Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Improve any party with inspired cheese-and-cracker pairings. We asked our town’s knowledgeable cheesemongers and experts for recommendations of small ways to impress at your next gathering.
“The bright, tart flavor of Humboldt Fog chèvre works well with Chive Crackers from the Fine Cheese Company,” says Simon Lehrer of Parker’s Table. “They complement both the flavor and creamy, chalky texture of the cheese.” The white cheese, with its fine line of gray ash, looks beautiful with the lightly browned crackers flecked with green.
Heather Laudie of The Wine and Cheese Place recommends Délice de Bourgogne with La Tuscany Cranberry and Black Pepper Artisan Crackers. She touts the French triple-crème for its luxurious, “almost fluffy” texture and its taste, with hints of mushroom, truffle, and cultured butter. It’s perfect for pairing with the sweet, snappy crackers and their whisper of pepper.
At The Wine Merchant, cheese maven Michael Haskins recommends Jacobs & Brichford Farmstead Cheese’s Everton, an Alpine-style hard cheese with sharp, strong grassy notes. His handmade full-flavored pick, Alehouse Cheddar Castleton Crackers, stand up to the full-flavored Everton.
And don’t miss local Baetje Farms’ Miette, 80 percent goat’s milk and 20 percent sheep’s milk with a bloomed rind. This buttery cheese, with undertones of “yeast breads waiting to be baked,” teams nicely with 34 Degrees’ Natural Crisps. Both are available at Whole Foods’ Town & Country location.
See also: The Unlikely Celebrity of Baetje Farms
