Herb Cigars And Turkish Cheese

Ingredients
4 ounces of farm cheese
2 ounces of feta, crumbled
1/4 cup crushed dough mozzarella
1 large egg
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped dill fronds
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Freshly ground black pepper
Six 16-to-17-by-12-inch leaves Phyllo dough, thawed according to packing guidelines (see Cook’s Note)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the farm cheese, the feta and the mozzarella together in a bowl with a fork. Work the egg with the fork, then stir in the parsley, dill, chives, lemon peel and a large pinch of black pepper.

Place a damp, clean towel on your counter. Unfold the phyllo leaves on top and cover with a different damp, clean towel.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a cutting board with the long side closest to you and brush lightly with butter. Top with another leaf of phyllo and brush lightly with butter. Top with a third blade of phyllo and brush slightly with butter. Cut the Phyllo half crosswise and then cut each half horizontally into thirds. Place the rectangle on a back plate and place it aside. Repeat with the remaining phyllo.

Working with a buttered phyllo stack at a time, spread a heaped tablespoon of cheese along the long edge of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch edge at each end. Fold the sides over the fill, then roll off the bottom edge of the phyllo. Transfer rolled cigars to a backblech down side and brush each with a little butter. Repeat with the remaining phyllo, filling and butter.

Bake the cigars, half turn the pan until crispy and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Cook’s Note

Phyllo leaves vary in size somewhat. They come in large leaves like those in the ingredient list above or half that size. The large leaves vary in size by one or two inches. Regardless of the variation, the most important thing is that you get 6 equal rectangles from each set of 3 large leaves