This week I am in San Francisco with my husband, visiting my sister and brother-in-law for my 30th birthday. The trip so far has been beyond fun and packed with plenty of activities (see my instagram page for additional updates), including a cheesescape! Creating a cheesescape in a new city was fantastic because not only did it yield a tasty cocktail hour for the evening, but it forced me to explore the area in order to come up with a scape that was both representative of the area but also interesting and of course delicious.
First Stop
Prior to this trip I had done a little research on places (restaurants, cheese shops, etc.) that I wanted to visit at some point over the course of our stay in San Francisco. In addition to my own research I also made it a point to ask a local (my sister) what places she would recommend that I visit. One of the places she recommended that I visit was Mission Cheese Shop.
Upon arrival, I knew immediately that my sister had given be a great recommendation because the store was packed. I managed to make it up to the cheese bar where I was able to talk with one of the store's cheese associates about the types of cheeses they offered and what I was looking for. The cheese associate graciously let me sample a number of cheeses and did an excellent job of selecting 4 cheeses that fit the flavor profiles I had been in search of. After my visit to Mission Cheese, I headed to the closest Whole Foods Market for a few additional cheesescape essentials and then I was on my way back to the house to get to work.
Cheeses
- Mt. Tam by Cow Girl Creamery (CA)- cow's milk, triple cream. Flavors include: cultured butter with hints of white mushroom.
- Sofia by Capriole Dairy (IN)- goat's milk, soft. Character: silky to the tongue, marbled with ash, delicate and sweet.
- Classico Reserve by Tumalo Farm (OR)-goat's milk, hard. Flavors include: slightly sweet brown butter, nutty flavor and has a hint of honeysuckle in the finish. **Recommend not pairing this cheese with any crackers or fruits.
- Clothbound Cheddar by Cabot Jasper Hill (VT)- cow's milk, semi-hard. Flavors include: deeply savory and slightly tangy with a caramel sweetness to finish.
- Mimolette (Boule de Lille) (FR)- cow's milk, semi-hard. Flavors include: buttery, caramel, nutty and salty.
Cheesescape Accoutrements
- Pig & Squirrel's Dried Apricot and Shallot Compote
- Dried Tart Cherries
- Fresh, Thinly Sliced Granny Smith Apple
- Fig and Almond Cake
- 34 degree's Rosemary Crisps and Carr's Original Water Crackers
- Fresh Savory Herbs
- Board Garnishes: Edible Flowers and Fresh Lemon Leaves from the lemon tree in my sister's backyard (only in California!)
- All served on this Nambe Cheeseblock with Knife and Spreader
Cheesescaping in a new city was so much fun! I learned about a fabulous local cheese shop, had the opportunity to try a variety of new cheeses and it gave me a chance to give back to our very generous host and hostess. While I am totally envious of my sister's lemon trees, there are still so many new cheesescape ideas and additional accessories that I am looking forward to incorporating in future boards when I return to DC.