Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Morning Jolt: Rap mogul Suge Knight surrenders after deadly hit and run Morning Jolt: New ancient human discovered? Morning Jolt: Planet with super-size rings discovered Morning Jolt: Gunman shoots 2 officers at Minnesota police swearing-in ceremony Morning Jolt: No federal charges expected in Ferguson case Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Politics and Elections Education Environment State News Nation - World Jordan awaits proof hostage is alive after swap deadline Rap mogul 'Suge' Knight arrested for fatal LA hit-and-run Attorney General nominee wins GOP endorsements Gunman at Dutch broadcaster claimed to be hacker Saudi window of tolerance shut with Islamic State's advance Obituaries Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bridges and other celebrities appear in Super Bowl ads The peculiar snow-day psychology of the Craigslist 'blizzard buddy' Gronk and Marshawn play video game, joke around on 'Conan' tonight Watch the hysterical Key & Peele's third edition of the 'East/West College Bowl' NYC mayor's vibrant deaf interpreter creates his own storm Sports Latest Stories Coach K gets 1,000th win as No. 5 Duke tops St. John's Bill Belichick on deflated balls: 'We try to do everything right' Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks dies at 83 Seattle fans take to Twitter to celebrate Super Bowl appearance and the 12's PLAYOFF PREVIEW: Unlikely players could shine in conference championships Varsity 541 College Sports Pro Sports Community Sports Business Latest Stories Real Estate News People In Business Transportation Agriculture Opinion Latest Editorials Letters to the Editor Guest Opinions Lifestyle Latest stories Food Home and Garden Health Hiking Biking Faith Milestones and Achievements Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Theater Music Community Events Dining Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Improving graduation rates isn't easy ... Get Up & Go: Friday, Jan. 30 ... Hunters face Saturday reporting deadline ... Our View: Improving graduation rates isn't easy ... Get Up & Go: Friday, Jan. 30 ... Hunters face Saturday reporting deadline ... Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheese balls deserve more respect Comment By Joanna McQuillan Weeks MailTribune.com By Joanna McQuillan Weeks Posted Oct. 21, 2014 @ 8:47 am Updated Oct 21, 2014 at 10:52 AM By Joanna McQuillan Weeks Posted Oct. 21, 2014 @ 8:47 am Updated Oct 21, 2014 at 10:52 AM » Social News Somehow, the cheese ball fell out of favor, joining others on the hors d’oeuvre equivalent of the Island of Misfit Toys. Remember Vienna sausages wrapped in pastry dough to make pigs in blankets? How about sliced kielbasa swimming in a sauce made of ketchup and grape jelly? And then there was the block of cream cheese doused with hot pepper jelly. These days, you're likely to find the ubiquitous salsa and tortilla chips at casual get-togethers, perhaps given a bit more pizazz by a side bowl of guacamole. But most everybody loves cheese, right? And the spreadable texture of a cheese ball makes it easier to snack on at a gathering than a block of cheese. That is, unless you want to pre-slice your cheddar, Gouda or Havarti, or pre-crumble your blue. At one time, cheese balls were all the rage: a sun in the center of a platter, surrounded by rays of crackers. I have a recipe I clipped out of Sunset magazine about 30 years ago for a variation made with walnuts, scallions and pimento-stuffed green olives. I know it sounds weird, but it's really good. And at Christmas time, you've got the red-and-green theme built right in. The origin of cheese balls appears to be lost in the mists of time, but I helped make a spread called “pounded cheese” at a hearth-cooking evening at Old Sturbridge Village, which portrays life in the 1830s. I think cheese balls first surfaced in our house as part of a mail-order gift at holiday time. A couple of weeks ago, I was on vacation in Maine and made a stop at Stonewall Kitchen in York. If you've never been to the home base of this empire that started with preserves sold at farmers markets, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's just a short ways north of the Kittery shopping chaos. Part of the fun of visiting — besides lunch in the cafe — is sampling new additions to the product line. One that I tried, and decided to buy, was Old Farmhouse Chutney. I picked up a recipe card for (surprise!) a chutney cheese ball using the relish, but of course, you can substitute any store-bought chutney you like. I'll probably make this for my next gathering, but here's the recipe so you can try it too. Chutney Cheese Ball Makes approximately six servings. Recipe from Stonewall Kitchen. 16 ounces of cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup Stonewall Kitchen chutney 1/4 cup green onion, diced 1 clove garlic, crushed Dash each of salt and pepper 1/2 cup Colby cheese, shredded 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 1/2 cup pecans, chopped Directions: 1. Mix together the cream cheese, chutney, green onion, garlic, salt and pepper. 2. Fold in the Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. 3. Form the mixture into a ball and roll it in the chopped pecans. Note: I'd recommend wrapping this in plastic wrap and letting it chill for a few hours to firm up before serving. By Joanna McQuillan Weeks MailTribune.com By Joanna McQuillan Weeks Posted Oct. 21, 2014 @ 8:47 am Updated Oct 21, 2014 at 10:52 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501