Fromagination’s cheesemongers offer pairing suggestions for their favorite cheeses on occasion.
Finding Simple Tastes for Summer
From Cheesemonger Isaac
“For my Cheesemonger’s Choice, I’m going simple and time-tested: Cheddar and summer sausage. The main attraction is Master Cheesemaker Chris Roelli’s Haus Select Cheddar cheese, a sweeter Cheddar bursting with flavor.
“Alongside that, I’m going with Driftless Provisions’ Summer Sausage, smooth and decadent as a summer sausage should be.
“Excellent already, but put those on a Potter’s Rye Cracker with a dollop of East Shore’s sweet and tangy mustard to cut through the richness of the cheese and meat, and you have a perfect Wisconsin picnic bite.
“Finally, a swig of New Glarus Brewing Company’s Moon Man Pale Ale brings a bit of hops to refresh the palate and get you ready for the next bite.”
It’s a simple recipe for a summer tasting event.
- Haus Select Cheddar from Roelli Cheese Haus
- Summer Sausage from Driftless Provisions
- Wisconsin Rye Crackers from Potter’s Crackers
- Mustard for Cheese from East Shore Specialty Foods (available only in the shop)
- Moon Man Pale Ale from New Glarus Brewing Company (available only in the shop)
A Selection from the Orchard
From Cheesemonger Will
“For this pairing I’ve chosen a Wisconsin classic, reaching back to the birth of the state…a Swiss-style cheese, apples and honey!
We start with one of my favorite cheeses ever, Little Mountain! A creamy, Appenzeller-style cheese from Chris Roelli out of Shullsburg, Wisconsin. This creamy slice of deliciousness has a dense, smooth, texture, and a nutty flavor. When paired with a crisp dried apple from Door County’s Everlasting Eats it truly brings out the wonderful notes of a classic raw milk Swiss cheese.
It gets ever more delicious when you add some Velvet Bees Honey Butter. This butter is like nothing you’ve had before. It’s the smoothest, sweetest, most addicting preserve to ever grace our shop. And spread right in between a cheesey, apple sandwich, it’s sure to be the summer treat we’ve all been waiting for. And to wash it down, a tart, dry apple cider from Restoration Cider.”
It’s a perfect picnic pairing for any Wisconsin traveler.
- Little Mountain from Roelli Cheese Haus
- Honey Butter from Velvet Bees (available only in the shop)
- Honey Crisp Dried Apples from Everlasting Eats (available only in the shop)
- Driftless Apple Cider from Restoration Cider Company (available only in the shop)
A Blast for Your (Taste) Buds!
From Cheesemonger Kristi
“For this week’s Cheesemonger’s Choice, I chose Marieke’s Burning Melange, raw cow’s milk gouda to represent a welcome nutty and herbaceous cheese to welcome in spring. The cheese is flavored with chives, onion, stinging nettles, celery, parsley, and garlic.
Complementing the cheese is Underground Meats’ Soppressata, a robust salami with hints of garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and fennel seed. Its visible pork fat adds a delightful smoothness. It is accompanied by East Shore Specialty Foods’ Mustard for Cheese, a zesty condiment perfect for cheese. Its sweet and spicy profile complements this pairing beautifully.
Pair it with New Glarus Brewery’s Spotted Cow, a fruity blend of Pilsner malt, white wheat, and caramel malt fermented with German ale yeast. Its honey and orange peel notes strike a perfect balance of malt and hops.”
These selections are my preferences…if they sound like something you wouldn’t like, ask our cheesemongers for more pairing ideas when you’re in the shop.
- Burning Mélange Gouda from Marieke Gouda / Holland’s Family Cheese
- Soppressata salami from Underground Meats
- Mustard for Cheese (sweet and hot) from East Shore Specialty Foods (available only in the shop
- Spotted Cow farmhouse ale from New Glarus Brewing Company (available only in the shop)
A Classic Wisconsin Combination
From Cheesemonger Marcela
“For this week’s cheese and accouterments curation, I selected a classic combo, Cheddar with cranberries, but with a twist. The Blue veins of the Red Rock cheese add a bit of funk, while the Quince & Apple’s Apples & Cranberry Preserves offer a touch of sweetness and tartness, which is further expressed in the hard cider. I like the idea of a carbonated beverage for this pairing to add texture. Lastly, I chose a spicy salami to balance some of the sweetness and a rye cracker to ground all the flavors with some earthy notes.”
I hope you enjoyed my selection and will join me as we celebrate these extraordinary Wisconsin artisans.
- Red Rock by Roelli Cheese Haus. A Wisconsin original: Pasteurized cow milk American style, naturally bloomy rinded Cheddar cheese with a slight blue vein. Richly colored with annatto and cave-aged to maturity for 60 days. Mild sharp flavor with a semi-firm texture.
- Apples & Cranberry Preserves by Quince & Apple. The recipe combines apples, cranberries, honey, orange zest, ginger, and bay leaves for a balanced blend of sweet and tart.
- Piri Picante Salami by Underground Meats. This pork salami with Piri Piri peppers (a native pepper to Africa) has notes of heat, sweetness, and some tang.
- Wisconsin Rye Crackers by Potter’s Crackers. The crisp, clean flavor goes particularly well with Blue cheese but holds up to aged Cheddar as well.
- Central Sands Cranberry Cider by Restoration Cider & Co. (available only in the shop) A semi-dry cider, exceptionally tart and lively. Sweetened with cranberries grown in Wisconsin’s Central Sands region. 7.0 % A.B.V