Classic style: the art of Camembert

Like many foods named for their places of origin, Camembert cheese has “outgrown” its first home; today, many Camembert-style cheeses are crafted far from Normandy, France, where the variety has roots going back all the way to the 18th century. Its origin story: during the French Revolution a farmer’s wife named Marie Harel was guided in the cheesemaking process by Abbot Charles-Jean Bonvoust, a priest who was fleeing persecution. Harel took him in, and he in turn inspired her in the ways of this now-iconic cheese.

Our version, St. Saviour, is named for the place that inspires us: a rural parish on Guernsey Island that has strong connections with Normandy. And our Wisconsin dairy farm is a part of that Guernsey legacy: it’s home to the descendants of our founder’s original Guernsey herd and produces the milk for all our cheeses.

Today’s many localized versions of Camembert might stray geographically, but they all have a few things in common with the 1790s original: They are surface-ripened, with a rich, soft, and buttery interior cloaked in bright white edible rind.

Like its cousin Brie, Camembert derives much of its distinctive visual appeal and unique flavor from the cheesemaking process; the rind is the result of enzymes that develop after Penicillium candidum is applied to the surface. Those enzymes quickly ripen the cheese, which develops an almost-earthy flavor that’s reminiscent of mushrooms. You may find that Camembert’s aroma is complex and serves to heighten that distinctive taste.

The rind adds its own flavor profile: a slight tang that can put off the uninitiated — but you don’t have to eat the rind to get the idea, as the rich, nutty interior is enjoyable on its own. Either way, accompany your Camembert-style cheese with a crusty baguette, fresh fruits, or your favorite jam (find a traditional preparation method here).

Rarely eaten these days, rarebit deserves a comeback

Think of it as an inside-out grilled cheese sandwich: the cheese is getting the final toasting, not the bread. Of course, the traditional preparation of Welsh rarebit takes matters a little further — creating a cheese sauce instead of just using plain cheese — but if you’re trying to explain rarebit to the uninitiated, the topsy-turvy grilled cheese is a quick way to get the point across.

Welsh rarebit is a simple dish with a complicated etymology. It’s also called Welsh rabbit, though with its many cultural and regional variations, you’d be hard-pressed to find universal agreement on either its name or its ingredients. There’s Scotch rabbit, Buck Rarebit, Rum Tum Ditty, Blushing Bunny… you get the idea. It’s been around so long that just about every culture has its version.

On the Channel Island of Guernsey, Welsh Rarebit is first mentioned in an 1878 newspaper article on a cookery school’s guest program. After noting that the “delicate and elegant” rarebit recipe presented called for cream, the Guernsey author chided the lecturer for “confessing to never have heard (which surprises us in so accomplished an artiste) of the ordinary form of this delicacy in which Scotch ale or porter forms so conspicuous an ingredient.” So even back then, the exact particulars of the recipe were up for discussion, with a strong bias for whatever version you’d grown up with.

All that differing nomenclature and ingredient requirements make a larger point: Toasting cheese on top of bread is universally enjoyed because it's across-the-board appealing. Whether you top it with an egg, spike it with a little booze, or spice it up with a bit of cayenne, rarebit makes a quick, easy, and hearty accompaniment to winter stews and soups, or a satisfying snack on its own. Here’s a recipe that follows the classic preparation mentioned in the 1800s Guernsey Star article. Feel free to use it as a jumping-off point to create — and name — your own variation.

Classic Welsh Rarebit
2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1 pound good-quality Cheddar cheese, grated

¾ cup hearty beer/stout/ale

½ teaspoon cayenne powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

6 slices thickly sliced bread such as sourdough

Preheat broiler. Toast bread and lay pieces on a baking sheet. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and incorporate flour, stirring until light gold (about three to five minutes). Mix in mustard, cayenne, beer, and Worcestershire sauce. Turn heat down and stir in the grated cheese, stirring constantly until it’s melted and sauce is smooth. Remove from heat, spread on the toasted bread. Toast under broiler, watching carefully, until cheese mixture just begins to bubble and brown.

Cheese Feature: BELAIRE: Port Salut-style cheese

Our Belaire, Port Salut-style variety is an exquisite, mild, and classic cheese that’s easy to eat and will quickly become one of your favorites. Its creamy, subtle flavor and soft texture make it an ideal cheese for formal occasions or a Sunday afternoon on the patio. 

Belaire’s welcoming pale yellow interior is highlighted with a distinctive bright orange rind. Slice and enjoy on its own, with a cracker, or with fruit. Pair with a white wine for an extraordinary experience. 

Trappist monks in the French coastal province of Brittany created the original Port Salut variety in the early 19th century.

Keeps well when securely wrapped and refrigerated. Order Here

Quiz Time!!!

Where was Camembert cheese first made?

a.          Burgundy

b.          Normandy

c.          Brittany

d.          Provence

IF YOU ANSWERED B. NORMANDY, YOU ARE CORRECT!

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.