Your summer picnics and charcuterie boards are about to level up, thanks to these delicious recs from local fromage experts.
Cheese Pro: Ellen Waggett
Co-owner of Bimi’s Cheese Shop in Chatham
Blue Cheese
Type: Blue Yonder from Lively Run Dairy in Interlaken (Finger Lakes).
Best paired with: A beef hot dog. Pile it high with thin-sliced red onions, green and spicy piparras (Spanish peppers), and crumbled blue cheese. “It’s colorful, fun, festive, and so yummy!”
Cheddar
Type: 2-Year Cheddar from Shelburne Farms (Vermont).
Best paired with: Sliced ripe plums and a dollop of Sidehill Farm plum paste. Waggett says the cheddar also goes great with cornbread, BBQ chicken, and beer.
Bimi’s Canteen—a new eatery featuring local ingredients and cheese-forward dishes—is due to open next door to the cheese shop over Memorial Day Weekend.
Marinated Feta
Type: Marinated sheep and goat cheese from Meredith Dairy (Australia).
Best paired with: Watermelon and mint salad. Cube the watermelon, toss in crumbled cheese, and chiffonade the mint. “Be sure to drizzle a little bit of the marinade oil from the jar over it all. Swoon!”
Taleggio
Type: Pasteurized cow’s milk cheese from Lombardia, Italy.
Best paired with: “Fudgy, slightly stinky Taleggio is so good over a hot-grilled burger with caramelized onions, mustard, and arugula.” Use a brioche bun for optimal flavor.
Grilled Halloumi
Type: Semi-soft, cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk halloumi from Kynthos (Cyprus).
Best paired with: Throw halloumi and peaches on the grill at the same time and sprinkle fresh thyme before serving for a quick and easy appetizer or over salad greens.
Quesos La Cabazuela sources milk from local shepherds who raise Guadarrama goats, a heritage breed that is near extinction.
Cheese Pro: Andy Koechling
Cheese department manager of Talbott & Arding in Hudson
Goat Cheese
Type: Tradicional Semi Curado from Quesos La Cabazuela (Spain).
Best paired with: A mild honey. “A light sweetness illuminates the more subtle flavors of the goat’s milk. Add some chorizo seco from Charlito’s Cocina.”
Hooligan
Type: A ripe washed-rined cow’s milk cheese from Cato Corner Farm (Connecticut).
Best paired with: Rose Hill Farm’s (Red Hook) pét-nat cider Kitchen Sink. “The bubbles play on the rich, fatty quality of Hooligan, and the lively citrus notes of the cider play off the funk beautifully—a perfect combination for warmer weather!”
Related: 3 Creamy, Delicious Vegan Cheeses From Hudson Valley Makers
