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Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Cheese
Artisan Vegan Cheese, Miyoko Schinner---sent in by Betsy
A special cashew-based cheese that takes some time, but you will enjoy the anticipation! Betsy says, "Even just the plain cashew cheese is wonderful and creamy and can be used in a ton of various ways."
BASIC CASHEW CHEESE
470 ml2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 3-8 hours and DRAINED!
pinch of salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup rejuvelac (preferably home made)*
SUN DRIED TOMATO AND BASIL CHEESE
350 ml1 1/2 cups basic cashew cheese (see recipe above) cultured for 1-2 days
120 ml1/2 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
79 ml1/3 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
44 ml3 T. nutritional yeast flakes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
5 ml1 tsp. salt
If you don't have rejuvelac on hand, begin with the recipe* below.
Now make the BASIC CASHEW CHEESE:
PUT THE CASHEWS AND SALT IN A BLENDER. Turn on blender and pour in enough rejuvelac through the cap opening in the lid to process the cashews.The longer the nuts have soaked, the less liquid will be required for processing. Also note that a high powered blender can process the nuts with less added liquid. Process until smooth and creamy, occasionally stopping to scrape down the blender jar and move the mixture toward the blades.
CULTURE THE CHEESE
Transfer to a clean glass bowl or container, cover and let rest at room temp. for 8-36 hours, depending on how sharp a flavor you want and the ambient temperature (culturing will proceed more quickly at warmer temperatures). The cheese will thicken as it cultures.
FORM THE CHEESE
If you will eventually be using the cheese as a base for another recipe (like the sun dried tomato/basil) simply cover and store it in the frig for up to 2 weeks. Otherwise, transfer to a glass or nonreactive metal mold and smooth the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until firm.
Then make the SUN DRIED TOMATO AND BASIL CHEESE:
1 1/2 cups basic cashew cheese (see recipe above) cultured for 1-2 days
1/2 cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
3 T. nutritional yeast flakes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
FLAVOR THE CHEESE
Put the basic cashew cheese, sun dried tomatoes, basil, nutritional yeast, garlic and salt into large bowl. Mix well. Taste and add more garlic if desired.
FORM THE CHEESE
The cheese can be shaped in a mold or be formed into a log or ball by hand. To use a mold, line it with cheesecloth or plastic wrap, pack in the cheese and smooth the top. Cover or wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until firm.
*REJUVELAC from The Sprouting Book, Ann Wigmore (Note---this will take a few days):
1/2 cup soft white wheatberries (or other whole grains such as oats, buckwheat, quinoa, rye, or barley)
6 cups water (filtered water recommended)
Soak wheatberries in a half-gallon glass jar, covered with cheesecloth or other breathable lid, for 10-15 hours. Drain off water, but do not rinse wheatberries, and let the berries sprout for 2 days. After this time, pour water over wheat sprouts (use about 3 times the amount of wheat sprouts). Cover jar and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. The water will have fermented into rejuvelac. Pour the liquid rejuvelac into another jar, cover and refrigerate. Discard grains. The rejuvelac will keep for several days in this way.
NOTES for BASIC CHEESE
Wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a ziplock bag in the frig, basic cashew cheese will keep for about 2 weeks. It can be stored longer but it will continue to get sharper and stronger in flavor so taste it occasionally. Once it has achieved the desired flavor, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Several other recipes use basic cashew cheese as a foundation. These recipes require the cheese to have various degrees of sharpness. Be sure to read other such recipes in advance so you will know how long to culture the basic cashew cheese to achieve the necessary sharpness.
NOTES for SUN DRIED TOMATO AND BASIL CHEESE
Wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a ziplock bag in the frig., it will keep for about 3 weeks. It can be stored longer, but will continue to get sharper and stronger in flavor, so taste it occasionally. Once it has achieved the desired flavor, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.
You can use either dry or oil packed sun dried tomatoes. If using the latter, simply drain and chop. If the tomatoes, aren't oil packed, soak them in hot water for about 1 hour, then drain and chop.