The Monthly (Not So) Monger, Cheese Better Than Gold

At the end of every rainbow, it’s said, lies a hefty pot of gold coins. However, obtaining it isn’t an easy feat. After an intense battle with the short and ill-tempered guard, the adventurer reaches into the cauldron to collect their reward… only to realize it’s simply cheese…Thankfully, obtaining cheese is far simpler than in this tale, so here are some cheeses that are arguably better than a pot of gold.

Saint Patrick’s day, the highly-celebrated holiday is a celebration honoring the late patron saint Saint Patrick. Since the Irish migration to the United States, it has shifted to celebrating Irish culture and heritage as a whole. Thankfully, many cheeses originate from Ireland – perfect for this month’s edition. 

Beginning with a cheese directly from Ireland, the Dubliner is an Irish cheddar. An interesting feature of this cheese is the process of making it. Kerrygold, the company that sources the cheese, is located in Ireland, more specifically in County Cork. They work with a number of family-owned farms. Dubliner cheese is made of milk from grass-fed cows that produce a much fresher and healthier cheese. The company prides itself on the well-sourced and freshly-made aged cheddar. The cheese itself has a very nutty, sharp taste and is quite solid and crumbly in texture. It’s a choice cheese to layer on a sandwich or pair with fruits like apples and pears.

This board wouldn’t be complete without a hint of green cheese. Though it’s an English cheese, Sage derby is the delicious and colorful marbled cheese that looks amazing for this arrangement. Sage Derby tastes very herbal and has a tremendous sage flavor. Its texture is incredibly creamy and makes it perfect for sandwiches and as a decorative cheese on boards. 

The third cheese is similar to Dubliner. Irish Tipperary is another Irish cheddar. The texture is semi-hard and melts upon eating; it has an amazingly rich flavor and would be great paired with fruits. This cheese also comes from a family-owned farm in Ireland. Passed down generations, the quality of the cheese is guaranteed by all efforts of the employees, who dedicate their lives to raising livestock.

To add some more green to the board. I chose sour apple slice candy. A little sugar here and there is a perfect addition to less-flavorful boards. Though many would choose to use other sweets like chocolate, charcuterie is an art form that gives a creator endless freedom to choose what food to present. Next to the sweets are some oddly shaped rolls. Filled with mozzarella, basil, and wrapped in prosciutto, this cheese swirl makes the perfect snack. It pairs well with crackers or eaten as is. Prosciutto wraps include a few great aspects of charcuterie that guests are familiar with, making it great for presentation.

What sort of board would this be if there weren’t any crackers? Buttermilk and Sesame seed crackers span down the board to pair with the final cheese, Herbs de Humboldt. This cheese was incredibly hard to set out as it was so creamy. Goat cheese often ranges from creamy to crumbly, this one being softer than butter. I managed to slice it into small bits to create a flower pattern that looked quite fun. It tasted as most goat cheeses do, earthlike and tart, with a hint of herb. It’s used for crumbling on dishes like pizza or salad, but it can also be spread onto crackers and eaten on its own. 

With some luck and hungry guests, this board can easily be cleaned off. Sadly, this article is one of the last few monthly boards left. The school year ends in about two months, leaving April and possibly May to present more delicious and cheesy arrangements. But the hope is that by now cheese is a little less intimidating. These articles are all made to encourage branching out and trying new things. So go find some cheese and crackers, and start your cheese journey!