In the Kitchen with Sigona’s Featuring: Stepladder Creamery Cheeses
Enjoy these recipes featuring some of the outstanding cheeses featured in our Storytelling with Sigona’s Webinar featuring Jack & Michelle Rudolph of Stepladder Ranch & Creamery. They make outstanding cheeses from both goat and cow milk on their family-owned and operated ranch in Cambria, California.
Truffle Button Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
Complete your dinner with our creamy, fantastically flavored mashed potatoes mixed with melty Triple Crème Truffle Button. This handmade cheese is the result of a collaboration between Sigona’s and local Stepladder Creamery in Cambria, Calif. The potatoes are simply incredible and pair well with a grilled steak and steamed asparagus. Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, about 1 lb., diced
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, to taste
- 1/2 cup milk
- About 1.5 oz (half a round) Sigona’s Triple Crème Truffle Button, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Garnish: chopped parsley, chives or other herb
Directions: Add potatoes to a medium saucepan. Fill pot with enough water to just cover potatoes; add salt and bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Boil potatoes about 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the milk and heat a few minutes, stirring occasionally, but do not allow it to come to a boil. Remove from heat.
Return the potatoes to the medium saucepan. Mash or rice the potatoes, adding the milk mixture about half way through the mashing process, stirring and mixing to incorporate the milk.
Add the brie, a couple cubes at a time, stirring the mixture as it melts. If necessary, add a little low heat to the pot to help the cheese melt. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with herbs and serve immediately.
Sigona’s Truffle Button Crostini with Rosemary-Sautéed Mushrooms
The ingredients are simple, but the flavor is outstanding! Freshly toasted slices of baguette are topped with truffle brie and broiled for less than a minute to get the brie just a little melty before they’re finished with rosemary-sautéed mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Serves about 4.
Ingredients:
- 8 slices of a baguette about 1-inch thick. Cut on the bias (at a 45-degree angle)
- 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 4 to 5 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 round of Sigona’s Truffle Button Brie sliced into about 8 or 9 slices a little less than 1/4” thick (you may need to split some pieces up to have enough for each crostini)
Directions: Preheat a large skillet or griddle over high heat. Lightly brush both sides of the baguette slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. To create a crostini with a crisp, toasted outside and a soft, chewy inside, add the slices to the hot griddle and cook for just 1 minute a side, flipping once, or until lightly toasty. Set aside.
In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and the rosemary over medium to medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and allow to sauté, stirring occasionally, until they have cooked down and have released and reabsorbed their liquid, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven broiler. Top each crostini slice with a slice of truffle brie. Place the crostini on a rimmed baking sheet and place under the broiler for less than a minute, just until the cheese begins to soften and melt. Remove quickly.
Top the cheesy crostini with sautéed mushrooms and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving tray and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Simple Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Ragged Point Cheese and a White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Stepladder Creamery’s Ragged Point cheese is a buttery, fluffy, triple creme cheese that will melt in your mouth. Our cheese buyer John Nava says this cheese eats like a fluffy cloud and tastes like heaven — how can you resist? If you’re not eatingit in a salad, it’s fantastic spread on a baguette and enjoyed with a sparkling wine.
Spinach & Strawberry Salad:
- Baby Spinach (About 1 generous handful per serving)
- Fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered (at least two berries per serving)
- Pecan halves (look for plain, roasted or flavored pecans in our dried fruit & nut section!)
- Ragged Point cheese by Stepladder Creamery (a few slices per serving)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Premium White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Olive Oil (Mix it up! Introduce another layer of flavor by using one of our infused oils, such as Garlic Oil, Meyer-Lemon Fusion Oil or Herbes de Provence Olive Oil.)
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup Sigona’s Premium White Balsamic (start with 1/4 cup and add more if you want more zing)
- About 2 Tbsp honey, such as Honey Hole Honey Co., raw, local, unfiltered honey, available only at Sigona’s
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- About 1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh minced or dried herbs and/or 1 clove garlic, to taste (dill, Italian mix or basil are nice)
Directions: Add all vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar with a lid. Shake until the mixture is emulsified (thickened) and ingredients are well incorporated.
For the salad, add the spinach to a large bowl and drizzle a half teaspoon of vinaigrette per serving of spinach, being careful not to overdress or the spinach will be soggy). Using your hands, toss the spinach until each leaf is lightly coated.
Add portions of the spinach to individual serving plates. Top with quartered strawberries, slices of cheese
Big Sur with Marcona Almonds & Prosciutto, Drizzled with Local, Raw Honey
This cheese is simply lovely on a cheese board, drizzled with sweet honey and served alongside Marcona almonds and salty prosciutto. Enjoy!
What you need:
• 1 round Big Sur cheese from Stepladder Creamery
• At least 1/2 cup Marcona almonds, roasted and salted or plain (look for them in the Sigona’s dried fruit & nut section)
• Honey, such as a mellow-flavored option from Honey Hole Honey Co., available only at Sigona’s
**Optional flavored almonds:
• 1 tsp. a Sigona’s infused oil, such as Herbes de Provence, for tossing the marcona almonds
• A pinch of sea salt
Directions: Lay out half of the prosciutto on a serving tray, overlapping a little. Roll the remaining pieces; set aside. Cut a wedge out of the Big Sur and set the pieces on the prosciutto. Sprinkle the cheese and prosciutto with **almonds, add the rolled prosciutto to the tray and drizzle the entire dish with a couple tablespoons honey.
**If desired, toss the
Big Sur & Beets on Mixed Greens with a White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Add more flavor to this simple salad by using our any of our infused olive oils or balsamics. Goat cheese pairs well with savory herbs, such as basil or oregano, and would even be delightful with our lavender balsamic. The choice is yours!
What you need:
• Mixed greens, about a large handful per serving
• 1 round Big Sur cheese from Stepladder Creamery, cut into 4 to 6 wedges, then crumbled or torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium-small beet per serving, **roasted, peeled and sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Olive Oil (Mix it up! Introduce another layer of flavor by using one of our infused oils, such as Basil Oil or Wild Rosemary Oil)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Sigona’s Premium White Balsamic (Mix it up! Try one of Sigona’s infused balsamics for more flavor, such as our Lavender Balsamic, Fig Balsamic, Oregano Balsamic or Sicilian Lemon Balsamic)
• About 2 Tbsp honey, such as Honey Hole Honey Co., raw, local, unfiltered honey, available only at Sigona’s
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• About 1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh minced or dried herbs and/or 1 clove garlic, to taste (dill, Italian mix or basil are nice)
Directions: To individual serving plates or bowls, add a generous handful of greens. Top the greens with one sliced beet and then sprinkle on the cheese. Season with black pepper and dress lightly – just a couple teaspoons to start — with the vinaigrette: serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Vinaigrette: Add all ingredients together in a jar with a lid. Shake until the mixture is emulsified (thickened) and ingredients are well incorporated. To use remaining vinaigrette, toss with steamed or roasted vegetables or even drizzle over fresh fish or chicken. It’s also fantastic on sandwiches.
**To roast a beet: Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub the beets and then trim off the root and stalk ends. Save the greens for another purpose, such as salad or garnish. Wrap each beet individually in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast the beets for 40 to 60 minutes or until they can be easily pierced through the center with a fork. Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool to the touch. Remove from foil and rub off the skin. They’re now ready for use.
