Fromage Fort
from https://www.davidlebovitz.com/, 04.03.2014

At any given time, there are between two – and fourteen – nubbins of cheese in my refrigerator. So when I’ve got too many cheese bits on hand, it’s now fromage fort to the rescue. The name means “strong cheese.” For this batch, I used a combination of blue cheese, Cantal, aged Gouda, some rinds of semi-hard goat cheese, and a bit of cream cheese to smooth things out.

Depending on your cheeses, you may not need all the cream cheese. (Some versions use softened butter, so you can swap that out.) If you have a bunch of runny cheeses, like brie de Meaux or camembert, you’ll probably use less. You can use either chives for a bit of oniony flavor, or flat-leaf parsley.Serve with toasted bread rounds or bâtons, or crackers. You can also spread the fromage fort on slices of baguette then place them on a baking sheet and run them under the broiler for a few minutes, until the cheese is soft and bubbly.

8 ounces (225g) cheese pieces, hard rinds removed
1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60g) cream cheese
1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne or red pepper powder
1 tablespoon minced chives or flat-leaf parsley
additional chives or parsley, for garnish

1. Cut the cheese into bite-sized cubes and put them in the bowl of a food processor with 1 ounce (30g) of the cream cheese, wine, garlic, and the black and red peppers.

2. Process the mixture until completely smooth. If it is not completely smooth (which may happen if you are starting with an assortment of harder cheeses), add the additional cream cheese, and continue to process.

3. When smooth, add the chives or parsley and pulse the machine a few times, until they are incorporated.

4. Scrape the fromage fort into a serving dish or bowl, cover, and chill until firm.

Serving: Sprinkle the fromage fort with additional chopped chives or parsley, and perhaps a few turns of black pepper. Serve with toasted bread or crackers with pre-dinner drinks or cocktails. Let come to room temperature before serving. Fromage fort can also be served over split baked potatoes.

Storage: Fromage fort will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator; be aware that the flavors will become stronger the longer it sits. It can also be frozen, if well-wrapped, for up to two months.