I was poking around The Market at Birch Bay artisan cheese counter, looking for something a little different. I came across a wheel of Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar and wondered what I could experiment with using a smoked cheddar. While loitering a bit longer looking at other cheese options, Birch Bay friend Betty Glassman came around the corner. It’s always fun to see Betty and I filled her in on this new artisan cheese I was going to try and she eagerly picked up a chunk and we agreed to both try it and share our results.
I immediately went home and looked in my pantry to see what might pair well with the cheese. I was so hungry I just wanted to inhale it on the spot, but with great discipline—yeah, right—I sliced a Fuji apple. The crisp, juicy freshness of the Fuji went well with the very creamy consistency and delightfully smoky taste. There’s a very pleasant balance of mild cheddar and smoke flavoring. I had an ice-cold Beck’s in the refrig and found it went well with this cheese.
In addition to apple slices, I also made a hale and hearty grilled cheese sandwich with buttered 9-grain whole wheat bread. I apologize, only half of the sandwich lasted long enough to be photographed. I could NOT resist sinking my teeth into the smoky grilled cheese. Good eats.
Later in the evening I went socializing and the hostess had two types of Yancey’s Fancy she served with an assortment of fresh grapes, cherries and crackers. One was a Bergenost (buttery triple cream, Norwegian style cheese: decadent!) The other was a smoked gouda. What fortunate timing! I could compare the Applewood smoked cheese with the Yancey’s Fancy smoked cheese. Where the cheddar was smooth and the smoke taste was mellow, the gouda was a different consistency, a little more …uhm … rubbery, rather than cream
y, and the smoke flavoring reminded me of mesquite … a totally different taste sensation! I much preferred the mellow quality of the Applewood cheddar. Thank you, Julie.
I immediately went home and looked in my pantry to see what might pair well with the cheese. I was so hungry I just wanted to inhale it on the spot, but with great discipline—yeah, right—I sliced a Fuji apple. The crisp, juicy freshness of the Fuji went well with the very creamy consistency and delightfully smoky taste. There’s a very pleasant balance of mild cheddar and smoke flavoring. I had an ice-cold Beck’s in the refrig and found it went well with this cheese.
In addition to apple slices, I also made a hale and hearty grilled cheese sandwich with buttered 9-grain whole wheat bread. I apologize, only half of the sandwich lasted long enough to be photographed. I could NOT resist sinking my teeth into the smoky grilled cheese. Good eats.
Later in the evening I went socializing and the hostess had two types of Yancey’s Fancy she served with an assortment of fresh grapes, cherries and crackers. One was a Bergenost (buttery triple cream, Norwegian style cheese: decadent!) The other was a smoked gouda. What fortunate timing! I could compare the Applewood smoked cheese with the Yancey’s Fancy smoked cheese. Where the cheddar was smooth and the smoke taste was mellow, the gouda was a different consistency, a little more …uhm … rubbery, rather than cream
y, and the smoke flavoring reminded me of mesquite … a totally different taste sensation! I much preferred the mellow quality of the Applewood cheddar. Thank you, Julie.I found that neither of these smoked cheeses are firm enough to grate, and I wouldn't say either crumbled well, the way most cheddars do anyway. The cheddar melted in a most delightful way. I'll definitely make more grilled cheese sandwiches using that cheese, but I'll also try other breads.
I learned that applewood smoked cheddar originally was a mild cheddar smoked at a low temperature using apple wood, and then hand-rubbed with a mild paprika. Now, however, most cheesemakers add smoke flavoring to the cheese instead of actually smoking it. I did find that Carr Valley Cheese in Wisconsin still smokes their mild cheddar. Sid Cook is the master cheesemaker at Carr Valley, and the latest in four generations of Cooks to build their business using innovative measures based on old world craftsmanship. Check out their website at http://www.carrvalleycheese.com/
I couldn’t reach Betty for her feedback, but I’ll share that shortly! I am delighted that others will be contributing to this artisan cheese adventure; the more the merrier!
Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar/pasteurized cow’s milk/Somerset, Great Britain
I learned that applewood smoked cheddar originally was a mild cheddar smoked at a low temperature using apple wood, and then hand-rubbed with a mild paprika. Now, however, most cheesemakers add smoke flavoring to the cheese instead of actually smoking it. I did find that Carr Valley Cheese in Wisconsin still smokes their mild cheddar. Sid Cook is the master cheesemaker at Carr Valley, and the latest in four generations of Cooks to build their business using innovative measures based on old world craftsmanship. Check out their website at http://www.carrvalleycheese.com/
I couldn’t reach Betty for her feedback, but I’ll share that shortly! I am delighted that others will be contributing to this artisan cheese adventure; the more the merrier!
Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar/pasteurized cow’s milk/Somerset, Great Britain
