Cheese, Beer and Events! Oh, My!

So, what are you doing this coming Tuesday, April 20? I guess it all depends on which store you visit.

We're kicking off our lunch hour at Lake St. with a demo starring Andy from Uplands Cheese in Wisconsin. Trivia time: Pleasant Ridge Reserve is the only cheese to have twice won the "Best of Show" award from the ACS
Andy Hatch will be stopping by to demo Pleasant Ridge Reserve and to answer any questions you may have about seasonality, the cheese making process, or their commitment to the land and the animals that are raised there.

Starting at 5:30pm at our French market location Leslie Cooperband from Prairie Fruits Farm will be sampling some of her tasty farmstead goat cheeses. Fresh chevre anyone?

But what are you going to do in the evening say around 7:30? Our suggestion is the Craft Beer, Charcuterie & Cheese class taught by Xian at our Broadway locale. Xian is not only the assistant manager of the Broadway store, but has recently taken on the task of creating a fantastic beer program for all three of our locations. It's true, beer pairs better with cheese than wine does. Come to class and let Xian tell you why!

All of this happens next Tuesday, but what if you're hungry now? Our suggestion is French cheese and Belgian-style beer.

Saint Marcellin is our cheese suggestion this week. This French cheese is made in the Rhone Alps and has an earthy and mushroomy flavor (think truffles). Creamy, silky smooth and milky this little disk of fromage is absolutely delicious and has a tang and slight flavor of fresh baked bread.

What to pair with this truffle, earthy, yeasty silky smooth disk of cheese? Xian says that beer is the answer. Specifically the Rare Vos from Ommegang brewery in upstate NY. This Belgian-style beer has a little bit of spice to it with along with strong orange, caramel and biscuit aromas. This fruity, yeasty dry beer has a fantastic balance of bitterness, acidity and minerality and is just a perfect complement to the Saint Marcellin.

Is It Spring Yet?

We've got a bunch of new products in the store this week.

For those of you who have been asking , we are pleased to announce the return of truffle honey, truffle oil and truffle salt. We spent a lot of time tasting truffle products and think we've got the best. Deeply aromatic infused products that are the truffliest you've ever tried.
We're also starting to bring in new cheeses. Pecorino from Prairie Fruits Farm, aged goat cheese from Andante Dairy in California and our featured cheese of the week, eight year cheddar from Widmer's Cheese Cellars in WI.

This cheddar has everything we love in an aged cheese. Texture is crumbly when sliced with those lovely little crunchies that come with a well aged cheese, but has a dense fudge like texture in the mouth. Rich and nutty this cheese is sure to become a favorite among customers and staff.

You're going to need a big wine to go with that explosive cheddar. We suggest the 2007 Picada from Argentina. This full-bodied red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Pinot Noir. The end result is a big wine with soft tannins, plum flavors and just enough spice that is sure to please.

While our pairing won't make spring come any sooner, having a tasty hunk of cheese and glass of wine certainly helps bring some sunshine into an otherwise cold and grey February day.

New Pairing

This week we are featuring the Roxanne from Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign, IL and the N.V. Gran Sarao Cava Rosao from Spain.

Roxanne is a raw sheep milk cheese from our friend Leslie. Named for one of her does on the farm and not for the song by the Police, Roxanne is a nutty, grassy cheese with a natural rind and a round mouthfeel.

Perfect with the Cava Rosado. This is an exquisite pink wine. Bone dry instead of cloying. Bubbles made by the champagne method of second fermentation in the bottle instead of pumped in like other wines. Crisp, bubbly and delicious. Perfect for the rich flavors of the Roxanne.





-Agela

Sun-Times article

In the Sun-Times today there is an article on culinary tourism, highlighting Pastoral. As many of you have experienced first hand, once a year we arrange for a field trip. It is open to the staff, and to the public. Last year we went to the Champaign-Urbana farmer's market, and then onward to visit Leslie Cooperband, her goats, and her amazing chef at Prairie Fruits Farm.

This year we've got another trip in the works for the end of the summer. Contrary to what was written in the Sun-Times we have not finalized anything, but cheesemakers in Michigan are on our list. Stay tuned for further details! Until then, here are some shots from last year's excursion.

Lunch at Prairie Fruits Farm was delicious. Veggies grown right on the farm, and meat from neighbors down the road.


Leslie's goats are very friendly. Just ask Alison.


Group shot! Thanks to everyone for making it a great trip!

-Agela

Neal's Yard Dairy

A few months ago we did an in-store demo of opening a new wheel of Montgomery's English Farmhouse Cheddar. It's easy to tell why this cheese is a staff favorite with it's big flavors and acidity that keeps you coming back for "just one more nibble". Well, earlier this month I was on a short holiday to London, and I had the great opportunity to meet some of the folks over at Neal's Yard Dairy.

We usually have a few cheeses from Neal's Yard Dairy in the case. Stilton, Keen's Cheddar, Berkswell, Ardrahan, Coolea, Stichelton and of course Montgomery's have all spent time in our case, and in your homes, but how do we get such good wheels of cheese and what's Neal's Yard Dairy?

Neal's Yard Dairy is the premiere cheeseshop and affineur in Britain. They buy directly from the cheesemakers, taking trips out to the farms routinely to pick up cheese. In addition, they are excellent supporters of the cheesemakers. I asked about a favorite cheese of mine and why I hadn't seen it in many many months. Lucy told me that the cheesemakers was working out some kinks, but until she did, Neal's Yard Dairy was not going to be selling her cheese. They're not giving up on her or her cheese. Instead, they are working with the cheesemaker to get her cheese back to its glorious standing. Much more than just a retail store.

How do you feel about Stichelton? Big flavors, lactic, salty, delicious. This cheese is the direct result of Randolph Hodgson the big cheese at Neal's Yard Dairy. Find out more about Randolph here.

Upon first entrance in the Borough shop I came face to face with a wall of Montgomery's Cheddar. I knew it was going to be a good day.


This is one of the four temperature controlled aging rooms at The Railways. The Railways is just that, a cave like enclosure underneath the rails where they store and age the cheese before hand selecting each wheel for wholesale distribution or retail sale.

So who are some of these wonderful people who make cheese from the British Isles available to us here in Chicago? Starting on the left we have Michael Jones, manager of the Borough store. Next to him is Martin Tkalez, manager of the Covent Garden shop, and Lucy Moylan, cheesemistress extraordinaire and my personable tour guide during my time there. Lucy and Jason (not pictured) specifically pick out the wheels of cheese for us here in the U.S. She told me that sometimes she tastes upwards of 50 different cheeses in the decision making process. With that attention to detail, you can be assured that we are getting the very best, and that you are taking home a superior product.


I would like to point out that our own resident Fromagier, Cesar does a lot of the same work with cheesemakers. He has convinced cheesemakers to give us their cheeses to work with, taste, help them develop and sell. If you go to the Green City Market on Saturdays you'll see him selling Leslie Cooperband's Prairie Fruits Farm Cheeses.

This is a picture of Cesar holding a freshly cut wheel of Stichelton just moments before the morning crew pounces on it for a taste.

He's not the only one of our staff out there. Adam sells Leslie's cheese at the Oak Park farmer's market on Saturday, and Alison is going to be selling cheese for Judy Schad of Capriole.

-Agela

Meet the Maker

This Sunday (4/26) come to our Lakeview store between 1-4 and meet Leslie Cooperband from Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign, IL. Some of you might remember meeting Leslie, her goats, a chicken and a little steer during the field trip we took to her farm last fall. Well, this time, she's making the trip up to us.

What will we be tasting? Some Moonglo? Perhaps a fresh goat cheese with edible flower garnish? Little Bloom on the Prairie? Who knows what lovely cheeses she'll bring with her. You'll have to come in Sunday and see for yourself!