Baked cheesy vegetable crocks, Israeli style
By Tali Simon | August 21, 2011
I tried a recipe the other night from Jamie Geller’s Quick & Kosher that I had previously written off as impossible to make in Israel. The reason? It called for one-ounce garlic and herb soft cheese triangles, something I knew I’d have a hard (read: impossible) time finding.
I’ve seen plenty of messages on local community email lists asking about mehadrin cheddar cheese. But I hadn’t ever seen someone looking for one-ounce garlic and herb soft cheese triangles, and it seemed like a wild goose cheese. That’s okay, I told myself. This random specialty cheese is a small price to pay for the privilege of living in Israel. Move on, girl. So I did.
But as I flipped through my cookbooks last Sunday, the recipe caught my eye again. And I decided that herb cheese triangles or not, I was going to try this dish. (I also left out the four tablespoons of parmesan. The stuff is ridiculously overpriced, and it would take all of my willpower not to finish it off in one pot of pasta.)
Happily, my Israeli version of baked cheesy vegetable crocks was a winner. It looked pretty as I assembled it, smelled wonderful as it baked, and tasted so good that we finished it to the last drop. (Jamie suggests serving it as a side, but we had it as the main dish with sweet potato fries on the side and it was certainly a filling meal.)
The cheese topping, by the way, even with my shredded mozzarella substitute, was AMAZING. I’m thinking it’ll be my secret for an over-the-top baked ziti. What else would you use it for?
Oh, and if anyone finds those cheese triangles, please try them out for me.
Ingredients Note: If your local grocery carries garlic and herb soft cheese triangles and you want to use that instead of mozzarella, go for it — I’m sure it’s wonderful. Use four 1-ounce triangles for the cup of cheese. Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C. 2. Layer celery, tomatoes, corn, and scallions in a baking dish. (The original recipe says to divide the veggies into four ramekins. Since we don’t have any, I used two small rectangle Pyrex dishes instead, but it would have been fine in a single dish.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 3. In a small bowl, combine cheese, yogurt, and heavy cream and use the mixture as the final layer in the baking dish. (The original recipe calls for sprinkling 4 Tbsp parmesan over the top at this point. If you don’t have it, don’t worry. It’s delicious even without it.) 4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the cheese just starts to brown. Serve hot.
Modified from Quick & Kosher: Recipes From the Bride Who Knew Nothing
7 Comments
malka on August 21, 2011 at 8:37 pm.
omg, i crave this recipe every single time i see it in the cookbook…now i have to try it, thanks!
Tali Simon on August 21, 2011 at 10:42 pm.
I know. There were only so many times I could flip that page without making it!
barbara on August 22, 2011 at 8:03 am.
um, I would think you could use a soft goat cheese for the triangles and add some minced garlic and fresh herbs (so plentiful in Israel!) and then used the mozzarella as your topper cheese. I will try it and let you know.
Tali Simon on August 22, 2011 at 10:26 am.
That’s a great suggestion. Keep me posted!
malka on August 23, 2011 at 7:41 pm.
found garlic herbed triangles at zol bshefa! ( used to be shefa shuk here)
Tali Simon on August 24, 2011 at 8:33 pm.
Why is it that all the great discoveries are made AFTER we move…? But more importantly, when we come for Shabbos, will you have some in the fridge for me?
malka on August 24, 2011 at 9:32 pm.
are you coming? when? i’ll get some for you, but we serve fleish at the krentzman home. i’ll make you a goody bag.