The Cheese Plate

One of the things that everyone remembers about their time in Talloires is the wonderful abundance of alpine cheeses.  For many, this memory involves not just the rich and creamy taste of their first bite of Beaufort, or the sharp aromatic smell of a Tomme de Savoie, but also the sound of cowbells in the distance as the cows graze up on the fresh green meadow grasses and the sight of the cheese vendors in the markets, their rounds of cheese large and small stacked for all to admire!   

One of our favorite cheeses, the majestic Reblochon Cheese, is produced primarily in the city of Thones, not far from Talloires, and on the cheese farms surrounding Lake Annecy. Its name comes from the old term reblocher, meaning to milk a second time. This is because after the farmers milked their cows to pay their tithe to the church, they would go back and re-milk the cows in order to have milk and cheese for their own use.  By law, Reblochon can only be made from the milk of three types of local cows: Abondance, Tarine et Montbéliarde.     

One of our favorite Reblochon dishes is called Tartiflette. This dish was created in the 1980s specifically to show off the local Reblochon cheese and features the other Savoy staples: potatoes, cream, white wine and lardons (bacon bits). Most visitors to the Tufts European Center have the chance to taste this dish at some point, so we thought we’d trigger your memories by providing the recipe!  

Tartiflette
Serves: 6

Preparation time: 50 minutes  

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 lbs of potatoes  
• 1 medium onion (larger or smaller according to your taste)  
• 1/2 lb canadian bacon  
• 1 Reblochon cheese (or 1 lb of Swiss Gruyere)
• 3/4 cup white wine (keep remainder of bottle in refrigerator to enjoy with the Tartiflette)  
• 2 Tablespoons oil  
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions: 

1. Peel potatoes and boil or steam for 20 minutes.
2. Peel onion and cut into thin slices.
3. Heat large frying pan with the oil and sauté the onion slices.
4. Cut bacon into small cubes and add to pan.
5. Cook on medium heat until onion slices are soft (10 minutes).  Stir as needed. Add potatoes that have been diced and pour white wine over it.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Cut the Reblochon in two halves lengthwise (you will have two round pieces with one cheese side and one skin side.)
7. Put half of the potato preparation in a buttered oven proof dish. Place half of the Reblochon cheese side down, on top. Cover with remaining potatoes and finish with the second half of the Reblochon. 
8. Place in 350* F oven for 20 minutes.   

If you can’t get your hands on white Savoie wine, you can use white Burgundy or Muscadet from the Loire region. Brie cheese, although not as pungent, can be used if you can’t find Reblochon, and vegetarians can just eliminate the bacon.