A feta style cheese, this organic Medita is produced at High Weald Dairy in Sussex and described as a semi-soft crumbly cheese with a distinct, sharp, fresh, salty flavour.
Made by a traditional method using 100% sheep’s milk and matured in brine for more than five months. It is a delicious cheese and particularly good added to some halved, small tomatoes with a spoonful or two of some summer pesto stirred through and piled onto some good sourdough toast.
See www.highwealddairy.co.uk for more information and where to buy it.
A Simple Summer Pesto
Stored in the right conditions, this pesto will keep for 2 to 3 weeks, possibly longer. Just a spoonful can be used to give some edge to casseroles, soups, pastas, and tomatoes amongst many other things.
Makes enough to fill a small jar (about 150g).
50g to 100g clean parsley leaves, including any stalks if they are fine and tender, or rocket or basil leaves or watercress.
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
A generous pinch or two of sea salt flakes
75mls to 150mls of olive oil plus a little bit extra for topping up
You will also need a clean *sterilised jar
If you have a blender or food processor, whizz the leaves and crushed garlic together, adding enough oil in a steady stream to make a sloppy sauce. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you could use a pestle and mortar but, honestly, you could simply chop the leaves finely and mix with the crushed garlic and oil to make the required sloppy sauce. Taste the pesto and add salt flakes as necessary. Put the pesto into the sterilised jar and add a layer of oil to sit on the top of the pesto which will help it to retain its vibrant green colour. Keep the closed jar in the fridge and use it as above. It should keep well for 2 to 3 weeks, possibly longer.
* To sterilise jars:
Preheat the oven to 120c.
Wash the jars and lids in hot soapy water.
Rinse them in clean water.
Put them upside down on a clean baking tray.
Put them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Handle them with a clean cloth.
