Big Hill Cider Wash Tomme with Roasted Beets and Apple Fennel Salad

Smoke Signal Root Vegetable Gratin

• 1 lbs. parsnips
• 1 lbs. carrots
• 1 lbs. celery root
• 1½ lbs. rutabagas
• 2½ cups heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or
• 1/4 teaspoon dried
• ¾ cup Calkins Creamery smoke signal, crumbled
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking dish.Peel the parsnips and carrots and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices. Peel the root vegetables, cut in half, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick half rounds.Bring the cream, stock, garlic, nutmeg and thyme to a simmer in large saucepan. Add the rutabagas, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, celery root and parsnips to the cream and simmer 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the vegetables and cream mixture to the prepared dish. Bake uncovered until vegetables are tender and the liquid is thickens, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle the Smoke Signal cheese over the top and bake 10 minutes longer. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

Big Hill Cider Wash Tomme with Roasted Beets and Apple Fennel Salad

Roasted Beets

• 1 lb. whole unpeeled red beets
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp. salt

Toss the beets in oil and salt. Place in the roasting pan and cover with foil. Place in a 375°F oven and roast until tender, about an hour to an hour and a half. Let the beets cool, then peel. Cut the cooled peeled beets into a large dice. Serve chilled.

Apple Fennel Salad

• ½ lb. shaved fennel bulb
• ½ lb. thinly sliced PA green apple
• 1 red onion, shaved
• Salt to taste

Soak the shaved red onion in ice water for 5 minutes and drain. Combine with the shaved fennel and sliced apples. Toss with the blood orange vinaigrette.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

• Zest of 1 blood orange
• ¾ cup blood orange juice
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. minced shallot
• 2 tsp. whole grain mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¾ cup vegetable oil

Combine all the ingredients except the vegetable oil. Slowly whisk in the vegetable oil. 

Plating for each salad

• 3 oz. Keswick Creamery Cider Washed Tomme
• 3 oz. dressed fennel salad
• 2 oz. roasted diced beets
• 3 blood orange segments

Place the dressed fennel salad on a plate. Top with a wedge of the Cider Washed Tomme. Arrange the roasted beets and blood orange segments around the plate.