Vive la France! Well, kind of. It’s not only the French who have a way with cheese – we looked all across Europe for this Continental cast of delicious dairy starters.

1. Caprese salad Christmas tree

Serves 8-10

Total time 15-20 minutes

You will need:

• Baby gem lettuce hearts, leaves separated 4
• Fior di latte Mozzarella, drained and torn into chunks 2 balls
• Bocconcini, drained 1 tub
• Cherry tomatoes, halved handful
• Salad tomatoes, sliced 2-3
• Fresh basil leaves
• Olive oil
• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Method

1. Arrange the baby gem lettuce leaves on a large serving platter to resemble a Christmas tree.
2. Fill each lettuce cup with mozzarella. Top each cup with both cherry and sliced salad tomatoes.
3. Garnish with basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

2. Christmas tree cheeseboard

Serves 6 – 8 

Total time 15-20 minutes

You will need:

• An assortment of cheeses such as Brie, Gorgonzola, Camembert, Gouda, Gruyère or Parmesan, and
• An assortment of crackers
• Preserves such as orange marmalade, onion marmalade or preserved peaches
• Fresh fruit such as berries, figs or grapes and honey for drizzling

Method

1. Use a sharp knife to cut the cheeses into rounds. Mix and match the rounds and stack into towers of varying heights. Place the bigger rounds at the bottom to prevent a landslide.
2. Decorate your cheese ‘tree’ with preserves and fresh fruit.
3. Drizzle the ‘tree’ with honey just before serving.

3. Mini croque monsieurs

Serves 6 

Total time 30 – 35 minutes

For the béchamel sauce, you will need:

• Butter 3 tbsp
• Flour 2 tbsp
• Milk 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• White pepper to taste
• Nutmeg pinch

For the sandwich, you will need:

• Sourdough loaves 2
• Olive oil 2 tbsp
• Dijon mustard 3 tbsp
• Gruyère cheese, grated 1 cup Streaky bacon, cooked 1 packet

Method

And for serving, you will need:

• Fresh basil or micro herbs
• Dijon mustard or wholegrain mustard

To make the béchamel sauce

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan until melted. Remove from heat.
2. Whisk in the flour until smooth and place the saucepan back onto the heat.
3. Slowly add the milk whisking constantly in a clockwise direction.
4. Keep the sauce over a low heat for about 6-8 minutes, stirring continuously.
5. Stir through the salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

To make the sandwich

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Slice the sourdough loaves along their length. Aim to have 8-10 slices.
3. Place the slices on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and allow to cool.
4. Brush half of the slices with mustard, sprinkle with half the cheese and cover with a rasher of bacon.
5. Top each slice with the remaining cheese and a few generous dollops of the béchamel sauce.
6. Create a sandwich by placing another slice of sourdough on top. Spread a generous layer of béchamel sauce over the top of the sandwich.
7. Place the sandwiches on a greased baking tray and bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the bread is lightly golden and the cheese has melted.
8. Remove from the oven and slice each sandwich into thirds.

Method

And when you serve, arrange the sandwiches on a platter and garnish with fresh basil or micro herbs. Serve with extra mustard.

4. Festive cheese log

Serves 8

Total time 15 minutes + 1 hour refrigeration

For the cheese log, you will need:

• Plain cream cheese 2 tubs
• Sour cream 1 cup
• Blue cheese, crumbled 1 wedge
• Spring onions, sliced 3
• Preserved figs, drained and chopped 4-5
• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

And for serving, you will need:

• Spring onions, sliced
• Preserved figs, halved
• Pomegranate rubies

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and blue cheese.
2. Fold through the spring onion and figs until well combined. Season well.
3. Line a loaf tin with clingfilm, making sure to overlap the sides to close any gaps.
4. Place the cheese mixture into the prepared tin. Press down on the top of the cheese log with a spatula or the back of a spoon to remove any air bubbles. Smooth the top so that it’s level and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
5. Turn out the cheese log onto a serving platter and remove the baking tin and clingfilm.
6. Garnish the cheese log with extra spring onions, preserved figs and pomegranate rubies. Serve with Melba toast or any of your favourite crackers.

And for a touch of sophistication, you can slice spring onions lengthways and place them in a bowl of ice water. The cold water curls them to create a beautiful garnish.

Photography: Fresh Living Magazine; Zhann Solomons

Also read: Cook the cover: Red velvet trifle with cream cheese, icing, meringue and brandy snaps