Be my Valentine, Coz I am Real!

Feb 10

Written By Asha

It is that time of the year when everything gets cloyingly red! Oh Valentine! Personally, I am bit tired of all that strawberry and sweetness. Honestly, have you ever bit into a strawberry and had an epiphany of “Ohh! This is how love feels!!”. Or, looked at someone you love and think, “Ohhhh, caramel?!”. No! Because that is not really how love works.

I am basically sick of being bombarded with all things too sweet, syrupy, strawberry-y and unitone on all my media! I mean whatever happened to love and life is a bouquet of emotions?! Of laughter, joy, tears, sadness, frowns, frustrations, worry lines and laugh lines, crow feet and creases.

So, I have decided to rebrand Valentine to the real, authentic and multi-dimensional… atleast in the foods we use to represent and celebrate love. Today, I bring you the first idea, a tease of a dish that draws on the ancient romanticism of feeding your lover grapes. And, on the modern indulgence in cheese boards. It’s the saga of blue cheese, honey and grapes… quite literally with a strong cast of supporting characters !

I present to you Blue CheeseCake topped with Honey and Sage Roasted Grapes. It pairs beautifully with Champagne, Sancerre or a Chablis!

Keeping it Real Cheesecake!

a little sweet, a little salty, a whole lotta oomph!

Blue CheeseCake topped with Honey and Sage Roasted Grapes

Pair with Champagne, Sancerre or a Chablis!

For the crust:

1/4 cup ground old fashioned oats

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 T melted butter

For the Filling:

1/2 cup ricotta

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 egg

2 T olive oil

pinch of salt

For the Topping:

couple of bunches of seedless red grapes

2 large sage leaves

3 T raw honey

To make the crust, whiz the graham crackers with oatmeal to make a fine powder. In a pan melt the butter and add the crumbs mix to it. Toss to coat evenly.

Transfer crust mix to a tart pan and pan and shape to the base and sides of the pan.

Blind bake without weights for 10 minutes at 375F. Remove and cool for 5 minutes before filling.

While the crust bakes, whiz all the filling ingredients to a smooth puree. When the base is ready, pour the filling in and tap to even it out.

Bake at 350F for 40 minutes, until the sides are puffed and lightly brown while the center is still jiggly.

Let cool to room temperature fully and refrigerate.

While the cheesecake cools, roast the grapes with honey and sage in a covered pan for 40 minutes at 375F till the juices have almost disappeared and the grapes have collapsed.

Let the roasted grapes cool and then pile on top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle some sage on top before serving.