Manchego, the Mexican way

Its name goes back to the breed of sheep raised in La Mancha, Spain, but Mexican-style Manchego cheese is a spin-off of a Spanish classic that has a flavor and a history all its own. Spanish Manchego — the original — is made from sheep’s milk and aged to various stages. Its distinctive nutty flavor and texture have earned the Spanish version a place in tapas and charcuterie boards. Still, sheep-milk cheese can be an acquired taste, and there’s room in the kitchen for a New World alternative. While Mexican-style Manchego takes its inspiration and technique from its Spanish counterpart, it’s made from cow’s milk and offers a much different experience (especially when compared to Spanish Manchego Viejo, which is the aged version that’s tangy and intensely earthy). Mexican-style Manchego is milder and very versatile. 

Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery’s Mexican-style Manchego rises above the typical versions; the rich, golden Guernsey milk used in its production; the buttery texture melts on the palate and delivers a nutty, tart, and sweet flavor profile. It’s an adaptable cheese that comes in handy for quick snacks and meals as well as more involved recipes. We especially like it melted — try it in flautas, tamales, and enchiladas. For an easy tapas-inspired appetizer that plays off its Spanishroots, spear cubed Mexican-style Manchego cheese with folded slices of serrano ham and olives on toothpicks and accompany with a classic Spanish rioja. 

For the love of cheese

If you’re searching for a Valentine’s Day gift that will land better than the old, tired choices like chocolates and roses, consider some study results from Wakefield Research for Wisconsin Cheese: your instincts are right on. More than 60% of Americans polled said they’re weary of the stereotypical Valentine’s gifts — and even more called out cheese as a preferred substitute.

Luckily for shoppers, the folks at Wisconsin Cheese have already launched the perfect way to make those Valentine’s Day wishes come true. They recently launched their “Wedges of Love” collection, a curated variety of some award-winning cheeses from around the state. The nine varieties are arranged to resemble a bouquet and can be personalized with a poem for the recipient. You can order until Feb. 8 — but do so quickly, while supplies last.

The Wedges of love include:

Carr Valley Cheese Company, Cranberry Chipotle Cheddar

Deer Creek Cheese, The Carawaybou

Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery, Belaire

Landmark Creamery, Tallgrass Reserve

Marieke Gouda, Fenugreek

Roelli Cheese Haus, Dunbarton Blue

Roth Cheese, Grand Cru Reserve

Sartori Cheese, SarVecchio

Uplands Cheese Company, Pleasant Ridge Reserve

The boxes also include four stainless knives, the personalized poem, and some suggestions for pairings and recipes.

Quiz Time ! ! !

Manchego cheese is named after:

a.          A region of Mexico

b.          A breed of sheep

c.          A method of cheesemaking

d.          Its inventor

If you answered b, you are correct!

Cheese Feature: Havarti Fuego

This milky, creamy cheese offers a light and mild flavor, with a semi-firm, smooth texture. It features delicate buttery notes that perfectly balance the slight tanginess and a spicy kick from the mix of habanero and jalapeño peppers. It’s great for melting or slicing, and can be used in a variety of dishes.

This cheese pairs wonderfully with fruits, cured meats, dark chocolate, or tortilla chips. The ideal pairings include a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a refreshing Pilsner, or a Pale Ale. For a contrasting option, try it with a delicate Rosé or a bubbly Prosecco. Order Here!

Havarti: There’s a lot of heritage in those little holes

Different cultures make for different cheeses — and by “cultures,” of course, we mean both geographic regions and the microbes used to create the unique flavors and textures of your favorites. In the case of Havarti — one of the most famous Danish cheeses —  the cultures added include those for flavor and one to create its signature holes. Havarti was originally created in Denmark by Hanne Nielsen, a 19th-century innovator who, while certainly not the first woman to dabble in the cheese arts, was one of the earliest noted for her contributions. Nielsen’s original technique yielded a softer, smearable version of the Havarti we know today; over the decades, the recipe and methods have been reworked to culminate in a buttery, slightly sweet cheese scattered throughout with small holes. These are a result of a chemical reaction during the cheesemaking process, similar to the larger holes that form in Swiss cheese.
While Havarti is named after the farm where Nielsen developed her method, the name soon went into use everywhere the cheese was produced. In 2019, the European Union’s Protected Geographical Indication rights were invoked for Harvarti after a concerted effort by Denmark’s cheese industry. That meant only cheese from the Danish point of origin could be labeled “Havarti.” However, that decision was revoked after international pushback and cheeses made outside of that geographical region can again be called Havarti as well.

No matter what you call it, Havarti’s mild but distinctive flavor complements everything from dill (a classic combination — dill is a ubiquitous herb in Scandinavian cooking) and chili peppers. That’s why Hoard’s offers three options: traditional Island Havarti, dill-infused, and Fuego, which is made with a mixture of habanero and jalapeño peppers.

Camembert en croute

Camembert is one of those cheeses that can be enjoyed at room temperature, but if you take a little time and effort to fancy it up, you just might never go back to more casual snacking. The classic preparation for Cambembert-style cheeses is cloaked in puff pastry and baked until it’s melty — it’s difficult to improve on this method, but feel free to improvise with your choice of fruit preserves (we chose strawberry because it’s classic!).

Ingredients

1 wheel of Camembert-style cheese

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 tablespoons good-quality strawberry or other flavor preserves (fig, apricot, blackberry, or raspberry are great options)

Directions

Thaw puff pastry while preheating oven to 400°. Roll pastry out to a 10-inch square and cut it into a circle. Cut off the top of the Camembert wheel and place the preserves in a circle the size of the cheese wheel in the center of the puff pastry circle. With the cut sid down, place the cheese wheel on the preserves. Starting with a small section, bring the puff pastry over the cheese wheel, making a fold. Continue with folding the excess pastry with the folds going in the same direction until the cheese is encased. Press down on the seal so the pastry stays in place, then flip it over to place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve with charcuterie, apple slices and other fruit, and crackers.

Cheese Feature: Island Havarti

Our farm’s rich milk gives our Island Havarti serious Unami qualities – a cheeseboard and melting champ. A soft, buttery cheese, strewn with little holes and a soft tang of acidity, it goes well with apples, honey, pickled vegetables, red wine, calvados, Belgium ale, and so much more.

It is a complement and enhancer of taste with whatever it is accompanied by.

Quiz Time!

Which cheese takes the shortest amount of time to ripen?

a.          Brie

b.          Mild Cheddar

c.          Parmigiano Reggiano

d.          Sharp Cheddar

If you answered a. Brie, you are correct!

What makes Gouda so good?

Some cheeses are acquired tastes and may require fast talking to convince more hesitant palettes to indulge; Bleu and Gorgonzola come to mind. Other cheeses have nearly universal appeal and are safe bets for the lunchbox, dinner table, or charcuterie board.

However, that doesn’t mean these “safe” cheeses are boring. In fact, they’re often anything but. Case in point: Gouda. This Dutch creation has been around since the 1200s — and we think Gouda’s been kept in circulation for good reason. Known for its slightly caramelly, nutty characteristics and its increasing complexity during the aging process, Gouda’s mild but distinctive flavor profile — more sweet than tangy — is achieved during the cheesemaking process. The curds are washed with a hot-water rinse, which removes some of the lactose.

This might sound counterintuitive — lactose is, after all, a sugar — but by taking some of this chemical out of the equation, less lactic acid is produced during the rest of the curds’ journey. The result is a mildly sweet cheese without the characteristic tang of varieties that aren’t treated with this curd-washing method.

Gouda is ready to eat when it’s aged for at least four weeks — at this stage, it’s sweet and mild, with a fudgy texture. Let it age for months or years, and magical things happen: Rich, nutty, and caramel notes unfold, and after a while the cheese will develop its signature crystals and a butterscotch flavor.

Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery Gouda is aged six months — long enough to build character but still remain in the pocket for maximum appeal. We recommend enjoying it with tart apple slices, cured meats, your favorite crackers, and maybe a hearty, whole-grained mustard. Consider a crisp, white wine or a Merlot to complement the spread.

Crazy for Butterkäse? You’re not alone

While social media is currently flooded with people trying a viral food trend: a baked sweet potato stuffed with Butterkäse cheese, we know that the recommended cheese lends itself to much more than this two-ingredient treat. But why does it work so well — and caught on so quickly — in this simple application? Butterkäse has a couple things in its favor here: It melts easily and beautifully, and its mild, creamy flavor offsets the rich, sweet taste of sweet potatoes.

Whether you’re indulging in this cheese for clout or because you love its buttery essence, Butterkäse can be hard to track down. When you do get ahold of some, why not enjoy it with a little more fanfare than just poking it into a potato and calling it good? Here, we take those two ingredients and elevate them to a meal-worthy dish — one that’s perfect for chilly winter nights. Try this sweet potato- Butterkäse gratin and you’ll be racking up “likes” at your own dinner table.

Butterkäse, while it could be swapped out for similar soft and melty cheeses like Bel-Aire or Gouda, really does make the dish here. It’s of German origin and often can even be spread rather than sliced. It’s relatively new to the cheese scene, but it’s universally appealing, with a mild, smooth flavor that sidesteps objections from those who “don’t like cheese.” These days, Germany still produces most of the Butterkäse eaten in Europe, and in the U.S., Wisconsin-based companies — like Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery — offer it locally as well as nationally.

Sweet Potato- Butterkäse Gratin

Ingredients

Five sweet potatoes, average-sized, peeled and sliced about 1/8-inch thick

1 cup whole milk and 1 cup cream or half-and-half

1 small white or yellow onion, sliced thinly

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning or combination of sage, rosemary, and thyme

Seven ounces Butterkäse cheese, chopped into small cubes

Fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375° F. Mix the milk and cream/half-and-half with the salt, pepper, and seasonings. In a greased two-quart baking dish, or eight individual gratin dishes, layer the milk mixture, sweet potatoes, onion, and cheese, starting with the milk and ending with a sprinkling of cheese cubes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and baked for 45 minutes. Uncover, garnish with parsley, and bake for about 30 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are fork tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Serves 8 as a side dish — goes great with a mixed leaf salad and a simple roast chicken.