2 semi-hard cheeses. 2 Cheddars; one yellow cheddar from Wisconsin, 2 year aged. One white cheddar, 2 year aged made by Cabot (New England cheese maker). Both were very party popular and it was interesting to hear people compare the 2 Cheddars. (I like to hang around the cheese plate and listen to the critiques - guilty pleasure of mine. It also helps to get feedback from the tasters in order to make decisions for the next cheese shopping occasion.)
1 hard cheese, an aged Gouda. Not smoked. That doesn't always go over well with a picky crowd. So Brad suggested an aged, dry, salty Gouda, that had some precipitate salt and an unusual orange color. This unique cheese went over extremely well with some palates, while Brian thought it was too "stinky". Which got me thinking about doing a blog post about our more odorous cheeses. Anyway...
1 goat cheese. This cheese is one of my absolute favorites. I can pair this Montchevre with any kind of hard fruit (extra crisp apple, under-ripe pear) or plain, unsalted cracker and it truly shines. By the way, my favorite cracker is Carr's Table Water Crackers. This particular goat cheese has just enough herbs and a bit a garlic blended throughout to enhance the goat cheese and not become overpowering. Again, I highly recommend this as an entry level goat cheese to anyone who has not given goat cheese a fair shake.
1 soft cheese. Brie. Traditional and refreshing at the same time. With so many options, it was a difficult decision. Nonetheless, I did choose a double cream, French Brie (and a large slice, at that). It was only $7 for a considerable wedge and I was entirely pleased with my selection. I am not always a fan of rind, but in this case I ate the rind right along with the gooey goodness inside. This Brie really won me over. I think the best starch pairing for this Brie was a day old baguette, sliced thinly like crostini. Yummmmm! Oh, make sure to serve your Brie room temp. No need to heat - the best flavors will come through at about 70 degrees.
So there you have it! And not a morsel left to take home with me. That just leaves more cheese shopping for me to do in the near future, I guess. Can't complain about that!
