serve spread on slices of crusty bread. If desired, top each slice with scallions, prosciutto, anchovies, roasted red peppers or cooked bacon. Note: Roasted peppers from a jar may be substituted. Serves: 2 cups. Nutritional information per serving: calories 50; fat 4 g.; carbohydrates 1 g.; protein 3 g. Turkey Parmesan-Stuffed Pita Sandwiches Ingredients: 1 cup mayonnaise
6 Tbs. fresh Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 Tbs. capers, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 pitas with pockets, each about 4 inches in diameter
1-1/2 lbs. turkey breast, thinly sliced
Tomato slices
Flat-leaf parsley Preparation: For Parmesan mayonnaise: Combine the mayonnaise in a mixing bowl with the Parmesan cheese, capers and lemon juice. Blend well. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Cut off a small strip from the top of each pita, allowing access to pocket. Evenly divide the Parmesan mayonnaise and the turkey slices among the pita pockets. Fill each pocket with tomato slices and plenty of flat-leaf parsley leaves. Refrigerate. Before picnic, remove from refrigerator and pack in a cooler. Serves: 8 pitas Nutritional information per serving: calories 460; fat 26 g.; carbohydrates 31 g.; protein 24 g. (Marty Meitus is food editor of the Denver Rocky Mountain News.) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.
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