Recipe Match for Port

Cherry and Black Pepper Mostarda

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh cherries
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon Tellicherry black peppercorns
• Sea salt, to taste
• 5 drops of mustard oil (if not available, add a scant 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seeds)

Directions

1. Remove the pits from the cherries and mix with sugar, sitting at room temperature for 12 hours. Place the fruit in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, and drain well. Break the peppercorns into rough pieces and mix with the liquid and salt. Pour that mixture into a pot, and heat until reduced by half. Add the reserved fruit to the liquid, and continue to reduce until the liquid is almost all gone. Remove the pot from heat and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the oil, and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Serve with Marcona almonds and Baserri sheep’s milk cheese from Barinaga Ranch in Marshall, Calif., or a Basque sheep cheese such as Idiazabal or Petit Basque.

Tomato and Piquillo Pepper Marmalada

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatoes
• 1/4 pound piquillo peppers, diced
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons glucose syrup
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 scant tablespoon coffee beans

Directions

1. In a large pot with boiling water, blanch the tomatoes for 20 to 30 seconds, then place in an ice bath. Remove when cool, then peel. Discard the pulp and dice the flesh. Mix with remaining ingredients in a pot, and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool, then refrigerate for 24 hours.

Serve with Caproncino semihard goat’s milk cheese from Bohemian Creamery in Sebastopol, Calif., or a pressed goat cheese such as Consider Bardwell’s Manchester.

Apricot and Peach Chutney

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound apricots, peeled
• 1/2 pound white peaches, peeled
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup Champagne vinegar
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Dice the apricots and peaches, and mix with the sugar, vinegar, shallot and garlic in a pot. Bring to a simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the liquid reduces by half. Add the almonds and let chutney rest for 12 hours before using.

Serve with aged goat’s milk cheddar from Avalanche Cheese Co. in Paonia, Colo., or a dense, aged goat cheese such as Carr Valley’s Bandaged Billy.