Garlic & Herb Cheese Wheel

Cheese, so intimidating to create that I waited this long to even attempt it. I wondered why I was so concerned about making cheese, it’s really easy. Maybe I was worried it wouldn’t live up to my favorite, Port Salut. But once I stopped trying to make something that compared, my foray into fromage began to blossom.

Deciding to make a fairly basic cheese recipe, slowly adding things, a pinch here, a pinch there. It became obvious that I wanted it heavily seasoned. Being a garlic lover I got a little carried away, but at least I won’t have to worry about vampires for awhile.

You will be surprised what you can do with this cheese recipe. From dipping and stuffing vegetables, to a spread for your favorite cracker or sandwich. You will want to keep this delicious staple in the house all the time.

RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Garlic & Herb Cheese Wheel

1 cup raw cashews (pre-soak for 2 hours)

1/4 cup almond milk

2 tblsp nutritional yeast

3 small or 2 medium cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tblsp fresh lemon juice

A pinch of salt

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

A pinch each of dried basil, sage and oregano.

Process all ingredients together until smooth. You can add tiny bits of almond milk if you want it creamier. Spoon desired amount into a cheese cloth and twist the top slowly squeezing out excess water. Place in strainer over a bowl and place covered in the refrigerator over night.

Take out your cheese and give one last squeeze to get the last bit of water out and remove from the cheesecloth. Carefully shape and roll on it’s side into a wheel. Garnish with olives. You can also roll it into a ball, and if that doesn’t work because it’s still too creamy, just serve it in a bowl like a dip.