CHEESE BOX 45 –
FEBRUARY 23
Welcome to our Cheese box 45 – February 23!
GOOD NEWS AND SAD NEWS
Gee it was wet and wild for a lot of us in early January. The good news is that all the rain means lots of green grass, which in turn means lots of yummy milk for making lots of yummy cheese. The other good news is that this is another cracker box of NZ artisan cheeses, including the amazing caraway seed cheese from Grinning Gecko. The sad news is that Grinning Gecko have reluctantly decided it’s just too much of a battle to stay afloat. This is a huge shame because not only have they always made fabulous cheese, they’ve also constantly experimented. They’ve also consistently championed a Te Ao Māori perspective, and not just through Te Reo Māori names for their cheeses.
MANCHEGO – FROM KINGSMEADE CHEESE
Welcome if you’re one of our new Cheese Wheelers. Kingsmeade are one of the legends of artisan cheesemaking in Aotearoa, and they produce a fine example of this classic Spanish style semi-hard cheese. Pair it with a Chardonnay, Malbec (or a Barolo if you came into some money over summer!), a MacLeod’s Brown Porter, or a low-tannin green tea, and some fresh figs.
Region: Wairarapa. Type of milk: sheep.
TEMPTATION– FROM KERVELLA CHEESE
We are so glad that Kervella have come on board of the Cheese Wheel movement. This white blue cheese (isn’t that fun to say?) is creamy with a definite tang. Throw away the matching rulebook and find a quality toasty bubbles or fizzy water and enjoy with some slices of ripe nectarine.
Region: Takaka. Type of milk: cow.
CARAWAY SEED HAVARTY – FROM GRINNING GECKO
We don’t often include flavoured cheeses in our boxes, but there are some exceptions and this is one of them, Havarti is an underrated cheese, and caraway can be an underrated spice. The trick – probably true of all quality cheeses – is to enjoy each mouthful of this Danish-inspired combination. It goes well with apple juice, a sour ale, or a Merlot, and makes a great feature in salads
Region: Northland. Type of milk: cow.
PELORUS PEARL – FROM CRANKY GOAT
Cranky Goat are following Kingsmeade’s path and have established themselves at the forefront of innovation in cheesemaking in NZ. You, our Cheese Wheeler, are the first to taste Pelorus Pearl for the first time in two years thanks to Simon and Hellene at Cranky Goat. Eat this with a Malbec, a Belgian-style golden ale, or a feijoa kombucha, and some stonefruit.
Region: Malborough. Type of milk: goat.
