We have officially entered the hottest days of summer. I know when I hear myself saying “now this is Texas style heat.” For those of you not inclined to turn on your ovens at this point, I cannot blame you, but you can count on us to keep ours going. In addition, we are sharing a recipe that requires no heat and very little actual prep, just some soaking time and great core ingredients. Enter, “Marinated Manchego!” Manchego is one of my favorite cheeses, so it doesn’t need much improvement in my eyes, but the addition of garlic, orange, and rosemary really takes it to the next level (the editors of Bon Appétit have proven their wisdom yet again).

This Marinated Manchego is a cinch for entertaining or for solo-eating. Finding satisfying snacks that are gluten-free and nut-free and that don’t taste redundant can seem daunting but the best resolutions always start with the best ingredients. There is nothing overdone or tiring about this recipe, except maybe garlic peeling but even that is a pleasure once you know the side-of-the-knife trick. ( tips and tricks will be out soon) Don’t let the heat get the best of you, try this and embrace it . This is just one more great excuse to eat a ton more cheese, hopefully, with some like-minded friends. You’ll be so glad that you did!

Be Sweet &

see you soon,

Geri

Marinated Manchego

Ingredients

• 1/2 C. olive oil

• 1 head of garlic (about ten cloves), separated and peeled

• 1 orange, quartered and thinly sliced

• 3 sprigs rosemary

• salt, to taste

• dash of freshly grated black pepper

• 1 lb. Manchego cheese, crumbled into medium pieces

Directions

1. Place small saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once warm, add garlic and orange and stir occasionally until garlic turns golden (7-8 minutes).

2. Remove from heat, add rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

3. Combine garlic mixture and crumbled cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and chill for 12 hours (and up to three days).

4. Platter and enjoy!