CASHEW CHEESE

I made cashew cheese this week, based on a recipe from Charlie Trotter’s Raw

CASHEW CHEESE
3 C cashews, soaked 10 – 12 hrs and drained
1/4 C rejuvelac
½ t sea salt

Process the cashews through the Champion, using the blank plate.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
Place mixture in a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth and placed over a bowl. Drape remaining cheesecloth over the mixture.
Place in a warm place to ferment for 12 hours.
Remove cheese from cloth.
Form into a round, and refrigerate for 24 hours in a covered container, until it becomes firmer.
Use immediately, or store in covered container for up to 3 days.

MY NOTES:
This makes a lot of cheese.  With the additions I made, it is very reminiscent of  Boursin or Rondele “pub cheese.”

I decided to divide my cheese into 4 parts.  Then I mixed in different seasonings in each one – in one, I added sun-dried tomatoes, in the next, I added red bell pepper powder (ground dehydrated peppers) and soaked red pepper flakes with a little garlic, in the third, I added garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs d’provence.  I left one plain to see what it would taste like – (I am trying to get close to a tofu sort of thing, but my room-mate says it tastes more like cream cheese)

I have seen other recipes that say that you can keep the cheese anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks.  I am, of necessity, going to have to check that out – there is simply no way that I can down all this cheese in 3 days.