Camembert with Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes

Posted on April 8, 2015 by nerinatimm in cheese, rsg

Camembert must be the cheese I use most in my kitchen. I know the children go through blocks upon blocks of cheddar for toasted sarmies and in their omelets, but I am talking about me and my recipes.

Camembert is a soft cheese made with cows’ milk. It has a furry white rind speckled with beige, has a creamy, pale interior which becomes increasingly yellow as it ripens. In my opinion it is best served when it is so ripe it runs on your plate and at room temperature. Maybe with a fresh fig or crispy apple slices. Camembert has this beautiful nutty flavor that pairs well with fruit as a dessert or savory ingredients as a main meal or starter.

For us here in Cape Town, Easter weekend marks the change in seasons and in the evening and morning, there is a slight chill in the air. The days however is still beautiful, so it is difficult to plan meals – it is too hot for stews and to cold for salads. So I made a plan with my Camembert that can go either way. Hot or cold!

I often serve Camembert as a dessert and you can try this version with Boozy Figs, it is truly delicious! My favorite savory version is on a Ribeye steak! It treat for the rare occasion as it is very rich and decadent.

Today however, I am taking it easy and you can either serve it hot with chunks of warm bread or cold as a salad in an attempt to hold on to summer.

Camembert with Pesto and Sundried tomatoes

serves 4

Ingredients

2 x 125g Fairview Ripe and Ready Camembert

125 ml Cashew Pesto

1 x 240g Ina Paarman Sundried Tomato Quarters

a little olive oil

freshly ground pepper

fresh rocket

Method

Use a sharp knife and cut each wheel of Camembert in half diagonally. Spread a good amount of pesto on the bottom half of each wheel. Top with sundried tomatoes and rocket and serve with warm fresh bread.

If you want to serve this dish warm, do exactly the same, but leave the rocket leaves off. After piling the pesto and sundried tomatoes, place the top half on each Camembert. Place each wheel on a sheet of foil and bring the 4 points of the foil together to from a parcel. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 180C for 8 – 10 minutes. Serve warm with fresh rocket and warm bread.

Tomorrow morning just after 9 o’clock, I will be making these in the RSG studios, tune in if you have a chance!

I will also in weeks to come take you into the kitchens of other bloggers, chefs and interesting South Africans this year. So buckle up, it is going to be an awesome ride. Tune in 100-104FM or listen online here!