Monday, August 9, 2010

Day #72, Cheeseplates

(Cheeseplate for Two)

The first time that I dined at the Laundry, I was curious as to why something like a cheeseplate whould be on the menu. I guess more than anything, I just thought it to be a very unusual appetizer. After I started working at the Laundry, I realized how popular our cheeseplates are. People love them, and now I definitely see the appeal; who doesn't like cheese?

If you haven't tried a cheeseplate here, they come in two sizes- cheeseplate for 2 and cheeseplate for 4. The cheese plate for 4 has more of all the cheeses, plus an additional fourth cheese. Pictured above is the cheeseplate for two.

Our cheeseplates come with our famous apricot gorgonzola cheese dip. The dip is made with apricots, gorgonzola cheese, scallions, cream cheese, and bacon. Although it sounds like something that I wouldn't like, I actually LOVE it! It's always what I bring to family gatherings because it is always a hit with my family.

When ordering a cheeseplate you can request that it has your favorite cheeses on it, or you can let us pick them for you. Here's a little info  on our cheeses:

-Bleu D' Auvergne (Bluh-doe-Vairn)- From France and made with cow's milk, it's soft with a salty but edible exterior.
-Bucheron (Boosh-rawn)- Loire Valley, France. It's a riped-goat's milk cheese, with a white bloomy rind that covers a soft spreadable paste that has a tangy, yet mild flavor.
-Grafton Vermont Cheddar- It's our flagship cheddar, used on our sandwiches.
-Zingerman's City Goat Cheese- Very mild goat cheese, good American goat.
-Comte (Cone-tay)- From France. Smooth flavor with hints of fruit, hazelnut, and toffee. It's great melted!
-Emmental- From Switzerland- the valley of the Emme River. It's the world's most recognizable cheese. Nutty and fruity, with walnut sized wholes.
-Feta- A sheep's milk cheese from Greece. Crumbly, salty, and slightly tangy.
-Fontinella- Medium to hard cow's milk cheese from Wisconsin. It has a white eggshell color and is slightly sweet and tangy.
-Gorganzola- This is an Italian cheese from the Lombardy region.
-Young Gouda- Creamy, and semi-soft cow's milk cheese. It's slightly yellow in color and comes from Holland. Always made with whole milk.
-Aged Gouda- This cheese is exported from the Netherlands. It has a sharp, yet slightly sweet taste. It's very hard and amber colored. Great flavor!
-Le Chevrot- A great medium aged goat cheese from France. It has a creamy, mild taste, with hints of fresh straw.
-Manchego (Mon-chay-go) - The most popular milk cheese from Spain. It has a very pleasant, mild taste, and a slightly grainy texture.
-Maytag Blue Cheese- #1 American blue cheese. Made from cow's milk. Created through a collaboration between Maytag Dairy Farms and Iowa State University.
-Munster- From France with a supple, creamy texture and huge beefy and nutty flavor.
-Old Chatham Camembert- The largest sheepherders in the United States. Made from 1/2 sheep and 1/2 cow's milk. Very creamy and buttery, and becomes more complex over time.
-Parmigiano-Reggiano- From Italy, known as the worlds greatest cheese. Splintery, straw colored interior, enormous slightly salted flavor. Made from cow's milk.
-Provolone-From Italy, Firm, waxy texture with an oily-sharp flavor. Made from cow's milk.
-Raclette- The rind on this cheese is inedible. It's a great melting cheese, but unmelted has a full beefy flavor. It also has a very pungent odor, but don't let it fool you!
-Roquefort- A sheep's milk blue cheese. Very strong, very salty. Considered a delicacy around the world.
-Saint Andre Brie- Made from whole cow's milk, it is a triple cream cheese (75% butter fat or higher).
-Stilton- Made in England, it's ivory colored with liberal green/blue veining. Firm, yet crumble texture with huge spicy aroma.
-Swiss Emmental- Known as Swiss cheese in America. It's aged in 100lb wheels that are shipped to us right from Switzerland.
-Swiss Gruyere- It's a smooth, creamy cheese with beige interior and an assertive flavor with hints of nut and fruit. We use this cheese on our French onion soup!

Whew! I think I may have missed a few, so feel free to ask if you wanted to learn about something not listed above. My favorite cheeses from this list are brie, manchego, and aged gouda. All have great flavor, but aren't to overwhelming.

I think cheeseplates make an awesome appetizer or snack. If you haven't tried our apricot gorgonzola dip, that is a must! If I love, I'm sure you will as well!

(Cheeseplate for four)

1 comment:

  1. Thats a lot to read on cheese! We do enjoy your gorg dip though.

    ReplyDelete