Tag: roquefort

Pie with Walnuts, Mushrooms and Blue Cheese

10 September 2026

The walnuts are the star of this pie! They have a drying effect, thanks to the tannins in the seed coat (the brown around the edible kernel) and they are slightly bitter, which pairs beautifully with the Roquefort. The walnuts give the pie a pleasant crunch.
We use a mix of mushrooms. If not possible, use chestnut mushrooms. Don’t use oyster mushrooms, as they release too much moisture.

Wine Pairing

Serve as a starter with a glass of unoaked, dry white wine. A cold beer will also be nice. The cake is not fussy!

What You Need
  • For the Pastry (15 cm or 6 in springform cake tin)
    • 100 grams of Flour
    • 50 grams of Water
    • 10 grams of Olive Oil
    • teaspoon Oregano
    • 1 gram of Salt
  • For the Filling
    • 4 rashers of Bacon
    • 150 grams of Mushrooms (Button Mushrooms, Shiitake, Nameko)
    • small Shallot
    • one Garlic Clove
    • Parsley
    • 2 organic Eggs
    • 50 ml Double Cream
    • 30 grams of Crème Fraîche
    • handful of Walnuts
    • 75 grams of Roquefort
    • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Combine flour, oregano and salt
  2. Add water and olive oil
  3. Kneed for a minute or so and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
  4. Preheat your oven to 180˚ C or 355˚ F
  5. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface
  6. Coat a 15 cm or 6 inch round springform cake tin with oil
  7. Place the dough in the baking form
  8. Use a fork to make small holes in the pastry
  9. Line the pastry with parchment paper or aluminium foil, add baking beans and bake blind for 10 minutes. Best is to use the second level of the oven rack, so just below the central one
  10. Remove the beans and the paper or foil
  11. Leave the pie shell in the oven for 5 minutes
  12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
  13. Chop the shallot, the mushrooms, the parsley and the garlic
  14. Crush the walnuts
  15. Crumble the roquefort
  16. Heat a heavy iron skillet
  17. Fry the bacon until golden brown
  18. Remove from the pan and allow to cool
  19. Reduce heat
  20. Add the shallot to the pan and glaze
  21. Increase heat, add mushrooms and fry
  22. After a few minutes reduce heat and add garlic
  23. After 5-10 minutes transfer to a plate and allow to cool
  24. Slice the bacon
  25. Add the eggs to a bowl and whisk
  26. Add cream and crème fraîche and mix
  27. Add Roquefort, parsley and black pepper and mix well
  28. Add bacon and mushroom mixture to the bowl and combine
  29. Add the filling to the blind-baed pie shell
  30. Transfer to the oven for 30-40 minutes on on 180˚ C or 355˚ F, same level as earlier
  31. Immediately after having removed the pie from the oven, brush the outside with olive oil. This will intensify the colour of the pastry
  32. Let cool and enjoy lukewarm (65˚ C or 150˚ F)
PS

Feel free to use more cream and less crème fraîche if you prefer a richer filling. If using a blue cheese with less presence, add more of it.

Pie with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Walnuts ©cadwu plus bacon, oregano, parsley and eggs
Pie with Blue Cheese, Mushrooms and Walnuts ©cadwu

Blue Cheese and Mushroom Mini Bites

12 February 2026

A few months ago we read a recipe for Herb and Mushroom Egg Bites. The bites looked like mini quiches. They were made with a combination of bacon, sauteed mushrooms, cheese, thyme and chives. We simply had to make them. They egg bites turned out to be delicious. Thanks Jeanne for sharing! More delicious recipes on her website.

Jeanne served them as a side dish with grilled tuna, focaccia and a rich salad. As she wrote: a perfect summer meal. We wanted to serve the bites as a starter. Worked well, but we felt something was missing. Why not make them smaller and serve them with an aperitif? That could work, but we would have to enhance the flavour. Which we did by using Roquefort (our favourite blue cheese) and dill. We used a silicon mould with 2,8 cm (1.1 inch) semi-sphere holes.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed the mini bites with a glass of dry, sparkling wine. They will also combine very well with a dry white or rosé wine, or with a beer. Given the flavours of the mini bites, they are best combined with a non-sweet drink.

What You Need
  • 2 Eggs
  • 50 grams of Roquefort or another strong blue cheese
  • 100 ml Cream
  • Lots of Dill
  • 2 slices of Pancetta
  • 100 grams of mixed mushrooms, including Shiitake
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Slice the mushrooms
  2. Chop the dill
  3. Prepare the semi-sphere mould according to the instruction. We lightly buttered ours
  4. Pre-heat your oven to 170 °C or 340 °F (traditional, so not fan)
  5. Gently fry the slices of pancetta in a skillet
  6. When nicely done, transfer from the pan to a plate with kitchen paper
  7. Fry the mushrooms in the pan until done
  8. Transfer the mushroom to a plate and allow to cool
  9. Whisk the eggs and add the cream
  10. Add Roquefort, dill, crumbled pancetta, mushrooms and black pepper. Mix
  11. Taste and adjust
  12. Use a blender to pulse the mixture: you’re looking for a batter that is a bit smoother, but not completely smooth
  13. Pour the batter in the semi-sphere silicon mould and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes or until golden-brown
  14. Let cool in the mould for a few minutes, then pop them out
  15. Serve warm
PS

If you want to go for larger bites, then skip step 12. You could decorate each with a slice of mushroom.

Roquefort and Mushroom Bites ©cadwu with egg, pancetta and dill.
Roquefort and Mushroom Mini Bites ©cadwu with egg, pancetta and dill

Helianthus with Blue Cheese

30 January 2025

Always fun to shop at our organic supermarket and see what forgotten vegetables they have. This week they offered oca, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus Tuberoses), parsnip, black radish and helianthus, which was new to us. We bought a few of the helianthus roots and when at home we started thinking about ways to prepare them. Both Jerusalem artichoke and the helianthus roots are a touch sweet and nutty. A purée perhaps? We then noticed a recipe for a tartelette with blue cheese. Great idea, but not so sure about the combination with pastry. After a few minutes we came up with the recipe below. The helianthus roots are creamier than the Jerusalem artichokes and this worked very well in the combination with blue cheese and crème fraîche.The dish is rich with a touch of freshness.

Wine Pairing

In general, we suggest a full bodied, well balanced red wine, with aromas of black fruit, perhaps liquorice and with supple tannins. 

What You Need
  • Roots of the Helianthus Strumosus
  • Crème Fraîche
  • Roquefort
What You Do

Clean the roots and cook in boiling water for perhaps 5 minutes. They become soft very quickly. Drain and let cool. In parallel use a fork to combine equal parts of crème fraîche and Roquefort. Slice the roots and combine with the mixture. Place in ramekins and transfer to the oven at 200 °C or 390 °F for a few minutes, until hot and golden. You can also place them under the grill for a few minutes.

PS

Interested? Find out more about forgotten vegetables!

More PS

As Dorothy suggested (see below) it’s a great idea to fry or roast them with onions. We also added some garlic. Delicious!

Helianthus Roots ©cadwu
Helianthus with Blue Cheese ©cadwu