The salty and spicy cheese crisps can be enjoyed on their own, but pair beautifully with the sweet, fresh beet and basil salad.
In a previous post, I claimed to have not a drop of Irish blood coursing through my veins. Of course, if I realized at the time that I was turning my back on a heritage of creamy cheeses and butters, I would have delved a little further into my family roots. Luckily, my dad is a better historian than I am and told me a story (hold on, I'm going to share it) that makes me want to hop on a plane headed to the land of the Blarney Stone, adorn myself in green and gold and pour myself a pint of Guinness with a frothy head. In the meantime, I'll satisfy myself with these Dubliner Cheese crisps, made spicy with cayenne pepper, paired with a sweet and savory salad of beets, celery and basil. Now, the story.
Shortly after I wrote that post, I received an email from my dad. I'll let him tell the story. This is what he said: "I hate to be the bearer of shocking tidings but you do have some Irish blood. Through Granmum from your great-grandmother. There was a great story that your great-grandmother's female ancestor had a castle in the Irish countryside where Oliver Cromwell's armies were roaming and plundering. Thinking ahead, she invited Cromwell to tea, thinking that might deter him and his troops from laying waste to her domains. Apparently it was a successful ploy and when he finished his tea, Cromwell bestowed on her a lovely shawl as a thank you memento. I have that shawl. I have never figured out how to prove its provenance. Perhaps when you get it someday, you can work on that!" Now I can say that I come by my love for Irish cheese and frothy beer honestly!
When I came across these golden beets at the market, I simply couldn't resist the beautiful color that promised a natural sweetness and tender texture when roasted. The sweetness is the perfect foil for the salty and spicy crisps, made simply by baking a mixture of Kerrygold's Dubliner cheese, cayenne pepper and flour.
Kerrygold cheeses and butters offer a unique taste and creaminess because of the milk and cream used to make them. The milk comes from grass-fed cows...cows that are allowed to go through the natural process of calving and drying up as their bodies dictate (rather than being artificially forced to produce milk by the injection of hormones). The Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese is another one of my favorites and I've found myself sprinkling it on salads and steaks alike with abandon.
If you would like to learn more about Kerrygold, head to their website.
And now, on to the recipe.
Making the recipe:
How to make beet salad:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the trimmed beets in a metal baking pan filled ½ inch deep with water. Cover with foil.
Roast until the beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour 20 minutes (depending on the size of the beets). Remove the beets from the pan and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.
Using your hands, slip the skins off of the beets, and cut the beets into ½-inch cubes.
In a large bowl, gently toss together the beets and celery.
In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour about ⅔ of the dressing over the beet salad. Taste and add more dressing, if desired. Stir in the basil.
How to make cheese crisps:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
In a medium bowl, mix together the Dubliner cheese, flour and cayenne pepper.
Using 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture for each crisp, spread the cheese in a small circle, being sure not to spread it too thin. Leave about ¾-inch between each crisp.
Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer each crisp to a wire rack. Cool completely (they will harden as they cool).
Serve each portion of salad with 1-2 cheese crisps.
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Dubliner Cheese Crisps with Beet Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 ¼ pounds about 5 medium golden beets, trimmed and rinsed
- 3 large stalks celery thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 7 large basil leaves thinly sliced
Crisps:
- 1 cup lightly packed coarsely grated Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
Salad:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the trimmed beets in a metal baking pan filled ½ inch deep with water. Cover with foil.
- Roast until the beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour 20 minutes (depending on the size of the beets). Remove the beets from the pan and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.
- Using your hands, slip the skins off of the beets, and cut the beets into ½-inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, gently toss together the beets and celery.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour about ⅔ of the dressing over the beet salad. Taste and add more dressing, if desired.
- Stir in the basil.
Crisps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the Dubliner cheese, flour and cayenne pepper.
- Using 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture for each crisp, spread the cheese in a small circle, being sure not to spread it too thin. Leave about ¾-inch between each crisp.
- Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer each crisp to a wire rack. Cool completely (they will harden as they cool).
- Serve each portion of salad with 1-2 cheese crisps.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Kerrygold. They also provided me with products to use in making this recipe. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Thyme (Sarah)
OH yes, you definitely should go to Ireland...they do love their cheeses there. I love the idea of the cheese crisps. We've all 4 taken sugar out of our diets for 2 (hopefully more) weeks and something crunchy would be nice to have with our (many) salads. I also saw some of those beautiful beets yesterday. I have to work up my nerve to roast them as beets and I are still trying to be friends...
JulieD
I love dubliner...how creative to make cheese crisps! I have never tried golden beets before, I need to keep a look out for them at the grocery store.
Purabi Naha
I loved this salad...so fresh and yummy. Accompanied by these cheese crisps, this salad is so unique! Loved this.