A professional eater's amateur thoughts on cheese

Did you know that August is National Goat Cheese month? In celebration of this month long holiday, I thought I’d say my piece on cheese plates.

Now, I’m no expert on cheese, but I have had (way more than) my fair share of it throughout my cooking career. Until relatively recently, cheese plates were something of a novelty on American restaurant menus. Within the past ten years, it seems that just about anywhere you go to eat offers artisan cheeses either as an appetizer or a dessert. Of these artisan cheeses that are being offered, there are now a wide variety of fantastic domestic cheeses available. Ten years ago, this wasn’t the case. This year at the American Cheese Society Awards there where over 1300 domestic cheeses being shown! I’d say that’s quite an accomplishment for America.

I’ve worked in restaurants where it was looked down upon to start the meal with a plate of cheese, and also in restaurants that had it under the heading of “appetizers” or “starters”. My answer to the stuffier places that think that the only time to eat cheese is after a meal is this: Who cares when you eat it? All that really matters is that you are enjoying it.

There are countless ways to enjoy cheese. Whether it be on a cracker or a crusty baguette, an apple or with a little mostarda, no way is the wrong way. For me a nicely balanced cheese plate would consist of the following factors:

1) a buttery, spreadable double or triple cream cheese such as CowGirl Creamery's Red Hawk or Old Chatham Sheephearding Company's Hudson Valley Camembert
2) a firmer, slightly nutty cheese such as Ewephoria or Abbaye de Belloc
3) a blue cheese such as Tilston Point or Fourme d' Ambert
4) something sweet
5) something salty
6) bread or crackers
7) all cheese at room temperature

Within these requirements on my dream cheese plate there would be a cow’s, a goat’s and a sheep’s milk cheese (and a stinky one! But that’s just me.). I like to mix and match flavors; like a slightly warmed piece of bread spread with a little of Jasper Hill’s creamy Constant Bliss, topped with a dollop of peach-hazelnut chutney. Or a toasted slice of fennel bread with a hunk of Tomme Crayeuse and a smidge of ratatouille relish….or my all time favorite, just about anything with mostarda.

What is mostarda you say? Well I’ll tell you my friend; it’s the ultimate condiment. If you’ve never had this sweet, tangy and sometimes spicy Italian concoction, I recommend that you do not pass go, you do not collect $200, and that you go directly to your nearest specialty or cheese shop and ask for some. Mostarda, also known as mustard fruit or mostarda di frutta is condiment classically made of fruit and a mustard flavored syrup. In my version, I like to use dried fruit and add in a little prepared horseradish for an extra kick. At Market, it’s used not only on the cheese plates, but also as the perfect accompaniment to the rich, crispy duck confit.

This recipe is a combination of a few different recipes that came up when I googled it. From there, it has been tweaked time and time again. And now I present you, my friends:

Golden Raisin Mostarda
makes about 3 cups

1 c sugar
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp whole yellow mustard seeds, slightly toasted
1 cup golden raisins
2 Tbsp high quality dijon mustard
3 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon juice

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add mustard seed and raisins and return to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until mixture has reached a syrupy consistency, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Let cool. This can be stored in a sealed container for a really long time.