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Featured Cheese for September 2007

Refrigerate Swiss cheese in the original wrapping until ready to use. If the original wrap is removed, rewrap cheese tightly with parchment or waxed paper. Then wrap cheese again in plastic wrap to retain moisture.

It is easiest to cut cheese when it is cold, however the flavor of most cheese is best when eaten at room temperature. Remove from your refrigerator one to two hours before serving and immediately cut. As cheese can dry out quickly, rewrap the cut cheese to retain moisture and leave at room temperature until serving time.

Wisconsin cheesemakers produce Swiss in plain, flavored, smoked, aged, low-sodium, reduced-fat and lacy varieties. Try shredding Swiss cheese over scalloped potatoes or beefy onion soup. Or dice Swiss cheese and stir into a quiche with spinach, broccoli and ham.

Wisconsin Swiss Cheese and Sausage Tart

Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 8 oz. Italian sausage
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1 cup mixed red, yellow and green peppers, sliced
• 1 cup portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. each, salt and pepper
• 18 oz. (4 1/2 cups) Wisconsin Swiss cheese, shredded

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Cut in butter until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Add sour cream and toss together until dough forms a ball. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hrs.

Roll out dough and gently press into 10-in. tart or pie pan. Prick bottom with a fork and bake in a preheated 400oF oven for 30 min. or until crust is golden. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink, stirring frequently and breaking apart. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage and set aside on a plate. Add butter to skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers and cook over medium-high heat until soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 10 to 15 min. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms are tender and onions are brown; stirring frequently.

Distribute sausage evenly over tart shell. Gently toss Wisconsin Swiss cheese with warm vegetables and spread evenly over sausage layer. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until cheese is melted.