Make the most of farmers market fresh finds

This time of year, farmers markets seem to be equally divided between produce — the fruits and vegetables of the season — and “other,” products ranging from freshly baked bread to herb vinegars, fruit preserves, local honey, and artisan cheeses. While you’re waiting for the full-on summer’s bounty of fresh greens, berries, and root vegs to appear at your farmers market, take inspiration from what’s on hand right now and pair classic spring garden goodies with the other products being peddled:

Fresh find: Strawberries. These harbingers of spring marry well with a balsamic-honey marinade (equal parts balsamic vinegar and honey) and a wheel of Camembert cheese. If your farmers market has a bakery booth, find a rustic loaf bread and you’ve got the makings of an impromptu spring picnic.

Fresh find: Peas. Traditionally served as a side, spring peas also make a colorful salad when mixed with chopped red onion, cubed Cheddar cheese, crisp crumbled bacon, all dressed with a mix of sour cream, mayonnaise, and a splash of white vinegar. Add elbow pasta if you want to serve this Midwest-style or forego it for a lighter side dish.

Fresh find:  Asparagus. In most cases, spring produce is served best by simple recipes, but here, feel free to indulge. A creamy gratin, made with chopped asparagus, Gouda cheese, a dash of nutmeg, and a healthy dose of artisan butter is rich enough to elevate this vegetable to meat-free main dish instead of side. If you’re fortunate enough to find ramps at your local farmers market, their leek-like flavor will complement this dish well.

Fresh find: Spinach. Salads made from spring-tender baby spinach leaves are more easily bruised than those from later in the season; dress these delicate leaves with a simple vinaigrette made from local honey, a full-bodied mustard, and a touch of olive oil. Top with crumbled Port Salut-style cheese for a creamy indulgence that still lets the fresh greens shine through. Hit the bakery stall before you leave and choose a hearty multi-grain bread to accompany. If you’re up for some early-season grilling, try skin-on salmon or simply seasoned chicken breast for an easy — but tasty — meal.

Art of the omelet

Somewhere along the line, Americans dropped the French spelling of omelet, but it would be a shame to lose the classical French preparation of the eggs in this quick and flexible dish. Omelet night can turn dinnertime into an event, with everyone choosing their own cheese, vegetable and/or meat filling combo — provided you have someone experienced at the art of cooking eggs, which can be temperamental.

When making one or many omelets, you’ll need a heavy-bottomed frying pan (nonstick for the novice). Set the heat to medium-high and wait for the butter to foam up and then subside. Plan on three eggs and about a tablespoon of butter (we like unsalted) for each omelet. Break the eggs into a bowl with high sides and beat until the yolks and whites are incorporated, and the color is a uniform pale yellow. When the buttery foam has subsided, pour the eggs in; they should begin to sizzle. Use a spatula or fork to stir the eggs vigorously while moving the pan back and forth, keeping the curds small. When the eggs are barely set (they’ve lost some, but not all their shine), we like to depart from the French method, which would entail rolling the lightly cooked omelet up with little to no browning and serving as-is with no filling. But if there’s a chance to add cheese, we’ll take it: Once the eggs have set, add your choice of toppings, totaling about three tablespoons, to the creation and fold it in half with a broad spatula. Give the heat of the eggs about thirty seconds to melt the cheese and serve while hot.

Consider the following filling combinations for your dinner omelets, which can be served with your favorite artisan bread and a leafy-greens salad:

Dill-infused Havarti with smoked salmon

Cheddar, chopped fresh chives, and cracked black pepper, with or without chopped bacon

Port-Salut, prosciutto, and spinach

Inspiration for other fillings can strike with a peek into the refrigerator; with a dose of cheese, many vegetables, starch, and meat leftovers will make for a unique omelet.

Quiz Time! The “sharp” in cheddar refers to:

a.          The change in flavor due to aging

b.          The style of knife needed to slice it

c.          The distinct corners created when slicing it

d.          The intensity of its aroma

If you answered a. The change in flavor due to aging. You are correct.

Salute to a sandwich: National Grilled Cheese Day

Mark your calendars and heat up the griddle: April 12 marks National Grilled Cheese Day. This year, we’ve decided to double the celebration, because we figure when it comes to cheese, more is better. Consuming cheese in combination is not a new idea; recipes from amultitude of different cultures and cuisines use two or more varieties to achieve peak deliciousness. As you’re gearing up for your celebratory grilled cheese, try these partnerships to take your annual festivities to the next level: 

Gouda and Cheddar. Why: Gouda brings a nutty, sweet flavor, which is offset by the tanginess of the Cheddar. Add-ons: Complement these two with applewood-smoked bacon and thin apple slices on good sourdough bread for a tantalizing culinary adventure. Serve with: Kettle-cooked potato chips and cornichons.

Port-Salut style and Havarti. Why: Both cheeses are creamy and melt beautifully — your sandwich will look as good as it tastes. Add-ons: Spinach and tomato will provide a fresh and slightly acidic accent to this rich combination. Use light wheat bread and toast gently to accommodate the low melting point of the cheeses. Serve with: a mixed berry salad.

Mexican-style Manchego and pepper-infused Havarti. Why: The Manchego pairs well with Havarti’s creamy meltability and mild kick of habanero and jalapeño peppers. Add-ons: After grilling, layer in some avocado slices and pico de gallo or fresh cilantro. Serve with: a cup of chicken tortilla soup.

Cheese Feature: SARK: triple cream butterkase cheese

Creamy, buttery, mild, and versatile are words that quickly come to mind when describing our Sark butterkäse cheese. Named for the English channel island of Sark, this golden delight has as its origin the alpine region of Germany and Switzerland, but it knows no borders today. 

Our rich Guernsey milk gives this mild cheese a near decadent melt-in-your-mouth creaminess. Did we say versatile? This cheese will improve just about anything it touches, from soups, omelets, pastas and steamed vegetables, to sauces and sandwiches, to your next charcuterie board. Some old-world cooks even add it to their strudel. As Sark gets older, it’s able to be spread when it reaches room temperature, opening up another world of possibilities. 

Try slicing and serve with prosciutto and olives on sourdough with grapes, plums or melon on the side. A Chardonnay or Riesling will pair well, too, but it’s just as comfortable with your favorite lager or even a spot of brandy. 

Quiz Time!!! What is the French term for a person who specializes in aging and maturing cheese?

a.          Affineur

b.          Sommelier

c.          Fromager

d.          Turophile

If you answered a. Affineur, you are correct!

Inspired eating

Monastic life — the term conjures up images of bare-bones, austere conditions and ultra-simple fare. And while there’s some truth in that categorization, many of life’s luxuries — sparkling wines, rich liqueurs, and decadent cheeses — can be attributed to the creativity and industry of monks who were committed both to a simple lifestyle and to gustatory R&D. From Trappist to Carmelite to Benedictine, monastic orders have been historically linked to elevated food and drink. In fact, some of the world’s most decadent and special cheeses have their roots in Europe’s monasteries. Case in point: Port Salut cheese, a 19th-century achievement in semi-soft, creamy, mellow flavor that was created by French Trappist monks who lived at the Port-du-Salut Abbey.

That’s just one of the varieties that disciplined, scientific-minded monks are behind: With seasonal religious restrictions on meat, dairy was often the protein source of choice in the cloisters. Storage, always a problem for perishables like liquid milk, led to innovation and experimentation, and oftentimes the “house” cheese would be offered to the public as well. Some varieties caught on, cottage-industry style, and certain monasteries became known for their cheese offerings as much as their spiritual dedication.

The religious influence sometimes spilled out beyond sacred ground — Camembert cheese, while not a monastic innovation, was created by a Normandy farmer who was schooled on the craft in the late 1700s by an abbot from Brie, making it a monastic-adjacent cheese that has defied its humble beginnings and come to define decadence. Monastic cheeses are quite the departure from the simple fare you’d expect to see at the religious orders’ tables — still, their rich flavors align quite nicely with their rich historical legacy.

Quiz time! What does the German name “Butterkase” translate to in English?

a. Better cheese

b. Butter cheese

c. Butter chase

d. Goat cheese

Scroll past the image for the answer!

The answer is B: Butter cheese!

The slice is right

Whether you’re snacking in your pajamas or hosting a fancy get-together, chances are that cheese is on the invite list. And if you’ve ever found yourself — in either scenario — hacking away at a wedge of Cheddar with a butter knife, we’re not here to judge: no matter how you slice it, cheese is a welcome addition at any time. But there’s a better way to slice and serve your favorites, and it’s not a matter of etiquette. It’s plain old physics. Soft, semi-soft, and hard cheeses should be matched to the right style cutter. Moisture level and density can make a mess of a bad blade-variety combination.

Here’s the scoop, or more accurately, the slice:

For firm cheeses, you’ll want a sturdy blade with an easy-to grip handle. The cheese plane (pictured at the top of the above photo) is a great choice; it strips off thin ribbons of Cheddar, Gouda, and even Parmigiano-Reggiano. It was invented in the 1920s by a Norwegian cabinetmaker; legend has it that he was inspired by the carpenter’s plane, a tool of his craft. The design has proven effective and hasn’t changed much over the years. Start with a slightly chilled brick of cheese and you’ll be planning like a pro in no time.

For semi-soft cheeses like Havarti and young Butterkase, try a cheese knife that has holes, like the one in the photo. These open-surface blades prevent softer, cheeses from sticking to the blade and stopping you mid-slice. The “grab” you feel when using a regular blade is created by a vacuum effect, and those holes break up the contact between knife and cheese. Another option, not pictured, is a wire slicer; they work well for cheeses in between soft and firm.

For soft cheeses, look for a thin, curved blade; anything heavy or thick will crush cheeses like Camembert and Brie. You’ll find that many of these cheese knives have a forked tip as seen in the open-surface blade in the photo — manufacturers will often combine these features into an almost all-purpose blade.

The case for Butterkäse

You’re no doubt familiar with the greatest hits of the cheese display; Cheddar, Gouda, and the like are instantly recognizable celebrities. And if you’re adventurous, you’re probably willing to try some unfamiliar cheeses — but not all of them require an adventurous palate. The German Butterkäse is a case in point: its name translates to “butter cheese” and it’s as creamy, mild, and meltingly delicious as that name implies, making it a great choice for more picky palates. Pronounced “booter keh zeh,” this relatively new variety was created in 1920s Germany to mimic its Italian counterpart Bel Paese and offer Germans an approachable cheese that’s as versatile as it is appealing. Germans prize Butterkäse for its meltability, but also serve it chilled for “abendbrot,” or evening bread (aka a simple charcuterie board). You’ll want to try it both ways; Butterkäse’s melting power is legendary both in the past and more recently, as social media has catapulted it into stardom for a simple application: stuffed into a slow-baked Japanese sweet potato.
Because Butterkäse has such a simple flavor profile, quality milk and careful crafting are essential. Whether you’re a casual cheese eater or a connoisseur, our “Sark” triple-cream version of Butterkäse in a simple grilled cheese is a great place to start your exploration — and appreciation — of this semi-soft, always decadent gem.