Say cheese please (+recipes)

There was more than a whiff of class in the air at the recent Cuisine Champions of Cheese Awards 2007 where over 450 New Zealand cheeses were given the eye, as well as a sniff and a taste.
Chief judge, US cheese connoisseur John Greeley, was particularly impressed by the quality of New Zealand blue cheeses.
John says our blue cheeses stand out for the sheer variety of styles. Dave Newton of Fonterra's blue cheese-making team scored 100 per cent for the making of three perfect blues.
''Producing three such high-quality cheeses in one year was quite remarkable,'' said John Greeley.
One of our smallest cheese makers, Crescent Dairy Goats, was named the Saint Clair Champion of Champions Cheese for its Old Gold. If you've never tasted a goat's milk cheese, then this would be the ideal introduction.
The cheese, prepared from organic goat's milk, has a subtle, mild flavour. Many goat's milk cheeses are very strong.
Thirty-nine gold medals were awarded along with 69 silver and 101 bronze medals. It you're looking for these award-winners in your supermarket most are labelled. Many of the award-winning cheeses are often best served simply with just slices of pear or fresh figs - something that complements the flavours rather than overpowering them.
However, I have provided some easy recipes featuring some of the winning taste treats.
FETA & BACON QUICHE
Pastry shell: 6 sheets filo pasty
3 tablespoon rice bran oil
Filling: 8 rashers streaky bacon
125g Hohepa feta or similar, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped basil
420g can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
5 eggs
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200C. Place a baking tray in the oven to heat. This will help the base of the pastry to cook.
Brush the filo sheets lightly with the oil. Line a deep, 23cm flan dish with the filo placing each sheet on a slightly different angle so the flan is evenly covered.
Grill or microwave the bacon, until crisp then crumble. Sprinkle the feta, bacon and basil over the base of the flan.
Whisk the soup, milk, eggs and pepper, until well mixed.
Carefully pour into the shell. Place on the hot oven tray.
Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180C. Continue baking for 30-40 minutes, until just set and golden. Serves 6.
MIXED BERRY & BRIE FILO ROLLS
Rice bran oil helps give filo a golden colour when baked. If you're a blue cheese fan then choose the blue cheese option for a taste sensation.
2 cups frozen mixed berries
2 tablespoons each: sugar, custard powder
8 sheets filo pastry
3 tablespoons rice bran oil
125g Bouton d'or Brie or Galaxy Creamy Blue cheese, thinly sliced
Accompaniment: Tararua Lite Creme Freche
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Combine the frozen berries with the sugar and custard powder in a bowl.
Lightly brush 2 sheets of filo with the oil.
Place 1 sheet on top of the other and fold in half, short ends meeting.
Place a 1/2 cup of the berry mixture at one end of the filo and top with a 1/4 of the cheese.
Fold the edges over to cover the filling and roll up. Brush with more oil and place on a baking tray. Repeat with the remaining filo sheets and filling to make 3 more rolls. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot with the creme freche.
Serves 4.
GRILLED GOAT'S CHEESE WITH PEAR & HONEY
Sliced fresh figs make an excellent substitute for the pear.
4-8 slices ciabatta (depending on the diameter of the loaf)
25g butter, softened
1 large pear, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
150g Crescent Dairy Goats Old Gold cheese or similar
ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup liquid honey
1 cup watercress leaves
Grill one side of the sliced bread, until lightly golden. Turn the slices over and spread with butter. Top with the pear and cheese. Season with pepper.
Cook under a preheated grill until the cheese just begins to melt. Slice each piece of bread on the diagonal. Drizzle with the honey and top with the watercress. Serves 4.
POTATO WEDGES WITH RED PEPPER & CHEDDAR
4 medium baking potatoes, cut into thick wedges
1 red pepper (capsicum)
3 spring onions
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
100g Waitoa Cheddar cheese or similar
3/4 cup lite cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
Cook the potato wedges in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes, until just tender.
Meanwhile, seed and thinly slice the pepper, chop the spring onions and grate the cheese.
Drain the potatoes well.
Combine with the red pepper and spring onions in a heatproof dish. Season well and sprinkle with the paprika.
Preheat the grill to high.
Combine the cream cheese and milk then pour over the potato mixture. Sprinkle with the Cheddar. Grill for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are hot and the cheese has melted. - Serves 4.
www.janbilton.co.nz