Fermented nut cheese with leek and fresh herbs

This cheese gets its tang the slow way: it ferments on the counter for a day or two before any of the savoury ingredients are added. A blend of cashews and brazil nuts, thinned with water and started with acidophilus, thickens and sours in a cheesecloth-lined jar until it separates slightly and takes on a flavour closer to a mild goat's cheese than to a plain cashew spread. Once that base is ready, chopped leeks and a trio of fresh herbs - basil, mint and parsley - are folded in by hand along with nutritional yeast and garlic powder, which push the flavour further towards a savoury, cultured cheese and away from anything that might read as simply blended nuts. Packed into a ring mould and given a short spell in the freezer, it firms up enough to turn out cleanly and holds its shape on a plate the way a soft cheese round would. A finishing drizzle of olive oil and a scatter of fresh herbs on top brings it close to something from a cheese counter. Serve it on raw crackers or cucumber rounds as a starter, or eat it straight off a carrot stick between meals.

Ingredients

Cheese base

• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup brazil nuts
• 2 acidophilus tablets (or the powder from capsules if you do not have a high-speed blender)
• 1 cup water

Leek and herb mix-in

• 1/2 cup chopped leeks
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 teaspoons nutritional yeast

Preparation

1. Blend the cashews, brazil nuts, acidophilus and water in a high-speed blender until completely smooth.
2. Line a mason jar with cheesecloth, spoon in the mixture and secure the cheesecloth with the jar's outer ring. Set the jar somewhere warm and dark for 24 to 48 hours to ferment.
3. Fermentation is done once the mixture has released liquid and shrunk down slightly.
4. Scoop the fermented cheese out into a mixing bowl.
5. Add the leeks, basil, mint, parsley, salt, lemon juice, garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Mix thoroughly by hand until evenly combined.
6. Pack the mixture into a ring mould and freeze for about ten minutes to firm up.
7. Turn out, drizzle with olive oil and finish with a scatter of fresh herbs before serving.

Tip

Fermentation speed depends heavily on room temperature: in a cooler kitchen, count on closer to 48 hours before the mixture visibly thickens and releases liquid - check daily rather than assuming 24 hours is always enough. Rinse the chopped leeks thoroughly before folding them in, since grit hides between the layers and often survives a first rinse.

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