Oregon Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Roll

Directions

Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Crumble blue cheese over top. Leave cheeses to soften at room temperature. Meanwhile, finely mince shallot and set aside. Roughly chop hazelnuts, then continue chopping util you have a mix of coarse and powdery nut fragments. The varied sizes will lend crunch and coverage to the completed log. Set aside.

When cheeses are softened, blend in a mixer with paddle attachment or mix by hand with a hand with a heavy wooden spoon. Add shallots and blend evenly into mix.

Lay an 18″ x 12″ piece of plastic wrap horizontally across a cutting board or counter. Spoon cheese mixture across the length of the plastic wrap in the shape of a log, leaving a couple inches of plastic at the left and right ends. Lift the flap of plastic nearest you up and over the cheese rolling into a log shape, twisting the ends closed. Refrigerate for several hours or more, allowing the log to firm and the flavors to marry. Before serving, spread out a piece of parchment or waxed paper and place the chopped nuts in the center. Unwrap the cheese log and roll it in the nuts until they cover the surface. Use the finer bits to fill in any bare spots.

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice baguette into thin slices, butter and toast on a baking sheet in hot oven until slightly golden. Core pears, slice into 1/4-inch slices and toss with lemon juice. To serve, arrange the Oregon Blue Cheese log in the center of a platter and surround with baguette toasts and pear slices.