Gameday Snacking with Fontina

Hello folks! First of all, I have to say congratulations to the San Francisco 49ers! They're on their way to the Superbowl! Woohoo! 

During the game today my coworker Ali (our wine specialist/chef extraordinaire) showed me one of her favorite recipes using Fontina d'Aosta and she gave me permission to share it with you.

First, a few words about Fontina d'Aosta. 

Cheese: Fontina d'Aosta 

Country of Origin: Italy

Producers: Farmers and cheesemakers in the Aosta region of Italy following the DOP production regulations. 

Milk: Raw cow's milk

Aged: 4 months

Rennet: Traditional

This cheese is the real Fontina. You may see other fontinas in stores, but look for the name Fontina d'Aosta and know that you are getting the real deal. I absolutely love this cheese. It is fragrant without being overpowering and tastes creamy, earthy, nutty and fruity all at the same time. I like to pair Fontina d'Aosta with fruits like grapes, apples and pears as well as nice, big red wines like Cabs or Barolos. This cheese is known for being a cooking cheese because it melts so beautifully, but don't let this characteristic cause you to  omit it from your cheese plate. You and your guests won't regret it. 

Now to Ali's recipe... Here's what you'll need:

(serves 3-4)

A small cast iron skillet or small ceramic dish

1/2 pound Fontina d'Aosta cubed

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary

1 garlic clove
1 baguette sliced

The ingredients...

This is the little cast iron skillet we used, about 4 inches in diameter

Preheat oven to 375˚. Cube up Fontina d'Aosta.

Finely chop and combine thyme and rosemary

Slice the garlic clove and place in the skillet (or ceramic cookware). Minced garlic can also be used. 

Combine cheese cubes and herbs.

Place in skillet and into the oven for 10 minutes (keep an eye on it - every oven is different).

After 10 minutes, remove from oven and serve!

This is a wonderful treat and by using fresh herbs the flavors really pop. The team today devoured the dish in less than 5 minutes. We couldn't get enough! Use this recipe for your upcoming Superbowl party and you won't be disappointed. 

As always, come on by the cheese counter for a sample of Fontina d'Aosta to discover how wonderful this cheese is for yourself. I hope to see you soon. Until then, eat, drink and be happy!