……with Le Rustique

How do you improve upon perfection? Well, I think I have the answer, today’s post is all about French Cheese and English Honey……and to improve upon the natural perfection of both ingredients, I’ve created three fabulous recipes with the French brand, Le Rustique, using English honey for the perfect culinary entente cordiale! Today’s recipes use Le Rustique’s famous Camembert cheese, as well as its Brie, and all three recipes are easy to make and would be perfect for a family get-together over the Easter weekend, as well as during the summer months. To tantalise your taste-buds, the three recipes using Le Rustique cheese and English honey are: Le Rustique Camembert and Apple Scones with Honey Butter; Le Rustique Camembert and Hazelnut Parcels with Quick Fruit and Honey Chutney and Le Rustique Brie Tartlets with Honey Onion Relish……

……all three recipes are shared below on printable recipe cards, and they all use store-cupboard and easily accessible ingredients, including the cheese and honey. I’m a big fan of Le Rustique, it’s my “to go to” Camembert, and I have enjoyed their Brie many times too. I love how you can buy the cheese in its little gingham lined wooden box and age it to your personal taste, from “young” to “mature”, the cheese is wrapped in a breathable waxed paper that allows it to “affinage” to your personal requirements from between 35 days and 20 days before the “use by date”. The history of the cheese is about one man’s passion for authentic French recipes and flavours, combined with his love for cheese. In 1975, a Normandy dairy farmer called Jean Verrier developed the traditional recipe for his famously creamy textured Camembert. Since then, Le Rustique cheese-makers have maintained the same age-old artisan techniques and recipes to deliver these creamy cheeses, becoming the recognised brand that it is today.

To launch these new bespoke recipes that I created with Le Rustique, I was invited to attend a press event at St Ermin’s Hotel in London a few weeks ago, where I baked two of the recipes that I’m sharing today, the Camembert and Apple Scones with Honey Butter and the Brie Tartlets with Honey Onion Relish, as well as giving a talk about how to serve, cook and bake with Le Rustique Camembert and Brie cheeses, and how to pair them with a selection of English honey from The London Honey Company. Myself and all of the journalists and bloggers who attended the event were also treated to a fascinating visit up to the hotel’s rooftop bee hives, where the St Ermin’s Hotel resident Bee Keeper, Camilla, introduced us to her newly awakened charges, as the bees were just coming out of winter hibernation. St. Ermin’s’ bees have fantastic access to some of London’s major parks, all within a three-mile radius, where they collect a wide variety of pollen and nectar, giving their honey a truly delicious taste. Cities like London trap heat, meaning these bees can start foraging earlier than rural bees and continue later into autumn, which is where urban bees win over their country cousins.

My recipe brief was to combine the creamy, rich taste of authentic Le Rustique Camembert with honey, for a natural food pairing idea; although some of the media people who attended the event were a little sceptical about cheese and honey as a pairing, most of them left agreeing that this is a match made in heaven, and they all had the opportunity to sample a variety of English honey with different ages Camembert cheeses. There were three honeys to drizzle and dollop onto the cheese, BELL HEATHER – a raw honey from the Dorset moors. This distinct, aromatic, floral raw honey is jelly like in consistency and is highly prized. With bitter-sweet notes, it’s wonderful when served with a slightly salty cheese such as Pecorino, or a mature Le Rustique Camembert. I used the honey in my recipe for Camembert and Hazelnut Parcels with Quick Fruit and Honey Chutney, and the aromatic flavours really enhances the taste of the Quick Fruit and Honey Chutney.

The next honey, ISLE OF PURBECK, is also from Dorset, but from the coast; a vibrant, distinctive, spring, raw honey characterised by nectar from the tiny white Hawthorn blossom, which is foraged by bees on the Dorset coast. Good with yogurt, fruits and bread, as well as a “Ripe” Camembert Cheese, I used this honey in my recipe for Camembert and Apple Scones with Honey Butter, as the floral honey blended with the salted butter to create the most amazing, complex and tasty “salted honey butter” flavour, which married well with the richness, as well as sharpness, of the cheese and apple scones. Think salted caramel, and you have an idea of how delectable the salted honey butter was when served with the scones.

The intriguing WOOD SAGE honey was used in my last recipe for Brie Tartlets with Honey Onion Relish; this honey is made from wild flowers of wood sage, which produces an unusual honey with savoury herb and woody notes, from coastal foraging of the Kent coast. This herbal flavour worked like a dream with the vinegar and onions, in the Honey and Onion Relish that I made for the tartlet recipe, and it was also wonderful when served with “young” Camembert too. All of the honeys would be a wonderful accompaniment to Le Rustique Camembert and Brie cheese, and my perfect cheeseboard always has a pot of honey for cheesy drizzling and dipping. Cheese and honey is a unique food pairing and it is essential to create the right balance between the two in order to not confuse the taste buds, so do try before you buy and serve. I hope the three recipes that I’m sharing with you today will inspire you to cook with cheese and honey, and open up a whole new world of cooking with Le Rustique Camembert and Brie too! Karen

Disclaimer: Collaborative paid work with Le Rustique

Lavender and Lovage with Le Rustique Recipes:

Brie Tartlets with Honey Onion Relish

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Serves	Makes 12 small tartlets for appetisers or 4 large tarts for a main meal when using a Yorkshire pudding tin
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 5 minutes
Allergy	Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Thanksgiving, Valentines day
Region	French
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

These gorgeous little Le Rustique Brie tartlets use rounds of bread in place of pastry and are so easy to make. Tangy honey onion relish adds a lovely depth to the crisp cases and melted cheese, before they are dressed to serve with chopped chives for the final flourish. The honey onion relish can be made ahead of time and keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Ingredients

Tartlets

• 12 x slices Brown bread (or bread of your choice)
• 50g softened butter
• 100g to 120g Le Rustique Brie cheese, cut into 12 chunks
• Chopped fresh chives

Honey Onion Relish

• 2 red onions, peeled and diced
• 50g butter
• 2 tablespoons runny honey (Acacia honey)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Note

These gorgeous little Le Rustique Brie tartlets use rounds of bread in place of pastry and are so easy to make. Tangy honey onion relish adds a lovely depth to the crisp cases and melted cheese, before they are dressed to serve with chopped chives for the final flourish. The honey onion relish can be made ahead of time and keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Directions

Step 1	To make the honey onion relish: Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions, sauté the onions for 4 to 5 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring all the time to stop it sticking., for 20 to 30 minutes until it is thick. Cool and set to one side until needed.
Step 2	Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6.
Step 3	Using a 5cm to 6cm cutter, stamp out 12 circles from the sliced and bread, and butter them on one side only. Place the buttered sides down into a 12 hole bun-tin, pressing them to create a tartlet shape.
Step 4	Add a teaspoon of honey onion relish into each bread tartlet base, and the place the pieces of brie cheese on top.
Step 5	Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the bread tartlet bases are crispy and golden brown.
Step 6	Gently ease them out of the tray and sprinkle chopped fresh chives over them before serving.

Camembert and Hazelnut Parcels with Quick Fruit and Honey Chutney

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Serves	Makes 4 parcels for a main meal, or 8 to 10 mini parcels for a starter, appetisers or a light snack
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	45 minutes
Total time	1 hours, 5 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Thanksgiving, Valentines day
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

Using ready-made puff pastry means that these delicious Le Rustique Camembert and Hazelnut Parcels are perfect for an easy mid-week family supper, or for a lazy Saturday lunch. Shallots and hazelnuts are gently fried in a little olive oil for a tasty twist that works so well with the cheese; the fruit and honey chutney is the final “pièce de résistance” for these flaky cheese pies, which cuts through the richness of the filling.

Ingredients

Parcels

• 500g block ready-made puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 x 250g Le Rustique Camembert Cheese, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 40g hazelnuts, crushed
• 2 to 3 shallots, or half a red onion, peeled and finely diced

Fruit and Honey Chutney

• 120mls runny honey (Acacia honey)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 500g apples and pears, cored and finely diced (no need to peel)
• 150mls cider apple vinegar

Note

Using ready-made puff pastry means that these delicious Le Rustique Camembert and Hazelnut Parcels are perfect for an easy mid-week family supper, or for a lazy Saturday lunch. Shallots and hazelnuts are gently fried in a little olive oil for a tasty twist that works so well with the cheese; the fruit and honey chutney is the final “pièce de résistance” for these flaky cheese pies, which cuts through the richness of the filling.

Directions

Step 1	To make the chutney: Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan and simmer over a medium to low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes, until the fruit is cooked and there is no liquid left – stirring all the time. Set to one side to cool and thicken once cooked.
Step 2	Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the crushed hazelnuts and the shallots/onion; fry them over a medium heat until the onions are soft and the nuts are toasted. Set to one side.
Step 3	Pre-heat oven to 220C/450F/Gas mark 7 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Step 4	Cut the pastry block into 4 and place them on a floured work surface, roll each piece out into a square, about 15cm x 15cm. Divide the hazelnut and shallot/onion mixture between the 4 pastry squares.
Step 5	Place the Camembert cheese on top of the mixture and then bring the corners up to the middle of the parcel, securing the pastry in the middle with the fresh rosemary springs. Place the parcels on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 6	Brush the beaten egg over the tops of the parcels and bake for between 12 and 15 minutes, until the pastry has risen and the parcels are golden brown.
Step 7	Serve immediately with the fruit and honey chutney, and salad for a light luncheon or supper dish. Also wonderful for picnics and the school or office lunch box.

Camembert and Apple Scones with Honey Butter

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Serves	Makes between 10 and 12 medium scones or 18 to 20 mini scones
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	12 minutes
Total time	27 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk, Wheat
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Appetizer, Bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Misc	Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving
Region	British
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

Delectable Le Rustique camembert cheese and apple scones, these easy to make scones are on the table in less than half an hour and are perfect when served with honey butter. Why not also serve these scones as part of an afternoon tea or as an accompaniment to soups, stews or casseroles, or even as part of a “Ploughman’s Lunch”.

Ingredients

Scones

• 450g self-raising flour
• Poppy seeds
• 300ml milk mixed with 1 large beaten egg
• 1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and very finely diced or grated
• 100g Le Rustique Camembert cheese, diced
• 100g butter, cut into small pieces
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Honey Butter

• 140g salted butter
• 5 tablespoons runny honey (flower or lavender honey)

Note

Delectable Le Rustique camembert cheese and apple scones, these easy to make scones are on the table in less than half an hour and are perfect when served with honey butter. Why not also serve these scones as part of an afternoon tea or as an accompaniment to soups, stews or casseroles, or even as part of a “Ploughman’s Lunch”.

Directions

Step 1	To make the honey butter: Beat the honey the butter with a hand-held electric whisk until light and fluffy. You can also just drizzle the honey into the butter and mix it through gently. Set to one side until needed.
Step 2	Pre-heat oven to 220C/450F/Gas mark 7 and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Step 3	Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and then rub in the butter in until it resembles bread crumbs.
Step 4	Stir in the cheese and apple and add just enough of the milk and egg mixture to make a soft dough, it should not be too sticky. Reserve the remaining milk and egg mixture for the glaze.
Step 5	Gather into a ball and place in a floured work surface; roll out gently to a thickness of about 2cm and stamp out the scones with a 5cm scone cutter. Gather together all the offcuts and continue to stamp out scones until all the dough is used up.
Step 6	Place the scones onto the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the egg and milk mixture before scattering some poppy seeds over the top.
Step 7	Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are well risen and golden brown.
Step 8	Cool for a few minutes in a wire rack before serving warm with the honey butter.

Le Rustique Fact File:

The Normandy farmers we work with, mainly run family farms with around 50 to 70 cows per herd.

The farmers lives revolve around the cows’ routine: milking times, moving fields, it’s all for the well-being of the cows.The well-being of the animals also plays a role in preserving the rich resources of Normandy.

The Le Rustique farmers monitor energy and water use to reduce the environmental impact. This respect for nature means that Normandy produces cheeses with a worldwide reputation, like Le Rustique Camembert.

Le Rustique Cheeses are in constant evolution, and each stage has its own taste; the maturing process can be divided into three stages:

YOUNG: 35 days before the “use by date” – Firm texture and a light, fresh flavour

RIPE: 20 to 35 days before the “use by date” – Soft “melt-in-the-mouth texture with a distinctive almost mushroom flavour 

MATURE: 20 days before the “use by date” – a creamy, runny and soft texture with a very pronounced and complex flavour.

Over the years, Le Rustique became a fixture in French households. You can spot their cheese in an instant, thanks to the wooden box with its heat-branded design and red and white Gingham cloth! It is said that a merchant with an excess stock of red and white Gingham cloth suggested to Jean Verrier that he could use them to present his famous Camembert, in a simple, authentic style.

Le Rustique Products:

Camembert: 250g

Camembert in 8 portions: 240g

Brie de caractère: 200g

1000 LE RUSTIQUE HAMPERS TO BE WON!

Le Rustique is ready to celebrate the arrival of spring in style! We’ve got 1,000 personalised Le Rustique hampers available to be won! Each Le Rustique hamper is made from antique wash finish willow with cream faux leather fixings and can be personalised with up to 3 characters of your choice on one side. The picnic hampers are complete with porcelain plates, wine glasses, cutlery, a cooler bag, napkins, bottle opener, corkscrew and two bottles of Calvet wine to ensure you have all you need for the perfect picnic.

For a chance to win your very own personalised picnic hamper, simply purchase a promotional pack of Le Rustique de Printemps Camembert or Brie and find the unique code printed inside the promotional sticker.

You can then enter your unique code online here, before 31.07.17, to find out instantly if you are a winner.

You can also find codes on the back of promotional Calvet wine bottles, click here to find out more.

Hurry, packs are only expected in store until the end of June!

GB only. 18+. Keep receipt & sticker or neck collar. Closes 31.07.17. Online registration required. Online instant win. Purchase necessary. Internet access required. Prizes: 1,000 personalised picnic hampers available to be won.

Click here for full details, entry and T&Cs.

To follow for National Picnic Week……

Le Rustique Camembert “Scotch Eggs” Two Ways with Honey and Mustard Dip