Beaufort

One of my earliest memories of cheese was a cheese and avocado dish my mother used to make. She would take an avocado, cut it in to halves and remove the central nut. Then she would fill the 'hole' with chopped cheese (a hard cheese like cheddar), onion and celery. It makes for a great starter, and the contrast in textures and complimentary tastes of the firm cheese, the creaminess of the avocado and the crunchiness of the onion and celery really do work well.

So, when I came across Beaufort cheese, a hard cheese from the Savoie region of France, I knew exactly how I wanted it! Here I have recreated my mothers dish in a glass, layer by layer: lettuce, avocado, onion, celery and then finally small blocks of Beaufort cheese.