The Cheese Thread.

[Scepticalscribe]

The cheesemonger appeared on my birthday (April 11) with cheese, salami, chorizo, pâté, terrine, duck confit, an Easter egg, dark chocolate, and a few bottles of wine, among other goodies.

Cheeses included: Buchette (aux fleurs), a lovely goat's cheese, Gorgonzola cremosa, Parmigiano Reggiano, delice de Bourgogne, Flacon de Savoie, and Ossau Iraty.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And, even more recently, I treated myself to yes, yet more cheese:

These included: Carre de Brebis (an astonishing cheese from Corsica that I hadn't made the acquaintance of until a few days ago), Camembert Rustique, Gres des Vosges (another amazing cheese I hadn't yet met - a sort of somewhat milder take on Époisses), Abondance, Bleu d'Auvergne, Munster with cumin, and Morbier.

 

[Clix Pix]

Well, hey, SS, belated birthday greetings to you!

Thought of you as the other day I eagerly snatched up a small offering of my favorite Truffle Tremors, which I hadn't seen for a while (( guess the one local store I occasionally frequent has stopped carrying it, to my sorrow). I was in another store, one which I don't get to that often, and was more than happy to see that they still have it available. Alas, there weren't any options to also pick up my other favorite, Humboldt Fog, made by the same creamery, Cypress Grove, in California. Must be the store just needed to cut and wrap new offerings from a new wheel of Humboldt Fog and just hadn't done so yet. I already had other cheeses at home so was happy with my Truffle Tremors, which is now nearly totally devoured....

That same store also has always been the source of wonderful Olive Bread, and I was happy to see that it was still available, too, and grabbed up a rustic crusty loaf..... Sad to say, upon actual consumption I have to admit that someone has gotten a bit chintzy with the Kalamata olives and there are now very few in there compared to the way this bread used to be..... Disappointing but not the end of the world, as I always have plenty of Kalamata olives on hand, anyway, plus a nice Kalamata Olive spread/tapenade to enjoy with the bread as well as the always-essential herb-and-garlic-and-lemon infused dipping oil for the bread, anyway. Also was able to buy another favorite, the store's delightful Roasted Tomatoes, too...... Quite flavorful and to me, tasting fresher than Sun-dried tomatoes, although both are also marinated in oil. So, so good!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Have you ever tried semi-sundried tomatoes?

Seriously recommended.

(They are) Sweeter (in taste), and softer (in texture), - and, to my palate, much more delicious - than the standard sundried tomatoes.

Last week-end, I also treated myself to a small tub of (small) mozzarella, seasoned with semi-sundried tomatoes (gone in an evening, alas), and some wild garlic pesto (also gone in an evening, as was the campagne baguette from the French bakery that accompanied them).

 

[Clix Pix]

I think that the semi-sundried tomatoes you describe are probably similar to what what I have long loved buying at this one particular store, even though they're called "roasted;" yes, they are sweeter and softer in texture and are much, much nicer and preferable to me than the regular sun-dried tomatoes which I also buy from time to time jarred, marinated in oil, or wholly dried in a package and then need to be soaked in liquid to be reconstituted. I have both the packaged dried kind and the sun-dried-marinated-in-oil kind purchasable in a jar, but, oh, these roasted tomatoes are something else again, they are so, so much better!

Through the years I would buy them when they were offered out of self-serve containers, but then the pandemic shut things down for a long time and that store didn't offer them for quite a while. Now they are slowly bringing back the open self-serve containers of some of the varieties of olives and of the roasted tomatoes, but they are also offering many of the olives and the roasted tomatoes in a store-prepared package, too. Since I am still a little hesitant about using self-serve/buffet sorts of services out of open containers, I was thrilled to see the store-prepared packaging, too, and quickly snatched up olives and the tomatoes. Now that I know that they're doing this, I won't be waiting so long to get back to that store, either!

I saw fresh Burrata at that store, too, but didn't buy any but am keeping that in mind for a little further down the road when I'm back to enjoying a Caprese salad and such while sitting outside on the deck on warm summer nights....substituting the burrata for the usual mozzarella or having both on my plate. That is a good idea, though, for right now, even: the mozzarella, the sundried / roasted tomatoes, and some basil pesto....and of course the bread.....maybe with a few Kalamata olives added in there just for kicks.... I've got all but the mozzarella on hand right now.... well, actually, no wild garlic pesto but rather, the standard basil pesto to which of course one can always add more garlic. Hmm,.....you've given me a great idea for an evening meal in the next night or two!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I think that the semi-sundried tomatoes you describe are probably similar to what what I have long loved buying at this one particular store, even though they're called "roasted;" yes, they are sweeter and softer in texture and are much, much nicer and preferable to me than the regular sun-dried tomatoes which I also buy from time to time jarred, marinated in oil, or wholly dried in a package and then need to be soaked in liquid to be reconstituted. I have both the packaged dried kind and the sun-dried-marinated-in-oil kind purchasable in a jar, but, oh, these roasted tomatoes are something else again, they are so, so much better!

Through the years I would buy them when they were offered out of self-serve containers, but then the pandemic shut things down for a long time and that store didn't offer them for quite a while. Now they are slowly bringing back the open self-serve containers of some of the varieties of olives and of the roasted tomatoes, but they are also offering many of the olives and the roasted tomatoes in a store-prepared package, too. Since I am still a little hesitant about using self-serve/buffet sorts of services out of open containers, I was thrilled to see the store-prepared packaging, too, and quickly snatched up olives and the tomatoes. Now that I know that they're doing this, I won't be waiting so long to get back to that store, either!

I saw fresh Burrata at that store, too, but didn't buy any but am keeping that in mind for a little further down the road when I'm back to enjoying a Caprese salad and such while sitting outside on the deck on warm summer nights....substituting the burrata for the usual mozzarella or having both on my plate. That is a good idea, though, for right now, even: the mozzarella, the sundried / roasted tomatoes, and some basil pesto....and of course the bread.....maybe with a few Kalamata olives added in there just for kicks.... I've got all but the mozzarella on hand right now.... well, actually, no wild garlic pesto but rather, the standard basil pesto to which of course one can always add more garlic. Hmm,.....you've given me a great idea for an evening meal in the next night or two!

Forgot to mention that I also bought olives last week-end; so, fat green olives, fresh garlic, semi-sundried tomatoes, wild garlic pesto, burrata (with semi sundried tomatoes)....and fresh French bread.....delicious.

 

[Clix Pix]

Have you ever tried semi-sundried tomatoes?

Seriously recommended.

(They are) Sweeter (in taste), and softer (in texture), - and, to my palate, much more delicious - than the standard sundried tomatoes.

Last week-end, I also treated myself to a small tub of (small) mozzarella, seasoned with semi-sundried tomatoes (gone in an evening, alas), and some wild garlic pesto (also gone in an evening, as was the campagne baguette from the French bakery that accompanied them).

SS! Thank you so much for a lovely dinner tonight! (You are thinking, "eh, what?? What's she talking about???) Your mention of Wild Garlic Pesto snagged my eye, caught my attention, and really intrigued me. I've tried most of the usual basil-based pestos and over time have found that indeed some are better than others; I usually do keep a jar on hand for those quick meals, though.

Ah, but Wild Garlic Pesto??? Oooh, as a garlic lover from way, way back this definitely sent a message to me that I Must Find It and I Must Try It. Good old Amazon to the rescue once again, but rather than ordering it and having it shipped, the options were to go to one of our local (owned by Amazon) Whole Foods stores and grab a jar or two or have it delivered from the store by courier for a modest fee. I had other stuff going on today, demanding my time and attention, and really didn't want to deal with driving to the store/parking at the store (which can be "iffy" at times, especially on a Friday) and then wandering through the store in hopes of finding this on the shelf. Yet I wanted to try this, sooner rather than later..... I looked through other items which I could also have delivered, too, to make the whole courier thing worthwhile and quickly found two or three and decided to go for it. A couple of hours later I had the nicely packaged items on my doorstep, having been notified as to progress along the way as well. Well worth the courier cost! So tonight's dinner was jarred Sacla (imported from Italy) Wild Garlic Pesto on thin spaghetti, with a small salad and a favorite dessert, Whole Foods' version of Limoncello tart..... Oooh, so delicious, all of it!

I ordered two jars of the Wild Garlic Pesto and now that I know how much I like it, the next time I get to the store in person I'll be picking up more, too. It's an interesting flavor, isn't it, definitely garlic but also rather mild and yet flavorful.... Mmmmm.....!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

SS! Thank you so much for a lovely dinner tonight! (You are thinking, "eh, what?? What's she talking about???) Your mention of Wild Garlic Pesto snagged my eye, caught my attention, and really intrigued me. I've tried most of the usual basil-based pestos and over time have found that indeed some are better than others; I usually do keep a jar on hand for those quick meals, though.

Ah, but Wild Garlic Pesto??? Oooh, as a garlic lover from way, way back this definitely sent a message to me that I Must Find It and I Must Try It. Good old Amazon to the rescue once again, but rather than ordering it and having it shipped, the options were to go to one of our local (owned by Amazon) Whole Foods stores and grab a jar or two or have it delivered from the store by courier for a modest fee. I had other stuff going on today, demanding my time and attention, and really didn't want to deal with driving to the store/parking at the store (which can be "iffy" at times, especially on a Friday) and then wandering through the store in hopes of finding this on the shelf. Yet I wanted to try this, sooner rather than later..... I looked through other items which I could also have delivered, too, to make the whole courier thing worthwhile and quickly found two or three and decided to go for it. A couple of hours later I had the nicely packaged items on my doorstep, having been notified as to progress along the way as well. Well worth the courier cost! So tonight's dinner was jarred Sacla (imported from Italy) Wild Garlic Pesto on thin spaghetti, with a small salad and a favorite dessert, Whole Food's version of Limoncello tart..... Oooh, so delicious, all of it!

I ordered two jars of the Wild Garlic Pesto and now that I know how much I like it, the next time I get to the store in person I'll be picking up more, too. It's an interesting flavor, isn't it, definitely garlic but also rather mild and yet flavorful.... Mmmmm.....!

Lovely to hear (read?) that you have managed to locate some and that you thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wild garlic is in season at the moment, hence, wild garlic pesto should be (relatively) readily available.

Personally, I (absolutely) love it; that is, scooping it from the jar (before it even meets, greets or gets acquainted with, French bread) and spooning it into mouth, (greedily) loving it.

I first encountered it over a decade ago, when an Italian, (a refugee from the corporate lifestyle, and yes, a lovely leftie, he had even worked with the EU Commission as a Bright Young Thing, and holds post graduate degrees from top Italian universities, hence, we also had intense and informed discussions about political stuff, and, wonderfully, he was also extremely knowledgeable about espresso, food, cheese, wine...) was doing duty - putting in time, for a year or two - at one of the organic stalls in the local farmers' market, and, rather than "standard" (fresh) pesto (which he also made, when the basil plants allowed it, later in the summer), at this time of year, - to my stunned, and stupefied delight - he prepared wild garlic pesto.

Well, I just love garlic; and, I also love properly prepared (fresh) pesto; and this was a real Italian, who prepared stunning, wild garlic pesto.

I was whimpering with barely concealed greedy delight.

Seriously addictive.

And, ever since, at this time of year, wild garlic pesto makes a regular appearance in my fridge or at my table.

 

[Clix Pix]

Yes, it IS tempting to just scoop it right out of the jar, isn't it!!!! Utterly delicious.....now you've got me hooked!!! I might try putting some of it on the remaining Kalamata Olive Bread that I've still got....bet that will be tasty!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yes, it IS tempting to just scoop it right out of the jar, isn't it!!!! Utterly delicious.....now you've got me hooked!!! I might try putting some of it on the remaining Kalamata Olive Bread that I've still got....bet that will be tasty!

Well, I managed to visit the French bakery (hence, fresh, French bread), and also paid a fleeting visit to the farmers' market, where small burrata with semi-sundried tomatoes were purchased, as were olives, (two different types), and a small amount of sundried tomatoes (I had thought I asked for semi-sundried tomatoes, but, never mind, since I got home, they have been plumping up and softening nicely in a bath of olive oil, and very finely sliced new season's garlic), and a tub of wild garlic pesto.

Eggs, (organic, free range), homemade apple juice and homemade apple & pear juice, new season's garlic, fresh parsley and coriander (Cilantro), and two fillets of monkfish completed my purchases.

Plus some beer of the way home.

No prizes for guessing what I have been devouring this evening.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Gorgonzola was purchased today.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And last week, I treated myself to a serious selection of cheese:

Carre de Brebis (from Corsica), Bleu d'Auvergne, Cashel Blue (Mature), Camembert Rustique, Rocamadour (a stunning goat's cheese), Gouda (Noorlander, from sheep's milk), Gres des Vosges, Abondance, Munster with cumin, and Morbier.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I treated myself to a very nice selection of (mostly French) cheeses at the week-end:

Two blues: Bleu d'Auvergne, and Bleu des Causses; Camembert Rustique (made with new season's milk, delicious); Sheep's milk Gouda; Queso al Romero (a cave aged Spanish sheep's milk hard cheese coated with rosemary, and butter or olive oil); Montagne de Bethmale - a rare and quite lovely French Basque region - squashed up against the Pyrenees - cheese (made with a blend of both cow's milk and goat's milk); and Vieux Lille (a rather lovely cheese, one of the aromatic cheeses, somewhat akin to Maroilles).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Earlier today, I headed into the farmers' market, and also paid a visit to the cheesemonger's where I stocked up on some cheese. (A trip to the French bakery included some excellent French bread).

Cheeses purchased included: Aged (very mature), Cashel Blue, Bleu des Causses, and a third blue, one unknown to me until today, a Bleu de Basques, a sheep's blue cheese, hard and crumbly, from the French Basque region); Camembert Rustique (made from spring - new season's - milk), Montagne de Bethmale, another cheese from the Basque region of France, a mix of cow's milk and goat's milk), Carre de Brebis, ((a stunning, somewhat aromatic, cheese from Corsica,), Ossau-Iraty, (a delicious hard cheese from the Basque region of France, made from sheep's milk), and Noorlander Gouda (sheep's milk Gouda).

In the actual market, I also treated myself to feta cheese, and bought kalamata olives and semi-sundried tomatoes (once home, I prepared a salad with kalamata olives, chopped red onion, cherry tomatoes, and chopped feta cheese, drizzled - generously - with olive oil), and mozzarella (small balls of mozzarella cheese, which, once home, I prepared into a salad with semi-sundried tomatoes - also purchased in the market - very finely sliced new season's garlic, - about a head - and generously anointed with olive oil).

Other purchases included fruit (apricots, cherries, lemons, grapefruit, oranges), eggs (free range, organic), and vegetables, (salad leaves, spinach, carrots, onions, French onions, and new season's garlic).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I paid a visit to both the farmers' market (and the cheesemonger's) today, plus the French bakery:

Cheese purchases included two blues: Roquefort, and Bleu de Basques; two (semi-soft) washed rind cheeses one of which goes by the (wonderful) name of Drunken Saint, while the other is the classic St Nectaire; a Corsican sheep's cheese named Brin d'Amour; Cantal, which is the closest French cheese to cheddar - a less "dense" but still, quite delicious, rich and savoury cheese.

At present, the fridge also plays host to some Shropshire Red (a robust, cheddar style cheese) and Stilton.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Saturday, which means paying a visit to the farmers' market, the French bakery, and the cheesemonger's.

Cheeses purchased: Mozzarella, (in the olive oil stall), along with olives and semi-sundried tomatoes.

In the cheesemonger's, I treated myself to a selection of cheeses: Two were blue: Roquefort, and a new blue from Italy, called BirbaBlu, (a lovely blue that has been soaked in ale); the timeless classic Camembert Rustique; Carre de Brebis from Corsica; Ossau-Iraty, a cheese made from sheep's milk from the French Basque region, and another brand new (somewhat creamy cheese, from Italy) called El novaleson dji Fra Fulvio.

And, as it happens, I still have some splendid Cantal and Shropshire Red.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Does (freshly) grated Parmesan - that is, Parmigiano Reggiano - (rather than freshly grated Pecorino) - count in a cheese thread?

Anyway, this evening, I had a tweak on Pasta (Spaghetti) Carbonara, the tweak being that I omitted the pasta entirely, and had lightly scrambled (free range, organic) eggs, with grated parmesan (not pecorino - I didn't have any, whereas parmesan can always be found chateau moi) and sautéed guanciale, sautéed in butter, and seasoned with sea salt and black pepper.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

On Saturday, when visiting the cheesemonger, (while also taking in the farmers' market), I treated myself to a number of cheeses:

These included two blues, the classic Roquefort from France, and the stunning Birbablu from Italy; Cantal (a cheddar style cheese from France), and an amazing Raclette (which is usually sold too young, when it is bland); Carre de Brebis from Corsica, and two hard cheeses, Pecorino Romano, and Parmiagiano Reggiano, both from Italy.

Oh, yes: And some small balls of Mozzarella cheese plus olives, and semi-sundried tomatoes, from the olive, and olive oil, stall.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Cheese shopping today included: Three blue cheeses: Roquefort, Bleu d'Auvergne, and Birbablu (the first two are both classic blues from France, the last, a lovely beer washed blue from Italy.)

St Nectaire, a lovely semi-soft, washed rind cheese from France.

Raclette, a gorgeous cheese normally sold far too young, with a stunning, slightly sticky, texture, and a serious (and tempting) aroma.

Raschera, a relatively mild - yet tasty - semi-hard Italian cheese.

Hard cheeses purchased included a stunning Gouda, but this one is a smoked Gouda, one made from goat's milk, and the always excellent Ossau-Iraty, a sheep's milk cheese from the Basque region of France.

Today, both the Camembert and Époisses were too young to bother with.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Visited the farmers' market today, and I also visited my cheesemonger:

Cheeses purchased included three blue cheeses: Roquefort, Bleu des Causses (similar to Roquefort but made from cow's milk), both from France, and Birableu - an Italian blue cheese, one where the rind has been washed with beer.

For semi-soft cheese, my eye alighted upon the classic St Nectaire, wonderfully ripe Camembert Rustique, and Carre de Brebis from Corsica, plus an unusual (and award-winning) Irish washed rind cheese, that goes by the glorious name of Drunken Saint.

Hard cheeses included Cantal (a rare French cheese that is similar to cheddar); the Basque region cheese Ossau-Iraty, which is always excellent, Raclette, lovely and aged, with a glorious "sticky" texture, a smoked goat's cheese Gouda, and Pecorino Romano.

Other purchases included some Parma ham, several slices of Mortadella, and some Italian fennel salami, and French apricot jam, and French black cherry jam. And guanciale.

Locally produced honey was purchased in one of the stalls.

And a baguette - which had been kept for me - was purchased from the French bakery.