Lithuanian Garlicky Farmer's Cheese (with walnuts), gluten free
One of my March 2018 recipes for www.BeyondCeliac.org
I gave Lithuanian cooking demos for many years at our local ethnic library and went to summer school at University of Vilnius in Lithuania. I give talks with many photos and a gluten free buffet on Lithuania.
11 March is the Anniversary of the Restoration of Independent State of Lithuania in 1990 after years of Russian occupation.
I use fresh garlic chopped in food processor and frozen, not jars of garlic, garlic powder or garlic salt.
Also fresh herbs chopped not dried.
1 lb Friendship brand Farmer’s cheese ($3.99/lb in my markets specialty cheese section). This Farmer's cheese is like a dry ricotta but still soft. Andrulis brand is a sliceable brick.
½ c sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
¼ c light or heavy cream (the mix was too heavy to puree without added liquid)
1 tbsp honey – cheese is quite tangy so I like little bit of honey
1/2 c finely chopped toasted walnuts – divided in 2
1 clove of garlic peeled and finely crushed
1/4 c parsley
2 tbsp dill – dill is also a strong herb. Chop leftover dill and freeze flat in ziploc bag.
green of half a bunch of green onions
pepper, no salt for me as I'm naturally low salt.
1. Process farmer’s cheese, sour cream/yogurt, cream, garlic in a food processor until smooth.
2. Add honey and half the walnuts, pulse, add fresh herbs and pulse until slightly chopped. If you run food processor for too long you end up with green colored cheese.
Line a round bowl with plastic wrap and fill with cheese mix. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours to allow flavors to mellow and blend.
3. Line a small serving plate with lettuce leaves and unmold cheese ball onto lettuce leaves.
4. Press extra coarsely chopped walnuts into the ball until they almost cover it. Serve with crackers
my poster for talks and beautiful photos on Lithuania.
Sometimes walnuts (even when fresh) taste too strong for me, so I leave them out. Make it without nuts and see what you think. Walnuts easily go rancid and I have girlfriends that can't eat walnuts.
If desired, the cheese mix can be mixed by hand so that the nuts remain whatever size you choose to chop them and you chop herbs with scissors or knife. Or put cheese mix in pretty serving bowl with small knife.
You can also sprinkle walnuts on a flat piece of plastic wrap, form cheese mix into a log, place on top of nuts and fold saran wrap around cheese to form a nut encrusted log. Refrigerate.
