Herbed, garlicky kefir cheese spread makes for a lovely spring snack.

So I’m hoping your kefir fermented too quickly due to your slacker nature or the rising temperatures throwing you off your ferment game a bit.  Not because I’m a meany.  I just want you to make the kefir cheese I wrote about last week.  And then I want you to appreciate the beauty and the bounty of spring herbs, and make this garlic and fine herbs spread.  Your veggies and thin slices of sourdough toast will thank you.

There is about an inch of dirt left in this parsley container.  Even in the city, if you have so much as a patch of light, grow your own herbs! They are simple to grow, WAY cheaper than store-bought and provide tons of flavor variety to meals.

These chives have been resurrecting for several years now. Not sure how much longer they’ll live in that container, but they are slender and gorgeous.

I think I discovered Boursin in college.  In fact I’m pretty sure that’s true, because I remember being really mad at the ninja who somehow snuck in to my refrigerator and at half a container of it before I even got a cracker’s worth (even though it was clearly labeled with a magic marker A-M-A-N-D-A and all my roommates knew I wouldn’t be able to splurge on another one for weeks, at least).  Ahhh, college.  Or maybe argh, college.  I am so glad not to live in a house with tons of people and a matching amount of drama.  Had my drama-seeking, 20-year-old self been aware that I could make my own healthier, cheaper, tastier, tangier, preservative- and packaging-free version, I’m pretty sure I would have skipped a choir practice or two to track down some kefir grains.  But you need not be a poor college student to appreciate how good this tastes.   It is, as promised, my favorite way to use kefir cheese.

You can substitute any herbs you have on hand, but this is my favorite combination.

Start here. Finish satisfied.

Garlic and Herbes Fines Spreadable Kefir Cheese

Makes a hearty afternoon snack for 2, spread on cucumber slices, radish slices or toasts.  Makes a great dip for carrot sticks, too.

3 T kefir cheese, strained to solid, but spreadable thickness

3 cloves garlic, roasted whole, peeled and mashed or chopped

1 t chives, finely chopped

1.5 T parsley, finely chopped

1 T fresh oregano, finely chopped

salt to taste (I use a small pinch)

small pinch pepper

This post is part of a series on cheese.  We’ll do some how-tos for stuff you can reasonably make at home and visit some local spots around Philly for great cheese.  I’ll also share a few personal memories about cheese.  Of all the ferments I love, cheese is definitely the one to which I’m most viscerally connected.  I hope you enjoy my flights of sensory memory.  Vegan and paleo readers: do not despair!  I’ll be featuring a how-to you can love soon!