Between Hanukkah and Christmas, December is filled with a surplus of food and drink. And if you celebrated either of these holidays, there’s a good chance you’ve got leftover cheese and wine in your refrigerator. Fromage fort, a French cheese spread, puts both of those to good use.
Fromage fort literally means “strong cheese,” and that’s exactly what you get when you combine a variety of cheeses with wine and other flavorings. For my version, I dug through my fridge and came up with quite the collection: cheddar, aged Gouda, Emmenthaler and some blue cheese. I added two other traditional components—wine and garlic—and some crème fraiche for creaminess. After a whir in the food processor, I had a simple New Year’s Eve appetizer and some extra room in my fridge.
Fromage Fort
Makes about 2½ cups
You can serve this as a spread, or broil it on top of baguette slices. Use less of exceptionally strong-flavored cheeses, such as blue cheese, so they don’t overwhelm the other cheeses in the mix. The fromage fort should last about a week in the refrigerator.
1 pound leftover cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup crème fraiche
¼ cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
1 garlic clove, minced
Fresh ground pepper
Baguette or crackers
1. Transfer cheese, crème fraiche, wine and garlic to bowl of food processor. Process until smooth, stopping machine and wiping down bowl occasionally. Season with pepper. Serve immediately or transfer to airtight container. (Or, if broiling, see instructions below.)
2. If broiling, place oven rack in upper-middle position and turn broiler to high. Spread fromage fort on baguette slices and transfer to center of baking sheet. Place under broiler and broil until cheese has melted and started to brown, about 1 minute (depending on the strength of your broiler).
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