Cashew Chèvre with Lemon Zest & Peppercorns

This simple recipe is based on one by Miyoko Schinner, of Artisan Vegan Cheese. You may like more lemon juice, or more nutritional yeast, so it's best to taste it. Bear in mind that the flavour will develop more the longer the cheese sits in the fridge.

Recipe:

• 1 cup basic cultured cashew cheese
• Grated zest of just over ½ lemon
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  
• ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• whole black or red peppercorns, for top​

​Mix all the ingredients together well (except the peppercorns).

Add the zest of just over half a lemon

Add 1 & half tablespoons of lemon juice

Add half a tablespoon of nutritional yeast

​Line a small round cheese mould or a non-reactive metal ring with a piece of cheesecloth. Cut it big enough so that you will be able to completely wrap the cheese. The mould here is 11cm in diameter.

Take a cheese mould or non-reactive metal ring

Line the mould with a piece of cheesecloth

Sprinkle some peppercorns in the bottom of the mould

​Put the peppercorns in the bottom (this will be the top when the cheese is ready)

​Now fill the mould with the cheese and with a spatula smooth the top making it level.

Fill the lined mould with the cheese and smooth the top flat

Fold the sides of the cheesecloth over, covering the cheese completely

​Fold the cheesecloth over the top and cover the cheese completely.
​Put the mould in the fridge and leave it to chill for at least 6 hours.
For a tastier cheese, leave it 12-24 hours, or longer if you can resist!

At this point your cheese is ready to eat! Yay! You have made cultured cheese! Get out the raw crackers!!

But wait! If you have a dehydrator, you can take your cheese one step further into the realms of raw vegan chef status and give it a rind! This rind or crust, however you wish to call it, really gives your cheese an authentic look and added texture.
Just remove the cheese from its mould, carefully peel off the cheesecloth and place it on a dehydrating sheet.
Dehydrate at 105°F/40.5°C for 24 hours.

The amazing Mimi Kirk, of 'Live Raw' and 'Raw-Vitalise' gave me this valuable tip (thank you Mimi!)
When the cheese is ready to come out of the fridge, put it into the freezer still in its mould and freeze for 24 hours before dehydrating.
You can peel off the cheesecloth 30 minutes into the dehydrating part.

If you choose to skip the freezer part, no problem, the result is always a perfectly delicious cheese!

A nice crust has formed after 24 hours in the dehydrator

Boursin and Cashew Chèvre with raw crackers and kale chips

Back to cultured cheeses