More Cheese Please!

I tried so much amazing stuff over the weekend I felt the need to share what were the highlights of the weekend now that I've made it out of my lactose intolerant food coma. I know, I'm a bit of a masochist being that I love cheese and am lactose intolerant.

My hands down favorite food was the Bread & Butter Pickles from The Golden State Pickle Works who describes themselves as:

"Using the bounty of northern California to make artisanal fermented vegetables, fruit and thoughtfully crafted condiments, we carry on the traditions of the American food pantry while also contributing to the dialogue. By supporting local farmers and their beautiful produce, we practice one of the oldest and purest forms of preservation to be enjoyed throughout the year."

These pickles are so good there are only the dredges left in my jar, because I have no self control, and while cleaning the house left the jar open on the counter to just grab a pickle slice or 2 each time I passed it. 

I know you were most likely expecting me to open with a cheese considering it was a cheese festival, however when something is this good one needs to share how good it is with the hope you'll buy some so that they stay in business and can keep making pickles for me! Currently you have to go to either the Petaluma or Santa Rosa Farmer's Markets to get your hands on these yummy treats, but if you email the owner Samantha she'll figure a way to get a few jars to you.

To drinks I have to give nods to Korbel, which is my #1 choice for lazy Sunday mimosas, to the familiar North Coast Brewing, and lastly to Bucher Vinevards which served up a nice buttery Chardonnay. What took the cake, and Anna and I got 2 glasses of, though was Bite Hard Apple Cider.

The crisp apply flavor of the Dry Apple Cider was just what one wants in a cider, and left a clean aftertaste that brought out the sweetness of the foods we tasted.

Now the moment you've all been waiting for... THE CHEESE!

There were 3 cheese that I found awesome and one I'd been searching for for weeks.

First up is the Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor. This cheese is mellow, smooth, and familiar, and Anna and I first discovered it about 5 years ago in the cheese ends bin of Whole Foods. We, being our natural wine loving selves, ate it with fruit and wine, but without thinking threw away the wrapper before noting what cheese it was. A month later we still couldn't stop talking about the this cheese so we spent an hour talking to the cheesemonger back at the cheese counter, and we found it again.

Cypress Grove is a regular sight at my family's gatherings, and I think this has to be the one from now on.

Next is the Point Reyes White Cheddar. Before I tell you about this cheese let me tell you about the obsession I have had with trying to find it. I actually went to the cheese festival looking for this cheese without knowing the name of it. I sometimes pop into Molly Stones on my way to work for coffee and their cheese counter will sometimes have little boxes of precut cheese cubes that are perfect for lunch. Well I grabbed one that was marked white cheddar and fell in love with it over the 2 days I had it for lunch. I wanted more, but the label didn't have the creamery name on it, and I was never there while the cheesemonger was. Luckily I found it during the market day at the festival and the rest is now in my refrigerator.

Smooth texture that melts in your mouth, and a slightly sharp taste make this an easy pairing to fruit, or the Bite Hard Cider. I'm fond of it with a pear myself.

Now for the best cheese I tasted, and the one I bought an entire pound of, is Orland Farmstead's Ricottage with Garlic and Dill. This creamy, spreadable cheese is a cross between a ricotta and a cream cheese. It looks chunky like a ricotta, but spreads on crackers and bread like a cream cheese. I've been having it on a thin slice of bread for breakfast the last two days an am glad I bought two packages so that I can willingly share it with Ben. Anna also bought half a pound while still licking her lips from the sample she got.

Lapskaus

It's raining and it's going to keep raining till we get a wee break next week, then we're to get more rain. I love the rain, I know we need it, but I also hate the cold.

My weapons against the rain are as follows:

• Wearing Layers
• Sturdy Leather Boots
• My Red Peacoat 
• Handknit Wool Socks
• A Handmade Cowl/Scarf
• My Plaid Umbrella
• Lapskaus

Most of these you are more then likely familiar with, with the exception of the Lapskaus. 

I grew up in a very Norwegian-American family, and we did not have stew. I actually had no idea what stew was till my mother started dating my step father who grew up in England (trust me when I tell you that I know bland food). My mother couldn't cook, but my grandmother, and great grandmother Fugelseth cooked lapskaus when it rained and served it over rice, or tossed rice into it when it was getting to the bottom of the pot and we needed to make it stretch for one more meal. I still make lapskaus as the weather starts to turn cold, but it's not exactly the lapskaus of my childhood.

We all have those foods that we try to recreate from our childhoods, but having grown up thinking there were only 2 spices (salt and pepper), I kind of gather whatever hits my fancy when I'm at the store, or is on sale. My best friend Anna has my aunt Thea's lapskaus recipe, which is fairly close to what my grandmother made, but rather then rely on a ton of salt for seasoning I prefer a dark beer.

Lapskaus

• 2 lbs of meat, pork preferred, any cut
• 1 bottle of dark beer, I preferred Shinerbock for a light taste, Rasputin Stout for a strong flavor
• 2-4 carrots
• 2 parsnips
• 1 yellow onion
• 3-4 medium red skin potatoes
• 4 stalks celery

Note: You'll need to start this the night before and plan to toss the vegetables in the next morning.  

1. Put the meat, whole, into a large crockpot and pour the beer over it. Cover, let sit for 2 hours on high, and then let sit overnight on low/warm.
2. Chop all vegetables into bite size cubes and toss in the next morning. I like to chop them all while I wait for the meat on high the night before, pop all the chopped vegetables into the fridge overnight, and dump them into the pot as I get ready to go to work the next morning.
3. Let cook for at least 5-6 hours.
4. Serve & provide people with salt and pepper.

This is seriously the easiest thing to make and it makes the house smell wonderful all day long. You can serve with bread or rice.