Pure Flavor Brings Fresh Ingredients To Life

Two years ago, I got this crazy idea to write a cookbook. This month, the cookbook - Pure Flavor: 125 Fresh All-American Recipes from the Pacific Northwest - becomes a reality.

A framework for creating delicious, healthy meals from fresh ingredients, Pure Flavor highlights recipes from Beecher's and its sibling companies, Bennett's Pure Food Bistro and Pasta & Co. For Beecher's fans, Pure Flavor reveals for the first time the recipe to our "World's Best" Mac & Cheese. You'll also find Bennett's popular Butter Rubbed Salmon with Blueberry Sauce and Pasta & Co's Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.

Pure Flavor also serves as a manual on how to navigate the waters of today's food terminology, like farm-raised, free-range, certified organic and sustainable, while digging deep into how to cook with ingredients such as live Dungeness crab, wild mushrooms and artisan cheese.

Finally, Pure Flavor tells the story of ten Pacific Northwest food icons who raised the bar on providing whole, all-natural foods free of additives and preservatives. From Paul Shipman in the craft beer industry to Bruce Gore who transformed commercial fishing, the Pacific Northwest harbors a community of pioneering artisan food producers.

Pure Flavor was a collaborative effort for our company, embodying the pure food philosophy that guides our business, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Kurt Beecher Dammeier
Proprietor

Pure Flavor:
125 Fresh All-American Recipes
From The Pacific Northwest

In Pure Flavor, Kurt Dammeier draws on the best flavors of the region Beecher's calls home to bring the characteristic freshness of the area into the kitchen. The 125 recipes have their roots not only at Beecher's and its sister companies, Bennett's Pure Food Bistro and Pasta & Co, but from Kurt's own kitchen.

Pure Flavor becomes available for shipping on July 31st but you can pre-order it here.

The Summer Fruit And Cheese Plate

July is a great month for fruit. From strawberries and plums to cherries, nectarines and figs, there's a wide selection of fresh fruit to add to your cheese platter. Below are some winning combinations we enjoy.

Cherries and Beecher's Marco Polo
The sweet tartness of the cherry and the spicy pepper in our award-winning Marco Polo makes for an irresistible combination. To take your cherries a step further, make a compote by pitting the cherries and cooking them in a small sauce pan with sugar water and lemon juice. Let cool before spooning over shaved Marco Polo on toasted, thin slices of a sourdough baguette.

Strawberries and Port Madison Fresh Chèvre
There is rarely a more satisfying combination than plump, local strawberries paired with creamy fresh cheese - especially chèvre from Port Madison Farm. This cheese is so white and fluffy with a fresh cream aroma that you'll want to eat it with a spoon. For the perfect bite, spread the fresh chèvre on a Beecher's Original Cracker, layer on sliced strawberries and garnish with fresh mint.

Apricot and Rogue Creamery Crater Lake Blue
For adventurous taste buds, pair the savory flavors of Rogue Creamery's most robust blue cheese with the delicate sweetness of apricots. To finish this combination, top with a candied, toasted walnut. Delicious!

Peaches and Beecher's Flagship
Sweet and juicy, a perfect peach will bring out the nutty, fruity flavor of Beecher's signature Flagship cheese. To kick the flavors into high gear, drizzle with clover honey.

You can find these cheeses at Beecher's shop in the Pike Place Market. For more information, call (206) 956-1964.

Producer Profile: Redwood Hill Farm

Jennifer Bice, head cheesemaker for Redwood Hill Farm, has long been considered a pioneer in farmstead artisan cheesemaking. As a good friend of Kurt Dammeier's and a fellow boardmember of the American Cheese Society, we are particularly excited to be featuring one her cheeses at Beecher's shop in the market.

For over 35 years, Redwood Hill Farm has been producing award-winning goat’s milk products. Situated in the beautiful redwood forests north of San Francisco, the Bice family — who moved to the farm in 1968 — owns and operates the goat farm, now home to over 400 goats.

Beecher’s recently began offering Redwood Hill Farm’s Bucheret cheese, a soft-ripened goat’s milk cheese with a soft, white rind and a dense, buttery center. Already a favorite among the staff, Bucheret is delicious when served with fresh fruit or drizzled with local honey.

Bucheret is currently available at our shop in the Pike Place Market - but order now! It won’t last long. For more information, call (206) 956-1964.

Enjoy An Evening Of American Artisan Cheeses With Beecher's Cheese 101 Class

Ever wonder what the difference is between cow's and sheep's milk? Or if it's safe to eat a cheese's rind?

In our Cheese 101: Introduction to Artisan Cheese class, you'll learn all about cheese, from its history to how cheese is made, all while sampling 17 American artisan cheeses. The evening is rounded out by a fun, interactive wine and cheese pairing.

The next Cheese 101 class will be held Wednesday, July 11th. Class size is limited so sign up now to reserve your space!

If you don't live in the Seattle area, check out our general events calendars and find out what cheese events may be happening in your area.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

If you have a favorite recipe that uses artisan cheese as a key ingredient,
email your recipe to thestaff@beecherscheese.com and you may
find your recipe in the next newsletter!

Golden Beet Salad

Courtesy of
Pure Flavor: 125 Fresh All-American Recipes
from the Pacific Northwest

Serves 4 to 6

1¼ pounds golden beets, trimmed and rinsed
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon whole-grain or Dijon mustard
1 ounce spinach leaves or baby spinach, sliced (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons toasted walnuts
1 ounce Rogue Creamery Oregonzola cheese, crumbled (¼ cup)

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Place the beets in a roasting pan and add water to a depth of ½ inch. Cover the pan with foil and bake until the beets are easily pierced with a fork, about 1½ hours. Set the beets aside until they are cool enough to handle. Peel and rinse off any pieces of skin. Slice the beets into ½-inch-thick rounds, and then cut them into ¼-inch-thick sticks. Let the beets cool to room temperature.

Toss the beets with the rice vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil and mustard and toss with the spinach. Garnish with the toasted walnuts and crumbled blue cheese.