Back to School!

Congratulations Parents, you've Survived Summer Vacation!! (Or you almost have and that deserves a pat on the back, too.) 

Now you need some fresh, quick, and easy after-school snack ideas to keep everyone healthy and steer away those 'back to school blues'.

Here's some cheesy treats your kids will love (and you will enjoy, too).

The kids have spoken! They are tough cheese critics, but time and again these have been consistent favorite cheeses of our underage cheese crowd. Here's the inside scoop on the cheeses they clamor for.

Cotswold cheese: This English cheese is like cheddar, but better! It is a variation of double glouster to which chopped chives have been added. We call it the "Twice Baked Potato" cheese. Serve with grapes, as a grilled cheese sandwich, or melted on top of fresh baked potato slices, pita, or tortilla chips (these can be prepared in advance and warmed on demand when the hungry hands get home). Cotswold melted on broccoli is also a great disguise for the "little green trees".

Cantal cheese: One of the oldest cheeses made in France, originating from the Cantal Mountains in Auvergne where the cheese is still made. (Snack time could double as a geography lesson if you grab a map and find where this cheese comes from.) Kids love Cantal because it tastes like buttery popcorn... it's no secret that's what we love, too! Try this cheese with crisp apple slices, nuts, or fresh berries.

Leyden cheese: A delicious cow's milk Gouda spiced with Cumin from the Netherlands. It may sound grown up, but this treat can't be beat when grilled in a corn tortilla for a tasty Quesadilla variation. They can be cut up in to wedges and dipped in ranch dressing, guacamole, salsa, or sour cream. Leyden also tastes great as a sweet snack sliced on a cracker with a small dab of strawberry jam... Yum! 

Havarti cheese & Salami rolls: We can slice up some Dry Italian Salami for you so it's ready to go. Then for snack time set out the salami slices and strips of Havarti cheese from Denmark. The salami is fun to wrap around the cheese and it will get gobbled up in no time.

 ~ Good For You Cheese? ~

Cheese provides a unique combination of nutrients that, studies show, offer many health benefits including improving bone health, reducing high blood pressure and managing weight. Learn more about the many health benefits of cheese and even tips about how to enjoy cheese (and what cheeses to shop for) if you're lactose intolerant at http://www.ilovecheese.com/cheese_health.asp.

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- Sunday, August 26th from 3-5 pm -

Monthly Tasting at Tip-Ups Tavern hosted by Who Cut the Cheese.

This month: 

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Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada

So where's the "Big Cheese" these days? Well, just so happens she's been visiting one of the best cheese tourism destinations around. One of the gulf islands in British Columbia, Salt Spring, the largest and most populated of the gulf islands is also a cheese lovers dream come true with not one, but TWO, cheesemakers. Both Moonstruck Organic Cheese Co. and Salt Spring Island Cheese Company call this island home.

Cheesemakers David and Nancy Wood began cheesemaking when they started Salt Spring Island Cheese Company in the early 1990s with sheep's milk cheeses, but have since really hit their stride with goat's milk cheeses. The colorful chevre packaging (in the photo above) is something to see, housing specialty chevre flavors and spices such as, basil, chili, pansies, and sage.

Moonstruck Organic Cheese Co. is home to a very happy small herd of purebred Jersey cows. Their sweet and fragrant milk is transformed into some delicious farmstead cheeses including incredible blues, White Grace (an aged white made following a unique recipe without heat or pressing); White Moon (a soft camembert-style cheese with a white rind) and a softer ash ripened Camembert.

Check in with us here at Who Cut The Cheese around mid-August to find out if we were lucky enough to bring some of this cheese to the shop and for you to taste!

cheesetoid by gordie:

Q: Which one of these cheeses comes from the Lombardy region of Italy?

A. Gorgonzola

B. Piave

C. Stracchino

D. A and C

Answer: D

Stacchino and Gorgonzola are both from Lombardy (in the central area of Northern Italy) and both have a soft texture  which is common for cheeses made in Lombardy. The region is home to Lake Como and the picturesque villages of Bellagio, Varenna, and Tremezzo, with the snow-capped Swiss Alps above. Gorgonzola pairs well with with Muscat dessert wine or Port.

Piave, on the other hand, is named after the river Piave, whose source is found at Mount Peralba in Veneto, Italy. The land surrounding the ancient river is integral to the character of the cheese. It is made where the milk is collected, the curd cooked, and the cheese aged until hard. It has an intense, full-bodied flavor, reminiscent of Parmigiano Reggiano, with an almost pineapple aroma. Piave pairs well with Zinfandel.