Cheese Pate with Walnuts and Peppers

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb. cabrales or gongonzola cheese
• 1/4 lb. fresh goat cheese
• 12 walnut halves, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbs. green bell pepper, finely chopped
• Young salad greens, such as mesclun or baby romaine
• Vinaigrette:
  • 2 tbs. minced watercress leaves
  • 4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tsp. wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. minced shallots (or 2 tsp. minced onion + 1/2 tsp. minced garlic)
  • salt
  • ground pepper

Steps:

1. In a bowl, mash together the cabrales and goat cheese. Add walnuts and green pepper. Shape into a square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate several hours/overnight.
2. Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
3. To serve, arrange salad greens on 4 salad plates. Unwrap cheese, slice into 4 parts. Place a slice on each plate, and spoon vinaigrette over greens and cheese.

Notes:

• To substitute for Cabrales, I've used a "creamy gorgonzola," which works out quite well.
• Watercress is very hard to find here. I've substituted parsley.
• I use a small glass bowl as a mold, about 3-inch diameter, which this recipe fills to about 1-inch thick. Then, I serve the greens on a single large plate, with the molded cheese in the middle.

Keywords: Spanish, Tapas, Cheese.