Eating Seasonally With Artisan Cheeses

With each month, local markets share a return of seasonal fruits and vegetables. In the Pacific Northwest, May ushers in a wealth of vegetables like beets, asparagus, artichokes and spinach.

Now is the time to experiment with these veggies at your table, playing with the flavors of artisan cheeses to create lively appetizers, entrees and side dishes.

Sprinkle fresh spinach salads with Rogue Creamery's Smokey Blue Cheese or broil asparagus with shavings of Oregon Gourmet's Sublimity cheese and toasted almonds. At Bennett's Pure Food Bistro, Beecher's sister company, we're offering a seasonal appetizer of sliced beets with Bubalus Bubalis bufala mozzarella - a fun twist on summer's caprese salad and a colorful combination you can play with at home.

For those who love artichokes, we've included a recipe below for baked artichokes stuffed with a delicious mixture of our award-winning Flagship cheese and fresh parsley.

With the dynamic rhythm of seasonal produce and the availability of flavorful artisan cheeses, there's no limit to what you can create.

Kurt Beecher Dammeier
Proprietor

Don't Miss The Rolling Of The Truckles

Once again, the Seattle Cheese Festival returns to the Pike Place Market, along with cheese enthusiasts, cheesemakers and distributors from around the world. This year, the Festival opens on Saturday morning, May 19th, with the "Rolling of the Truckles" where racers roll 18 pound truckles of Beecher's Flagship Reserve cheese down the cobblestone streets of the Market. The Festival also boasts a cheese tasting of over 200 artisan cheeses, a wine garden, educational seminars led by local and national cheese experts, and cooking demonstrations with several of the city's top chefs and restaurants.

When: Friday May 18 - Sunday May 20
Where: Pike Place Market

For more information, click here.

This Mother's Day
Pamper With Cheese

Celebrate the mothers in your life this Mother's Day with a delicious selection of American artisan cheeses.

With our Spring Cheese Collection, Beecher's cheesemonger has hand-selected a premium assortment of Northwest cheeses best suited for indulgent afternoons with friends and family.

The cheeses include Mt. Townsend Creamery's camembert-style Cirrus, Beecher's Honey Blank Slate and our 18-month aged Flagship cheese. The cheeses are complemented with an Anjou Bakery Fruit Nut Crostini, a crunchy crostini famous for its perfect blend of grains, fruit and nuts.

For delivery in time for Mother's Day, be sure to place your order by Thursday, May 10th.

Producer Profile: Oregon Gourmet Cheeses

It all started with a passion for a delicious artisan cheese... in Australia. On a visit to Australia's dairy district, Gippsland, Connie Collins tasted handmade artisan cheeses crafted by a small boutique cheesemaker. Her first thought was to bring this cheese to America, but soon found that Europe was already filling the import quotas, making it impossible to bring it to States.

She determined that if she couldn't bring the cheese in, she would begin making her own artisan cheeses. Living in Willamette Valley, Oregon, Connie realized she was in the perfect place to get started. For milk, she teamed up with Jack Gourley of Gourley Family Farm, an organic dairy farm with over 170 pasture-fed Jersey cows.

Thus began Oregon Gourmet Cheeses, now well known for a variety of delicious cow's milk cheeses, all hand-crafted using traditional methods. Beecher's customers particularly love the Sublimity cheese, a semi-hard washed rind cheese with a delicate nutty flavor. Sublimity is available plain, with peppercorns or with herbes de provence.

You can find Oregon Gourmet Cheeses at our shop in the Pike Place Market. 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, June 6th. 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!

Cheese Stuffed Artichokes

Serves 4

4 artichokes, leaves trimmed
2 lemons
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups fresh dried bread crumbs
4 ounces Beecher ’s Flagship cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1 bunch chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375 ˚F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the juice of one lemon and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the artichokes and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until the bottoms are tender and can be pierced with a knife. Drain the artichokes and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic powder, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Slowly drizzle the olive oil over the mixture while stirring. Mix thoroughly.

When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, remove any broken leaves from the outside and gently press back the center leaves so the inner choke is revealed. Pull out the cone of white leaves in the center and, using a small spoon, gently scrape out the spiny choke being careful not to damage the heart.

Pack the bread crumb mixture into the open spaces of the artichokes. Place the artichokes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are golden brown.

While the artichokes bake, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and let cook for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from the heat.

Serve the artichokes with a squeeze of lemon juice and the garlic butter for dipping.