Correction, if you please ...

By-the-by, I heard from Terry about the grilled Havarti sandwich I previously mentioned that we enjoyed at that restaurant in Redlands, and she graciously reminded me that the sandwich wasn't veggie, it had bacon in it. How could I forget bacon?????

The name of the restaurant is Briskets and is located on Orange in Redlands, CA.

Crusty Country Special

Crispy bacon, fresh oregano leaves, Havarti on a crusty French bread, grilled. With a fresh--and I mean fresh--fruit garnish. Heavenly!

Merci beaucoup, Terry!

Cranberry Caper ...

I was wandering around the cheese deli at Haggens in Fairhaven, WA and came across a little package of cheese and read that it was a Gorgonzola blended with pear and finely chopped cranberries and hazelnut. I’ve enjoyed cheese/fruit blends before but I hadn’t eaten any with cranberries.

Because we’re so close to Thanksgiving, I wondered if cranberries could be found in other cheeses, as well. I was excited about the prospect and started looking around at cheese deli counters in other shops.

Lo and behold … I quickly came across three other cheese selections that blended cranberries. So, let’s get to it.

The first one I came across was Rising Sun Farms Gorgonzola Cheese Tortette™ It’s a velvety Gorgonzola with cream cheese and pears; then crowned with cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. All natural ingredients are the mantra of Elizabeth and Richard Fujas, owners of Rising Sun Farms—free of trans fats, genetically modified organisms, growth hormones, preservatives, sulfites or other chemicals. Gluten free.

Their convenient 3 oz size and plastic container, is great for eating on the go. However, you can also refrigerate it for 6 weeks, or freeze it for up to 18 months. I don’t personally see it lasting 18 months, though. Once you experience the taste, you’ll want another one!

They also offer it in a Torta size (9.5 oz) and I came across this recipe on their website

http://www.risingsunfarms.com/ . Mmmmmmm

CHICKEN BREAST WITH GORGONZOLA TORTA - 5/30/2007

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces mushrooms, finely diced

¾ cup Gorgonzola Cheese Torta1/2 cup green onion tops
6 chicken breast halves

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. In bowl, mix Torta with green onions. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Loosen skin of each chicken breast gently with fingers. Spread 1/6 of Torta mixture between skin and meat of each breast. Place on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard over each breast. Bake until golden brown and thoroughly cooked, about 45 minutes.

Serves 6.

Is your mouth starting to water?

Next on my list is Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese with Cranberries. This is a registered cheese of the Wensleydale Creamery in North Yorkshire UK. The creamery has been in the business of making cheese for over 100 years.

White Real Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese has a mild, fresh flavor and a crumbly, flaky texture. I must admit that this was my least favorite of the cranberry cheeses. It seemed a little dry to my taste, and a little sour in the nicest context of the term.

However, I came across a cross-reference to Wallace and Gromit animated shorts—I absolutely LUV Wallace and Gromit, as obviously many others do, too.

I read that in the 1990s, Wensleydale cheese sales had fallen so low that production was at risk of being suspended. However, the popular Wallace and Gromit animated shorts A Grand Day Out and A Close Shave had the main character Wallace, a cheese connoisseur, mention Wensleydale as a particularly favorite cheese. Animator Nick Park chose it solely because it had a good name that would be interesting to animate, unaware of the company's financial difficulties. The company contacted Aardman Animations about a license for a special brand of "Wallace and Gromit Wensleydale", which proved to be an enormous success. When the 2005 full-length Wallace and Gromit film, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, was released, sales of Wensleydale cheeses jumped by 23%.

Third on my list is another product of England, White Stilton® with Cranberries. White Stilton is made in the same way as blue Stilton except that the blue mould is not added to the vat at the making stage and the cheese will be sold at about 3 weeks of age. White Stilton has a fresh, milky flavor with a beautiful creamy background. Ideal with fruit or crumbled onto salads or melted onto toast.

One of my favorites is a blend of Mango and Ginger, but when I saw the Cranberry version, I figured it to be worth the purchase. It was!

This is way more creamy consistency than Wensleydale. I thought it interesting that one reviewer observed that “…even though it is extra creamy and deliciously tangy, it was somehow unfinished by itself—much like a plain yogurt.” They liked the introduction of the fruit, and reports the fruity blends are among the best selling blended cheeses in the UK.

Especially in light of Thanksgiving, I came across a Turkey and Cranberry Ciabatta Sandwich and figured it would come in handy for leftovers:

Cut freshly baked Ciabatta bread in half and then slice it in two horizontally. Spread one side of each half with cranberry sauce. Place some sliced turkey on top. Add stuffing if desired. Crumble White Stilton with Cranberries over the top and serve.

The final cranberry selection is Carr Valley Chipolte and Cranberry Cheese created at Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle, Wisconsin.

I came across this blog by James Beebe and he sums up this cheese so nicely that I’m just printing his words.

http://corksandcurds.blogspot.com/2008/08/carr-valley-chipotle-cranberry-chedar.html

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Corks and Curds
Reflections on Wine and Cheese

Carr Valley Chipoltle Cranberry Cheddar
Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook at Carr Valley Cheese has done it again. He has created another unique and interesting variety of flavored American cheddar: Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar.

One of Sid's newest creations, it has already won a Bronze Award at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar uses a robustly flavored white cheddar. The sweetness of the cranberries contrasts nicely with the spicy, smoky flavor of the chipotle peppers. Carr Valley's website describes the cheese as having the flavor of Texas barbecue sauce. One writer described the cheese as a "mouth party." It is at the very least a good cheese to bring to a party.

As a general rule, I do not buy cheese-with-stuff-in-it because of the inferior quality of most such products. The "stuff" is typically added because the cheese-without-the-stuff would be exceedingly uninteresting.

On the way to a party last week, however, I took a chance with Carr Valley's Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar because I knew Sid Cook was behind it. I was not disappointed. I recommend this fun variation on ordinary cheddar."

And I found it to taste every bit as spicy delish as James Beebe describes.

To wrap up this cranberry caper … I took a platter of the four cheeses, along with Fuji apples slices and buttery crisp crackers, to the office for the gang to sample and enjoy. It was a total success. There wasn’t a crumb of cheese, a cracker or an apple slice left on the platter!

It seemed most favored the chipotle and cranberry cheese, but the Gorgonzola was a close second. I thought it was interesting that one of the guys wouldn’t even try the gorgonzola because he was informed beforehand that it was a kind of blue cheese. His loss! The gorgonzola was soooooooo creamy and mild and an excellent complement to the finely chopped dried cranberries and hazelnut. So, I didn’t tell him that the White Stilton was also a mild sister of the Blue Stilton cheese or he wouldn’t have tried that either.

Because I so enjoyed the Gorgonzola cranberry combination, I Googled and came across the following recipe. I think I’ll be whipping it up for Thanksgiving. And I really mean whipping it up because it takes almost no time at all! Give it a gander:

Phyllo Cups with Gorgonzola, Fruit and Nuts

Tiny phyllo shells are filled with a mixture of Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, apple and walnuts, then baked.

Ingredients:

36 mini-phyllo cups (3 packs of 12)
6 ounces of Gorgonzola cheese
½ tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
¼ tsp seasoning salt
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup of sweet apple, finely diced
½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees and place phyllo cups on baking sheets. In a bowl mix together remaining ingredients. Divide filling equally between phyllo cups; bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Servings: 36

Note: phyllo cups are available at most larger grocery stores in the frozen food section.


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!


http://www.risingsunfarms.com/
http://www.wensleydale.co.uk/
http://www.stiltoncheese.com/
http://www.carrvalleycheese.com/
http://www.corksandcurds.blogspot.com/

What? More Havarti?

Well, as a matter of fact, yes, more Havarti.

Good friend, Terry, reminded me that we used to enjoy a very rustic veggie grilled Havarti sandwich at a little restuarant on Citrus Avenue in Redlands, CA. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the restuarant, but that is neither here nor there.

Both of us started salivating at the memory of THE Havarti sandwich.

As soon as I could, I ran to the kitchen, slathered butter on a couple of thick slices of very hearty wheat bread I got from Avenue Breads in Bellingham, sliced some dill Havarti, tossed it onto the skillet! A little sizzle, sizzle and it was browned and melted and ready to savor and enjoy! I had it with some jalapeno Dorito chips. It wasn't THE Havarti sandwich Terry and I had in Redlands, but it was the hot and melting one I had in hand.

Delicious with an icy cold beer!

A little more Havarti, please ...

I came across a couple of YouTube offerings about Havarti! I know, I know, you're thinking, "Havarti cheese videos? Ya gotta be kiddin' me!"

Not the case, I assure you. The first is an ad for Havarti ... kinda cute. The second is about the cheesemaking process (gouda) made at Smith's Farmstead Cheese, but they also make and sell a Havarti.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1Vc9G2F8m

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpfEB7_EMDw

There was another YouTube video made by some young men, a bit high or inebriated--perhaps, about the moon being made of Havarti cheese and they video-ed a guy "appearing" to eat the Havarti moon. It made me laugh, but ... it got a little off the subject ... especially when they discovered the light they thought was the moon was really a distant street light. Ohhhh yes, they were having a lot of fun and unless Havarti has some properties unbeknownst to me, they must have been eating brownies and not cheese. Hmmm

Enjoy!

Those Danes and Their Havarti ...

This article about Havarti was prompted by a comment made by my friend Jon Blanc in Kampala, Uganda, who wished he could have some Havarti, dry salame, with a hearty, seeded baguette he used to buy at La Vie en Rose French Bakery and Cafe in Bellingham. It’s difficult for him to get good cheese in Uganda.

Well, let me tell you what I’ve learned about one of Jon’s favorite cheeses.

Havarti or Cream Havarti (Fløde Havarti in Danish) is a semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese. It is a table cheese that can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It is a traditional creamery cheese with a deliciously mild taste. Supposedly with age, the buttery aroma and flavor turns sharper and saltier, displaying hints of hazel nut. But I haven’t personally experienced this taste change.

Havarti History

I came across two stories on the Internet and I’m not sure how they correlate. So, I’ll throw both versions at you and if you’re really interested you can pursue your own research.



One version from http://www.ilovecheese.co.uk/ purports Hanna Nielsen as the enterprising cheesemaker credited with inventing Havarti in the mid-1800s. The wife of a New Zealand farmer, Nielsen became interested in the art of cheesemaking and traveled throughout Europe to learn techniques.



Upon her return to Denmark, Nielsen experimented with her newly acquired knowledge at her farm called Havarthigaard, in Øverød, north of Copenhagen, in the mid-19th century. Havarti, named after her farm, was one of her most successful cheeses.

On the other hand, according to http://www.gourmet-foods.com/, this cheese was partly inspired by Tilsit cheese, developed in 1870’s in Tilsit, East Prussia. In 1890 it was imported into Denmark. The product was a great export success.

Production

Havarti like most cheeses, is made by introducing rennet to milk to cause curdling. The curds are pressed into cheese molds, which are drained, and then the cheese is aged. Havarti is a washed curd cheese, which contributes to the subtle flavor of the cheese.

Havarti is an interior-ripened cheese, so after the curdling process, the cheese is pressed, cooked, divided and drained. Typically aged for three months, the ripening begins at the center of the cheese and progresses outward to the surface.

Havarti is smooth and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow color depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings ("eyes") distributed in the mass.

Today's Havarti is produced on a large scale and widely distributed throughout the world. Quality versions are also produced in the UK, Canada, and in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and New York, and by artisan cheesemakers in California.

I also found there’s a version of Havarti made in Chile. Chilarti is a Havarti-type cheese from the Los Lagos region of Chile. It’s often referred to as Queso Chango or quesomantecoso.

But they all derive from Hanne’s efforts in Denmark, ja?

Varieties

Havarti varieties range from plain to mildly sharp to aromatic. One of the most popular types is Cream Havarti, an enriched version made with extra cream. The exquisite result is a softer, more luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth feel.

More savory selections of Havarti include varieties studded with herbs, fruits, and spices such as caraway, dill, garlic, cranberry, chive, pepper, horseradish, and mustard.

I purchased three types of Denmark’s Finest®: Cream Havarti, with Dill, and one with Wild Garlic. The Cream Havarti is very subtle, mild, but not bland. I liked the dill version, which was not strong. The dill was more a pleasant aftertaste. I really enjoyed the wild garlic. It was stronger, but not at all overpowering.

Buying and Storage Tips

Havarti is widely available at most supermarkets and easy to store. As with most semi-soft cheeses, it will keep for at least two weeks stored in the least cold section of the refrigerator (usually the vegetable drawer). Once opened, carefully re-wrap Havarti with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Cut what you’re going to use and then tightly re-wrap and refrigerate the rest. Let the cheese come to room temperature before you eat it for optimum taste.

Serving Ideas

I had another busy day yesterday and needed an INSTANT dinner. I opened a can of Progresso Chicken pasta soup and tossed it into a sauce pan to heat, along with a pinch of dried tarragon, rosemary and a few grinds of the black pepper mill. While the soup heated, I cut the wild garlic Havarti into roughly ½” cubes and put about 6-8 cubes in the bottom of my soup bowl. I then ladled the hot soup onto the cubes in the bowl.

Instead of the cheese becoming part of the soup, like it would if I had melted it into the soup in the pan, I could eat the semi-melted cubes along with the chunks of chicken and vegetables. It was delicious! I had some leftover Italian foccacia, which I unabashedly dipped into the soup!

Havarti is simple enough to enjoy every day, especially with sandwiches, or with snacks of fruits and vegetables. It melts quite nicely and can be included in omelets, pasta and on vegetables for a pleasant change of pace. The wild garlic Havarti melted on a hot baked potato is yummiosso!

Another way to serve Havarti is to slice French bread, put a slice of Havarti on the bread slice with a little tapanade and place them under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Havarti also serves well as a dessert cheese, served with fruit and wine. On a cheese board, surround Creamy Havarti with pears, apples, figs, raisins and walnuts.

When paired with Sauvignon Blanc, less oak-y Chardonnay, or light-bodied Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, a smooth, mild Havarti displays enough character to please even the most distinctive of palates.

I saw a great photograph of a Ham and Havarti Scone, and another photograph of a bowl of Havarti and Broccoli Soup … I’ll have to experiment to come up with recipes. They both looked delicious, but alas, no recipe accompanied the photographs.

Martha’s recipe (see photograph to right) looks fabulous … take a peek:

www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-salad-and-havarti-cheese-wraps

My point is that you may have some family favorites that you may want to try including Havarti cheese.

Vielen dank, Jon, for your comment about Havarti. I hope if you’re back in U.S. with your family this Christmas, you’ll have an opportunity to sink your teeth into some of your beloved Havarti!


Check out Jon Blanc’s African experiences and Uganda safari information at http://www.kabiza.com/ or visit him on Facebook.


http://www.laviebakery.com/ for more information about La Vie en Rose Bakery in Bellingham, WA bakery and café.

Grace Harbor Farms in Custer, WA

I was looking forward to meeting Tim and Grace Lukens at their Grace Harbor Farms on Birch Bay Lynden Road in Custer, WA. I had been to their farm store before to buy their wonderful goat milk lotion. I have Rosacea that prevents me from using most moisturizing lotions. Grace Harbor’s unscented goat milk lotion works perfectly for me!

However, this time I wanted to learn more about their goat milk yogurt and chevre.

The day I arrived Tim and his helper Sandy were processing Guernsey cow milk yogurt. I had hoped to see the goat milk cheese being made, but I couldn’t work a time in my schedule that would match when they had to make their goat cheese, so I was happy to see what I did and be able to tell you a little about it.

Tim and Grace Lukens started with two goats in 1999 for their own personal consumption of the milk and dairy products. They started making goat milk soap to sell to help defray the cost of keeping the goats. In 2003 they became a Grade A Dairy and Milk Processor.

They now have about 18 Saanan (Swiss dairy) goats and three Guernsey cows on their farm. Although they could use the cow milk from neighborhood dairies, Tim maintains the animals on site for the benefit of his clientele who appreciate the traceability of their food source. Tim claims his regular “organic-istas” like to see the animals and how they’re raised. They chose Saanen goats because of their gentle nature and good milk production.

They also raise and sell free-range fresh eggs, fryer chickens, and turkeys. They seem to have little chicks hatching all the time. If I had little tykes still at home, it would be a fun place to take them to see the chicks, cows, horses, goats, and Sunny, the resident collie, in a family farm setting.

This summer Grace Harbor Farms was included on the self-directed tour of Whatcom County farms. The Lukens welcome young visitors, but to avoid disappointment, call the farm before you bring your family, just to make certain the timing is right.

Although Grace Harbor Farms isn’t certified “organic,” Tim claims they are “beyond organic.” They don’t vaccinate their animals, don’t use growth hormones, nor use chemical pesticides. Their animals are provided a natural lifestyle, with plenty of love and attention.

Tim prefers making his bottled cow’s milk and yogurt with pasteurized, but not homogenized, Guernsey milk because of the nutritional advantages. He claims it’s easier for humans to metabolize, and and he likes the appealing golden color (higher fat content and natural carotene). Guernsey cows, Tim informed me, produce naturally sweeter tasting milk, and they also produce milk with a different protein.

I invite you to go onto www.graceharborfarms.com/Guernseys.html for more details about the benefits of A2 versus A1 milk. He said Grace Harbor Farms produces a natural milk product with no thickeners or preservatives.

Tim has learned that cow milk yogurt has a broader appeal than the goat milk yogurt and their current marketing is focused in that profit-generating direction.

The first two Guernsey cows they had were Sara and Rainbow. Their current Guernsey “girls” are Irene, Emily and Jolay.

It was immediately evident during my visit that Tim is a people-person and it was fun and interesting to hear him talk about his and Grace’s little family farm. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s a passion and a labor of love. Both Grace and Tim are actively involved, assisted by their son, David, Grandma Becky and Sandy.

Tim stepped me through the processing he and Sandy were in the middle of, explaining how the pasteurization is a heat treatment (145-degrees for 30 minutes) that kills organisms and pathogens. A live probiotic (culture) is added to the milk. They process 23-gallons at a time. Because of the fat content cow yogurt sets up, whereas goat yogurt is more liquid. They do their packaging by hand. They supply quart and half gallon sizes. All-in-all, it’s a lengthy process.

Because I have lactose intolerance, I can’t consume cow milk without problems, but drinking goat milk doesn’t seem to have the same disagreeable consequences. Goat milk has a delicious taste. However, I had no prior experience with goat milk yogurt, which is a little thicker than buttermilk.

Rebecca (Grandma Becky) Terry, who waited on me in the farm store, said their money-maker is the Guernsey yogurt and bottled milk, which they supply to ten outlets in Seattle and at the three Community Food Co-op Stores in Bellingham, and The Market at Birch Bay Square.

I bought a bottle of the goat milk yogurt and drank it each morning as a breakfast drink. It has an unflavored yogurt taste, a little sour, but not at all unpleasant. After drinking it for about a week, I appreciated its simple freshness. I didn’t mix anything else in with it, but I’ll bet it would be a good base for blending in berries or other fruit. Very nutritious!

They also make their own fresh goat cheese (chevre). They sell it classic European style, plus they also offer it with dill and chive, basil and garlic, and sweet pepper jalapeño.

In addition to the milk, yogurt and cheese, Grace Harbor Farms also makes a full line of goat milk soaps and lotions. Look at their website to see all that they make and sell in their farm store and online.

Tim admitted to me that it’s a lot of hard work, but he said they sure feel good when their regular customers keep coming back with their healthy kids, and being told how their products have made such a difference. Read the testimonials on the Grace Harbor Farms' website.

They're incredible!

There's something personally satisfying about being able to buy my food from local producers who I can call by their first names.

Grace Harbor Farms
2347 Birch Bay Lynden Road
Custer, WA 98240
(360) 366-4151
Email: infor@graceharborfarms.com

Cypress Grove Chevre ... Goat Milk Cheese

I had been tussling with a cold/flu/cough … whatever … for the last couple of weeks, but I have to admit that it was great to be able to take off a couple of days from work and not do anything but sleep and try to rid my body of that crud.

I could still taste, but when considering what to fix for my breakfast, my appetite fled. I knew I had to eat to fuel fighting the cold. One morning in particular I remember fussing over needing to eat, but not finding anything of interest, until I spied the chevre I had purchased when out to pick up groceries the day before.

I cut up chunks of Tuscany melon and some fresh strawberries, crumbled the chevre over the top and enjoyed. Yes, I shoved aside my headache, cough and fatigue of the cold and focused on the bowl of nutrition--just think of all the Vitamin C in the strawberries and cantaloupe and a wee bit of Protein, Vitamin A and Calcium--in front of me.

Oh my! The over-the-top sweetness of the melon was a most delectable partnership with the smooth consistency and fresh taste of the chevre. I think most people might mistakenly associate goat milk cheese with feta cheese. That’s a whole different process and taste. Chevre isn’t sweet, but it isn’t bitter or salty either. It’s just fresh and very creamy.

When I have the option, I order goat cheese on my leafy greens salad tossed with dried cranberries. Now that I think about it, I like all sorts of fruit bits tossed with my green salads, and the chevre tastes good included with apple and/or pear.

No cure for the common cold, but a decidedly delicious cheese!

Cypress Grove Chevre
Pasteurized cultured goat milk, salt, enzymes
4-oz round (4 servings)
Calories: 70
Protein: 4g
Vitamin A: 4%
Calcium: 2%
Sodium: 90mg
Cholesterol 15 mg
Total Fat 6g

Located in Arcata, CA
http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/