At the cheese/food fair two weeks ago I had planned some oven baked Gubbeen. In anticipation I had sliced a Baby Gubbeen in half so that it made two smalls wheels. Onto the open side of the bottom half I scattered a squashed clove of garlic, some chopped herbs from the garden and a scattering of salt and pepper. I then put the top half back on and placed the cheese into a small terracotta bowl and wrapped it in foil.
I found it a few hours after everybody had gone on the side uncooked. In the great rush of people I had forgotten about it. So it went into the fridge until lunchtime today.
We had two loaves from the Bread Circle waiting to be eaten and a handful of red tomatoes from the greenhouse.
The cheese went into the hot oven for twenty minutes. I sliced up the bread and quartered the tomotoes.
When I took the cheese out of the oven and took off the foil the familiar smell of the farmyard rose up. The cheese bubbled and steamed in its red bowl.
I toasted the bread and we dipped knives into the melted cheese. The taste of the tart tomatoes cut through the rich cheese. A good early autumnal lunch.
Sheep's Head Food Company 