Feelin Cheesy?

How many cheeses do you use in your kitchen? The average American kitchen only uses about 3-4. Those cheeses are typically Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella and Swiss. Could it be because we just don't understand cheese? Maybe it's because we're just comfortable with how we use these cheeses and attempting to branch out and use different varieties leaves us uncertain with the potential outcome?

The changes that have been made in grocery stores in the last 10 or so years has helped us out a little bit, but how many of us walk in to the cheese section and are overwhelmed with all the choices, how to use them and how they would pair with our culinary creations? Here are some basics that might help you out the next time you're walking circles around the island of cheeses at your local market.

Types of Cheese

Soft & Semi Soft- this category of cheese includes soft ripened cheese with a rind. The rind is from an application of mold that helps to infuse the cheese with flavor. The outside of the cheese is typically hardened or rough, but the inside of the cheese can range from creamy to almost runny when it's fully ripened. Soft rind covered cheeses include Brie and Camembert.  These cheeses are uncooked and the moisture isn't pressed out. A Soft cheese has a higher moisture content and a softer/smoother texture. Blue cheeses have a washed rind and typically fall into crumbles, they melt well, but still maintain some texture. They have put Blues in to a sub category of soft cheese so they are even more special I guess. In fact blue cheeses have a special note in each cheese category but fresh. Scroll down for notes on blue cheese. Other semi soft cheeses include Monterey Jack, Havarti, and Fontina.

Cheesy Onion Monkey Bread

2 large cans of biscuit dough OR (Bisquick Gluten Free Buscuit box) follow exact instructions
1 T. coconut oil for cooking onions
1 medium yellow onion sliced very very thin
1 T. fresh thyme chopped
1 1/2 C. Gruyere or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 C. butter
Preheat oven to 350*. Prepare pan by placing a buttered parchment paper ring in the bottom of the bundt pan along with buttered sides and center. (You can use coconut spray which is what I did) 
Saute onions in 1 T. coconut oil, sprinkle with salt and cook until onions are soft and browned. Season with thyme and set aside. Grate cheese and cut biscuits into quarters. Melt your additional butter and roll each biscuit segment in the butter and line the pan 1/3 of the way. Sprinkle cheese and onions on top. Repeat layers until they are gone. If you have remaining butter, pour over the top of the mixture. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes before serving or turning out on a dish.

Fresh- the cheeses that fall under the fresh category have a shorter shelf life than soft or semi soft cheeses. These cheeses are typically eaten within days of production. Fresh cheese is made from milk, have a creamy and mild flavor. They are often spreadable, crumbled, and used in sweet and savory ways. These cheeses are Mascarpone, Queso Fresco and Blanco, Cream Cheese, Farmers Cheeses, Quark, Feta and Fromage Blanc, Chevre, Mozzarella, Cottage and Ricotta.

I found this next recipe off of a Finnish website and it was a bit difficult to change the ingredient proportions, but once tested, it came out tasting really yummy. Great for a garden party or a quick appetizer.

Feta and Cucumber Roll

1 long cucumber
3.5oz feta cheese
1 red chilli, fine chopped
2 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped 
1/2 teaspoon parsley, fine chopped
1/2 fresh coriander, fine chopped
1 garlic clove, very fine chopped
black pepper
2 tbs mayonnaise, creme fraiche or natural yogurt

Slice cucumber for a long pieces (the easiest way is a mandolin)
In a bowl mix together feta cheese with creme fraiche (or mayonnaise; yogurt).
Add herbs, spices, sun dried tomato, garlic and chilli to feta. Mix well.
On each cucumber slice put a teaspoon of feta. Scroll it.
Use toothpicks to keep roll shape.

Stinky- better known as washed rind cheeses. These are the earthy, strong, even pungent smelling cheeses. They also have a strong taste to go along with the smell. I've noticed that you either like them or you hate them. Limburger, Muenster and French Epoisses to name just a few. These washed rind cheeses get their distinct flavors from beer, wine, brines or a combination.

Hard- there is a range within the hard category of cheeses. Wheeled Cheddar is considered a hard cheese, but a truly hard cheese would be Parmesan, Swiss, Jarlsberg, Asiago, Cotija, Derby, Gruyere, Raclette, Manchego, and Romano, just to name a few . Most hard cheeses are sharp or strong in flavor.

Butternut and Potato Pie with Tomato, Mint and Manchego
 

6 sprigs fresh mint leaves, shredded
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds butternut squash, quartered, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large ripe tomato, halved, seeded and grated, or a few spoonfuls of drained, diced tomatoes from a can
2/3 cup grated hard manchego
1/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 1/2 pounds red or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the mint, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, or a little bit more to taste, and the pepper. Remove and reserve half the mixture. Add the squash to the bowl and mix well. Add the tomato, and the hard and fresh cheeses and toss to combine.

Bake for 40 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes, or until the gratin is brown and the liquid is nearly absorbed. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Another sub-category of hard cheese are the pressed cheeses. There are two types. Uncooked and Cooked. Uncooked pressed cheeses are called "cheddaring" Curds fall in this category. These curds are put in to large crumbs and pressed to expel the whey, flipped and pressed again. These cheeses are Soft Cheddar's, Edam, and Gouda. Cooked pressed cheeses are Parmigiano Reggiano, and Emmental Swiss.

Blues- these are my favorite. Like I mentioned before there is a sub category in each cheese family that has a place for Blues. Blue cheeses are made by infusing the cheese with penicillin mold. It depends on what region you reside in that will produce your local blue cheese. The mold is mixed into the milk and is different than rennet. The mold is encourages to grow with oxygen by insetting needles into the sides of the cheese that creates the typical character trait of marbling streaks. They can be creamy and they can be crumbly. Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton, and Danish Blue are the very tastiest.

Americans make great cheeses. Whether they are made of cow, goat or sheeps milks there is a wide variety of tasty choices. There has been such a resurgence of local producers and it's been nice to taste and learn more about their process of making cheese. True cheese lovers have always muttered under their breath the value of American cheese. Because of the FDA here in America, the laws prevent the import of raw milk cheese younger than 60 days because of the pathogens that could live inside it. The pasteurization kills the good along with the bad bacterias that are missing in a daily American diet. That is what helps make the local dairies and cheese makers invaluable. There are still laws associated with the sale of unpasteurized milk cheeses, but if it's the best we can get, that's it. It all tastes good. I wish I could remember how wonderful the cheese tasted in Europe while I was there, but I can't say that I can, but I wasn't paying attention.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Fingerling Potato Pizza

5 ounces fingerling potatoes
Cornmeal (for sprinkling)
Prepared Gluten Free Pizza Dough - I purchased it from a local Pizzeria called Este Pizzeria (Udi's)


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1 1/3 cups grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, each spear cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place potatoes in small saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cool. Cut potatoes into thin slices.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll and stretch pizza dough to 16x11-inch oval. Transfer to baking sheet. Mix 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic in small bowl. Brush garlic oil over dough. Sprinkle 3/4 of green onions over, then mozzarella, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top with potato slices and goat cheese. Toss asparagus and 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl. Scatter asparagus over pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

Bake pizza until crust is browned and asparagus is tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Cut into pieces.

Maybe with these recipes, you'll find it easier to make your way to the cheese island and feel more comfortable branching out. Try making it a couples night, invite all your friends, ask them to bring $10 to contribute to the cheese fund. Lay out several cheeses that each person can nibble and make it a fun night.