Cheese - Formaggio sardo
This weekend I had the craving for a nice cheese platter. My two cheeses of choice are - “Gran Cornuto” (a goats cheese from Sardegna) paired with a vinegar-honey with puffed barley and “Giglio Sardo” (sheeps milk cheese from Sardegna) paired with a nespole-vanilla compote. I serve this with crisp strips of cucumber and mint leaves. The piramide is a tribute to the most interesting edifice of my neighbourhood, Piramide di Caio Cestio of Rome.
This is definately a nice thing towards the end of a good meal. Followed by some nice fruit in season and your day is made!
Asparagus - Asparagi
This lovely vegetable has a short season, which makes it even more interesting and worth waiting for. This is my asparagus plate with flavours that play well together and make interesting combinations. I wanted to make a plate with strong contrasts between salty and sweet, soft and crispy. The amaranth* seeds have a really interesting nutty flavour that goes well with the nuttiness of the rucola and balances against the sweetness of the apples.
Asparagus, amaranth* seed and rucola salad, coppa crisp, quail egg and an apple-thyme vinaigrette.
* Amaranth is a small grain native to southern North America (Mexico, Guatemala) and has long been grown and used by the Aztecs, Incas and Mayas. It has a high protein content and is also a good source of dietary fiber and minerals. The name derives from the greek “Amarantos” - unwithering.