Cheese to Celebrate Thanksgiving
Keep it simple, there is already enough to do on our nation’s first and greatest holiday!
The turkey, stuffing and all of the side fixings need planning and preparation. My recommended cheese offering is simple to prep and serve and like the cornucopia – overflowing – but with flavors and textures. Just place the selected cheeses on your serving platters one hour before your guests arrive to allow the cheese to warm to room temperature – maximizing the palate-pleasing flavors. Garnish with dried or fresh fruits, nuts, crackers or thinly sliced baguettes and your guests will begin to enjoy a wonderful gathering (and stay out of the kitchen!) while you finish off preparations of the day’s beautiful dinner.
For this year’s Thanksgiving Day cocktail hour, I will simplify the process by serving the appropriately named Thanksgiving Collection, featuring five flavor-packed cheeses that complement each other while offering palate-pleasing choices for each guest.
A rich cow’s Bavarian-style cheese coated with organic flowers and herbs with a woodsy aroma reminiscent of a seasonal stroll amidst fall foliage.
Gouda is simply unrivaled for that perfect balance of salty and sweet. Our four-year-old has a sweet aftertaste like butterscotch. How can sweetness be part of a cheese four years old? When the curds and whey are separated when cheese is made, most of the lactose (natural sugars from an animal’s milk) are washed away in the whey, but the amount that remains in the curds over time with aging crystalizes and gives that slight “crunch” that releases the milk sugars and leaves you with an amazing, sweet aftertaste.
Leaf-wrapped cheeses add a whole new dimension to cheeses in appearance and flavor. One, on a cheese platter, a leaf-wrapped cheeses captures immediate attention so read the Fromager Notes we include to be well-versed. Leaves, like the Hoja Santa leaf used in this cheese, can impart flavor like licorice or anise and a pleasing aroma to add to the creaminess of this soft goat’s milk cheese.
A creamy blend of cow's and sheep's milk shaped as a flat, square little pillow with luxurious, smooth, well-balanced flavors. Bosina's has a resilient rind with an interior deliciously runny.
From the Treviso region of Italy this semi-hard raw cow’s milk cheese is aged for six months and then immersed in Raboso grape must (skins) for weeks to develop its flavor and aroma and color.
All Artisanal cheeses are shipped to your home, or to your host if you want to offer something special, and they include Fromager Notes describing the cheeses and a display tag that shows the name of the cheese, milk type, and country of origin. Within minutes guests will share the cheese discoveries and build a memorable social occasion before your Thanksgiving Dinner. I love cheese, my family and friends love cheese too, and since it was meant to be enjoyed with others in a communal setting, a Thanksgiving platter from Artisanal Premium Cheese is easy, delicious, and a sophisticated way to begin your Holiday celebration. So much to be thankful for – including outstanding cheeses!
I love Artisanal Cheese and enjoy sharing it even more – you can Taste the Difference!
Dan Dowe
Owner and President