Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Second cheese of the week......Womanchego!

Womanchego
Inspired by the classic Spanish sheep milk cheese Manchego, our cows' milk Womanchego is aged 3 to 4 months, making it more similar to a young Manchego than the aged version most commonly found in cheese shops. The flavor is medium mild and a touch sweet with hints of fruit and nut. Moister than its Spanish cousin, our Womanchego is delicious on sandwiches, with wine, or melted. On limited occasions we will offer our Wise Womanchego, aged for at least 9 months. 



Try these recipes:


Arugula Salad with Manchego, Apples, and Carmelized


Manchego is a great addition to any salad--heres a new one to try! Also try adding Manchego, walnuts, and  craisins to any salad.


http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Arugula-Salad-with-Manchego-Apples-and-Caramelized-Walnuts-108611


Honey glazed Fried Manchego Balls YUM


http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/honey-glazed-fried-manchego-cheese-recipe/index.html


Sun-Dried Tomato, Parsley, and Manchego Grilled Cheese


A new twist on Grilled cheese. It's healthier too :)


http://www.chow.com/recipes/11099-sun-dried-tomato-parsley-and-manchego-grilled-cheese



Get ready for another cheesy week.....Dutch Farmstead!!!

Dutch Farmstead
Creamy and mild with a slight nutty undertone and a rich, round, well-balanced flavor, the Dutch Farmstead is our variation on Gouda. Consistently one of our favorites, the Dutch was recognized by both Saveur magazine in 2005 and Slow Food USA in 2003 as one of the best American raw milk farmstead cheeses. Ideal for sandwiches or with crackers and wine, Dutch Farmstead is creamier and sweeter than Bridgid's Abbey. Melts well. Aged 2 - 3 months.

Try these recipes:



Gouda mashed potatoes! 
Super easy to make, just need potatoes, butter, cream/milk, and cheeeeeese


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/smoked-gouda-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html


Sandwich: Ham, Gouda, Carmelized onions, roasted tomato mayonnaise
This might be a bit complex to make completely by the book, but try a variation! Pair Gouda, ham or turkey, and grilled onions with some mayo to make a more simple, tasty sandwich.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-ham-gouda-cheese-with-caramelized-onions-and-roasted-tomato-mayonnaise-recipe/index.html


Apple Gouda Quesadillas!!
Impress your friends with your cooking skills using this unusual but tasty looking recipe.


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/apple-gouda-quesadillas/detail.aspx


Gouda Spinach Quiche
A slightly more ambitious undertaking, but still completely doable!


http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/gouda-spinach-quiche/detail.aspx

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Cheese of the Week: Bridgid's Abbey!!!



  • Bridgid's Abbey

    Our popular Trappist-style monastery cheese with a smooth, creamy consistency and a slightly acidic aftertaste. Bridgid's Abbey has been one of our best sellers for years - its irresistible rich, mild taste is ideal for all-day eating for breakfast, sandwiches, or snacking. It melts well, performing excellently in quiche, toasted cheese, or over vegetables. Bridgid's Abbey varies in consistency somewhat from summer to winter - the winter batches are quite creamy, while the summer milk yields a slightly firmer texture. Aged 2 - 3 months.
Try out these recipes: 

http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=viewrecipe&recipe_id=164&Itemid=56

Substitute the Chaumes with Bridgid's Abbey to make Hush puppies! Chaumes is also a Trappist-style cheese that comes from southwest France and is made of cows milk, so it should have a similar taste. 


http://iledefrancecheese.com/index.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=viewrecipe&recipe_id=499&Itemid=56

Tryout this easy cauliflower recipe (especially for those of you who received cauliflower from the fruit & veggie co-op). Again, substitute the Chaumes with Bridgid's Abbey.


Happy cheesing!

Cheese of the week: Vivace Bambino!!!

Hey cheese co-op! One of our first cheeses of the week is Vivace Bambino. Here is a little more info on the delicious first taste:

Vivace Bambino
Our young Vivace is sweet, chewy and moist, a medium mild cheese with a flavor like Swiss Emmental. It is excellent for sandwiches, antipasto, or melting. Made with vegetarian marzyme rennet, Vivace Bambino is aged 2 to 3 months.



Personally, the texture and taste even reminds me a bit of a young gouda. I'm including some recipes for you all to try out!

http://macaroniandcheese.mydailyrecipe.com/tag/emmental-cheese/

A simple and more gourmet twist to mac and cheese. Substitute the Emmental/Gouda with the Vivace Bambino, and then pair with feta if you can get it!

http://paninihappy.com/emmental-honey-ham-panini-recipe/

I bet you've never thought of this before....next time you want a quick fix for lunch try out this Honey, ham and Emmental panini. Subsitute the Emmental with Vivace Bambino and tell us what you think!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-gouda-patties/detail.aspx

Try substituting Vivace for the Gouda on these bacon-gouda burgers!

xo,
The Cheese Co-op

Friday, March 25, 2011

Cheese Day!

This week, we’ve got Vivace Bambino and a new cheese- Bridgid’s Abbey. According to Cato Corners:

Bridgid's Abbey 
Our popular Trappist-style monastery cheese with a smooth, creamy consistency and a slightly acidic aftertaste. Bridgid's Abbey has been one of our best sellers for years - its irresistible rich, mild taste is ideal for all-day eating for breakfast, sandwiches, or snacking. It melts well, performing excellently in quiche, toasted cheese, or over vegetables. Bridgid's Abbey varies in consistency somewhat from summer to winter - the winter batches are quite creamy, while the summer milk yields a slightly firmer texture. Aged 2 - 3 months.
'
We at the cheese co-op agree! This is the softest, most cheese-platter friendly cheese we have offered all semester. It’s best consumed simply at room temperature, with crackers or bread.

Wine Pairings: Since this cheese doesn’t have a popular counterpart, it was more difficult to find appropriate pairings. However, in honor of the Trappist tradition, we suggest imbibing in a Belgian or Dutch ale. Or Franzia.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dutch Farmstead and Vivace Bambino- Recipes and More!

Vivace Bambino is a medium firm cheese that is similar in taste to Swiss Emmental. It can be used in fondues, quiche and frittata. Although it is a good melting and cooking cheese, it is also delicious in cold sandwiches like ham or roast beef.

Recipes for Vivace Bambino-

Fondue

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheese-Fondue-231492

This recipe uses both Emmental and Gruyere cheese. Substitute the Vivace Bambino for the Emmental. If you can’t find Gruyere, you can substitute Jarlsberg or even Swiss cheese, but these are generally less soft and less nutty than Gruyere and will result in a more mild fondue.

Serve fondue with crusty bread and vegetables.

Quiche

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/After-Farmers-Market-Quiche

This is a pretty standard quiche recipe. Feel free to add other vegetables, herbs, or even bacon if you’re feeling carnivorous.

Wine Pairings- Beaujolais, Riesling, Chardonnay


Dutch Farmstead is softer and slightly more pungent than the Vivace Bambino. The Cato Corners website says it’s similar to Gouda, but it’s probably more robust than your run-of-the-mill Gouda. Try it melted in your morning scrambled eggs, or in a sandwich with sliced apples and ham.

Recipes for Dutch Farmstead-

Pasta Primavera

http://www.deliciouspastarecipes.net/pasta-primavera-with-smoked-gouda/

Substitute Dutch Farmstead for Gouda.

Gouda Quesadilla

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/apple-gouda-quesadillas/Detail.aspx

Why not try a variation on the traditional grilled cheese?

Wine Pairings- Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Chardonnay

And remember, kids, Franzia goes with everything.

Happy eating,
The Cheese Co-op

Monday, February 14, 2011

First Cheese Pickup!

Hey everyone,

Welcome to the Cheese Co-op! The first pick-up will occur on Wednesday from 5 pm to 7 pm in the storage room off the back of Weshop (it is the building nearest to Church street; this space is also used by the Fruit and Veggie Co-op). The first round of cheeses will be Dutch Farmstead and Vivace Bambino. Check out the descriptions below!

Dutch Farmstead
Creamy and mild with a slight nutty undertone and a rich, round, well-balanced flavor, the Dutch Farmstead is our variation on Gouda. Consistently one of our favorites, the Dutch was recognized by both Saveur magazine in 2005 and Slow Food USA in 2003 as one of the best American raw milk farmstead cheeses. Ideal for sandwiches or with crackers and wine, Dutch Farmstead is creamier and sweeter than Bridgid's Abbey. Melts well. Aged 2 - 3 months.

Vivace Bambino
Our young Vivace is sweet, chewy and moist, a medium mild cheese with a flavor like Swiss Emmental. It is excellent for sandwiches, antipasto, or melting. Made with vegetarian marzyme rennet, Vivace Bambino is aged 2 to 3 months.

Keep your eyes on our blog for food pairings and recipe ideas!

Looking forward to cheese consumption,

-The Cheese Co-Op

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Information About Cato Corner Farms

Be a part of Wesleyan's new cheese co-op, and support an organic, local family farm! You'll get two different 8 oz. cheeses (with fun names like Hooligan and Drunk Monk!) provided by nearby Cato Corner Farm every other week for the rest of the semester. A share costs 92 points (or Middletown cash) and you can also split a share with one friend (46 points each) or two friends (31 points each) Spread the word to your friends about this great new co-op!

Cato Corner Farm raises 40 cows sans hormones and subtherapeutic antibiotics. From the raw milk these healthy cows provide, the farm creates a range of flavorful, sophisticated cheese products. This award winning cheese farm sells its products throughout the country, including at some of America’s premier cheese-shops such as Murray’s and Saxelby Cheesemonger’s.

To find out more about the variety of cheese that Cato Corner Farm produces check out: http://www.catocornerfarm.com/cheeses.pdf
(note: there is no guarantee that you'll be able to try all cheese types, as many are
seasonal and/or limited availability, but we will try to get as diverse a variety as
possible)

E-mail us at wescheesecoop@gmail.com if you have questions