Il Nocciolo
Cheese of the Month
Il Nocciolo
Upon looking for a new cheese in our local cheese case, the cheese monger suggested I try Il Nocciolo, from Caseificio dell’Alta Langa. This super soft, small square package is a new offering in our store, a combination of creamy cow, sheep, and goat cheese from Italy, specifically the northern Piedmont region.
(more…)
Smokey Blue Cheese
Cheese of the Month
Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue Cheese
Like most cheeses I try, I came upon Rogue’s Smokey Blue by chance. I was hoping to get Point Reyes Blue Cheese, but could not find it at our usual store. I saw Smokey Blue and became intrigued. I was specifically going for a blue cheese to put on leftover turkey sandwiches after Thanksgiving.
(more…)
Piave
Cheese of the Month
Piave
I found Piave last month as Trader Joe’s cheese of the month. It’s a hard cow’s milk cheese from the Veneto region in Northern Italy, near the Piave River. The milk is not only from the area surrounding Piave, but the cheese is also made and aged in the same area.
<!–more–>
While this cheese is likened to Parmigiano-Reggiano, and gets similar crystalline salty bits and crunch, I did find the flavor different. The cheese is not quite as firm as Parmigiano, making it easier to cube without completely crumbling. It’s still hard, just not quite as hard as Parmigiano. I found the flavor a bit more earthy and bitter. While it has a nutty taste like Parmigiano it’s more of a walnut taste, then say a toasted hazelnut. It’s has a hint of bitterness mixed with earthy grass.
This cheese pairs well with fuller bodied reds such as Zinfandel and Sangiovese. While best shaved as a topping on salads or grated into pasta, you can also cube it for a table cheese.
A year ago on The Daily Morsel
Two years ago on The Daily Morsel
Carmody Cheese
Cheese of the Month
Carmody Cheese
This semi-firm cheese with a natural rind made from pasture raised Jersey Cow milk is a great table cheese as an alternative to cheddar. (more…)
Nachos with Refried Beans
Nachos with Refried Beans
Nachos are a great clean out the fridge dish. Last weekend we made homemade jarred salsa with our abundance of tomatoes from tour garden. We had some extra salsa that didn’t fit into the jars so we decided on nachos for dinner to use our salsa. We had tortilla chips. I found some retried beans in the pantry (black beans work well too). Then we went shopping in our fridge. The key to good nachos is layering. You want to make sure the chips on the bottom have cheese and toppings too.
(more…)