I don’t know about you, but taking something that looks like a sad castaway and refashioning it into something delicious really makes me want to high-five myself in the kitchen.

I gave myself one such high-five a few months ago when I was in the process of cleaning my fridge and realized that I was rich with bits and bobs of various cheeses. They looked pitiful shoved into the far corner of the cheese drawer, and I was momentarily annoyed with them taking up space and creating clutter. Then, I remembered how years ago when I lived by myself and often made dinner out of cheese, fruit, a baguette and wine, I’d later refashion any cheese remnants into a spread called fromage fort.

Instantly, the annoyance gave way to delight.

Fromage fort means “strong cheese” in French, and it’s one of my favorite recipes if only because it will make you look forward to discovering those odds and ends of cheese.

Making fromage fort is so straightforward it feels almost silly to provide a recipe for it: Take a few bits of cheese, as few as three and as many as your imagination (and food processor will allow) and whir them together with a little garlic and splash of wine (or vegetable stock, as Jacques Pépin’s mother used to do), a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper, and a handful of fresh herbs, if you’re so inclined. In about five minutes, you have fromage fort.

The spread is ideal with baguette slices or crackers, but is also a fantastic accompaniment to sturdy veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower – romanesco florets look particularly dramatic with their fractal-looking cones – radishes or fennel. Celery sticks could also be filled with the spread for a high-low-brow mash-up. If you’re someone who loves garlic with abandon, or are in the business of warding off vampires, feel free to add more cloves, but keep in mind that as the spread ages in the fridge, the allium will grow more potent.

And, while simple to make, if you’ve never tried your hand at fromage fort, it’s helpful to have a blueprint, and that’s what I’m providing below. It’s up to you to choose the cheeses, but as a general guideline, a little of something creamy, such as brie or chevre, gives the spread great texture, and a bit of something punchy, like blue cheese, gives your fromage fort a bit more oomph. You might discover that you prefer your fromage fort sans the funk of blue cheese, or that you prefer the tang of cream cheese to chevre, or even a pat of butter for a richer texture. Whichever version you like is the right one for you.

The magic and delight of fromage fort is that each batch will always be a little different, which is part of the fun.

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Fromage Fort

5 minutes

12 servings (makes about 1 1/2 cups)

Leave it to the French to come up with a smart way to use up all those bits and bobs of cheese languishing in your cheese drawer – a no-cook, 10-minute-start-to-finish spread. Use whatever cheese you have on hand; though a little blue cheese delivers a nice punch and something creamy such as chevre lends a smoother texture. With a splash of white wine and a bit of garlic, the cheese gets whirred in the food processor to form a spread that’s truly worth celebrating. Smear it on baguette slices or on sturdy vegetables such as radishes and carrots. You can increase the amount of garlic, if you prefer, but keep in mind that as the spread ages in the fridge, the garlic grows more potent and punchy. If you avoid alcohol, use vegetable broth in place of wine.

Storage Notes: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces cheese (you want a mixture such as brie/camembert, blue, Swiss, Edam, cheddar, and/or gouda – or whatever you have on hand)

1 to 2 ounces chevre (goat’s milk cheese) or another creamy cheese such as Boursin or cream cheese

1/4 cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc (may substitute with vegetable broth)

1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated, or more to taste (see headnote)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives and/or flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving (optional)

Radishes, cauliflower, carrots, crackers and/or sliced baguette, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cheeses, wine, garlic, pepper and chives and/or parsley, if using, and process until mostly smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator, garnish with fresh chives and/or parsley, if using, add a pinch of black pepper and serve with radishes, cauliflower, carrots, crackers and/or sliced baguette.

Nutrition information per serving (2 tablespoons in a serving, using equal parts blue, gruyere, gouda, Edam and brie cheeses) | Calories: 80; Total Fat: 6 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 20 mg; Sodium: 149 mg; Carbohydrates: 1 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 0 g; Protein: 5 g

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

From assistant recipes editor Olga Massov.

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