There’s just so many bougie bottles & pairings & tastings; while those are all well and good in their own right, I also like to think of wines & cheeses as sort of kitchen staples. That’s not to say I pop the nice stuff and set up a little solo cheese board every night of the week – though more power to you if you do. Mostly, I’m working with a splash from whatever open bottle is in the fridge and a schmear of Vermont Creamery’s Cremont on a few wheat thins while I’m figuring out dinner or finishing up the day’s crossword.
If you know anything about the Farm, it’s that we think well made, well farmed, intentional goods should be all around us and easily available – that’s what we’re all about and the wine & cheese departments are no exception.
So this week, we’re gonna take a look at some of our go to grabs, our weeknight warriors if you will. Unfussy yet polished, reliable no nonsense bottles and bites that don’t necessarily have to put our bank accounts through the wringer. Treating yourself doesn’t need to be an occasion, the occasion can just be that it’s been a long Tuesday.
I’ve recently rekindled my love for a trusty after-school snack from my youth. I so vividly remember coming home from 5th grade, dropping my backpack probably in the middle of the floor somewhere, and immediately grabbing a Granny Smith apple and a block of Cracker Barrel cheddar from the fridge. Thus was my routine before soccer practice or while “doing my homework” for months on end. The other day, I had some crumbly pieces of High Lawn Wilde Field kicking around and Carlson Orchards’ honey crisp apples had just come through the door. Obviously, I had a brain blast from the past and did the only natural thing one would do. It seems silly and simple, and it totally is, but silly and simple snacks like this bring me true joy.
Personally, I like a firmer apple – a la Granny Smith or Honeycrisp – with anything from Ford Farm’s aged cheddar to Beemster’s goat gouda. Get a little crazy and go for one of the Heirloom apple varieties we have right now and a wedge of Von Trapp’s Mad River Blue. You have my blessing to mix & match – except if you’re thinking of anything with Red Delicious… you’re on your own with that one.
Written by Erin Hepinstall, Cheese Manager