It was so easy to Fall in Love
Not to rub it in but look what you missed!
Our next round of subscription boxes went out this week,
You missed this.
and I thought I might just tell you what you missed. Mostly because I love to share what’s in these pretty awesome boxes.
First, here's a little tip.
This subscription has 2 more boxes coming. Box #2 will arrive in July, and the final box in September. As it turns out, ordering for this subscription could leave me a few extras. So stay tuned. Though just a heads up, I had three extra of this box but they were gone in 24 hours. The best deal is to sign up for 3, 6 or 9 months subscriptions, then the price per box goes down. But you’ll have to wait until 2023. However, there’s room for the holiday box. Exit right HERE if you want to check it out. But come back, I’ll hold your seat.
This box was easygoing. It was just so easy to fall in love with! Even though there was not a 100% cow's milk cheese included, all selections will be gobbled up. If you think you don't like goat cheese, the Goat Gouda would have blown you away. Even the fresh chèvre is minus that not always loved goaty-ness. I took Triple Play a mixed milk cheese out to play at a brunch at Jack's Bottle Shop. Every person who tried it loved it! And the paired selections that are scrutinized over and hand-selected? by me. Well, I'm strutting my peacock feathers because they were brilliant.
Read on for the nitty-gritty details. To summarize: these cheeses were so doggone easy to fall in love with. PS- So is Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt first released in 1977. Just saying, good tunes to eat cheese by.
Loved by all.
Benning Goat Gouda . Holland . goat milk
Imported from CheeseLand and chosen knowing all the cheeses are made from the milk of animals grazing on fresh herbs and grasses in outdoor pastures most of the year. They are never given any growth hormones.Cheese flavors, like wine, will be determined by the terroir.
The goats, when grazing, pick up nutrients and flavors for the sweet grasses. This goat gouda is pretty darn similar to cow milk gouda, but there is a slight tang that we believe gives it a little sophistication. We love the caramel-ly notes and especially paired with Effie's oatcakes then pop in a bright balsamic grapes for a perfect bite or shall we say Food Union Glorious.
Cypress Grove Chèvre . US CA . goat milk
In the box was Herbs de Humboldt® . Ahhh, clever in name, classic in taste. It is a fresh goat cheese with fragrant herbs, dried at the peak of the season and ready to transport you to the bountiful, beautiful countryside of, say, France!
Cypress Grove was created by one of the three original" American Women Cheese Makers”, Mary Keehn. She was integral in bringing goat cheese to the US in the 1980s. I have had the pleasure of meeting all three Titans of Cheese (though it was at shows, and they would never know me from Adam, now, but still cool.)The list includes Paula Lambert from The Mozzarella Company in Texas and Allison Hooper from Vermont Creamery in Vermont. I can remember tasting Humboldt Fog, Hoja Santa, and Bijou for the first time, and those cheeses cemented my love for the industry.
Hooks Triple Play . US WI . mixed milk
This cheese plays nicely with EVERYONE! Made from pasteurized cow, goat & sheep milk from nearby farms in Mineral Point, WI, It is aged for over a year. This unique rindless cheese has a firm, dense paste that is sometimes crystalline and ranges in flavor from sweet to savory, with herbaceous, grassy notes. This makes perfect sense because of all three milks! If there's any leftover the next time you are thinking of grilled cheese, it will be a yummy one. We also cubed and used this cheese for Bloody Mary skewers with the balsamic pickled grapes and some olives. Nothing mediocre going on over here.
So cool, it’s vegan!
Fig Salami with Dried Greek Figs Pistachio and Pepper
Eveyone (even we do) makes a big deal about this being vegan, which is cool. But Fig Salami was cool in Italy before vegan stuff was cool. Salame di fichi is made from dried figs. So despite its dolce-ness, fig salami is not overly sweet and perfect with cheeses.
Hellenic Farms makes this collection of 100% plant-based fig salamis from premium figs, Aleppo peppers, and pistachios. It will even pair with authentic meat salami! If there's any leftover, have it alone as a snack or dice it up and add to a salad.
Here’s the weird one.
Here's the weird one. From Kansas City Canning Company Balsamic Pickled Grapes. AND everyone loved them at the brunch, I was telling you about! This is a fun addition to your cheese and/or charcuterie boards. Warm pickling spices and a subtle bite of balsamic vinegar offer richness and depth, even straight from the jar! Try on a salad with goat cheese, or mix the pickling liquid with olive oil for a vinaigrette. Great in cocktails! Let us know what you come up with.
These oatcakes are epic with any and every cheese! I fell in love with these a long time ago. In fact, I remember going to a food show and found them. They shared a cheese booth space because they were just starting out. No one had ever heard of them. So I couldn't wait to bring them to ZZest, and I did. Now they are pretty easy to find, so grab them when you see them! Yeah, you are welcome once again, Hyvee, I did the legwork.
BT McElrath Milk Chocolate
BT McElrath has been making hand-crafted artisan chocolate in Minnesota since 1996. Brian McElrath's approach is to honor the traditions of American and European confections/chocolates with a bit of a twist. Like Milk Chocolate with Buttered Toast, you gotta try that one! Though he has sold the company to Annie B's Caramel and Popcorn, they still value what Brian put into his business. The milk chocolate bar is hitting the easygoing well-loved theme of this box. It is rich, creamy, and dreamy. But don't think it's just another Hershey Kiss cuz it's not.
This could have been yours.
So there's the box all laid out for you. Of course, there are always a couple extra surprises, but you'll have to get one to find out!
Extra Extra: What would we drink with this box? Well, too late; the boxes are gone. But I have a crush on Keepsake Cider. Mainly because they're clean, delicious, bright ciders have totally changed my mind on what I thought a cider was. Which was weird, sweet, wine-like apple juice. I'd be lying if I told you I understood all about the process of how this really fantastic cider is made in Dundees, MN. I get that they use wild apples and wild yeasts all native to MN. But they are very passionate, and that is all I need to hear.
Keepsakes Ciders may just be the perfect pairing to all cheeses; and BBQ, brunch and a ham samich. .I'm a little star-struck, to be honest. So check out their website for their warm and cozy story, and put it on your list to visit. I’m going to! In the meantime, Jack's Bottle Shop carries these special ciders.
Get off the beaten path.