Saturday, July 02, 2011

The Cheese Doesn't Stand Alone

Summer. Ahhh.
Cranky calls it "mayonnaise season." I'm afraid it's also pesto season, or at least basil season, and I don't like basil.
For sure it's tomato season, even if these are a little early (hothouse-grown).
Lucky me, I just found out it's also cheese season.
I told you last week about the "Stilton" from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company. All along, I'd only known the company for its "original blue."
Well, I kept a couple secrets from you.
Point Reyes is also making fresh mozzarella, creamy soft balls about the size of rubbery, plastic-wrapped mozz in grocery stores, but this is floating in whey and it tastes like a cloud. A delicate, lactic cloud. So fresh, it moos.
We made Caprese salad, hold the basil.
Silly. I wouldn't even give this a name. It's sliced cheese, sliced tomatoes, wonderful olive oil and salt and pepper. That just sounds like food. Normal.
I always slurp the oil/tomato/cheese slurry that results in the plate when the food is gone. It's a tonic.
(And, I have one more secret. Gosh, I hope they come back to the market tomorrow.)

17 comments:

Greg said...

I could swim in the slurry! Simple and beautiful.

cookiecrumb said...

Greg: That might be fun!
I am SO into simple food these days.

Kris said...

One of my all time favorite things, with or without basil. Pass the baguette!

Cali said...

That looks fantastic, but can I have basil on mine? ;-) It's growing pesticide-free in my garden right now.

As for the juices, I like to sop that up with a nice piece of Acme sour batard. Mmmmm. Satisfying.

cookiecrumb said...

Little Pots: Indeedio!

Cali: Basil for you! sopping... Ahhh. (I love Acme so much.)

Kailyn said...

Dude. Get out of my head. I was at the Point Reyes Station farmers' market today and saw the mozzarella. They also have a new blue cheese out. I got to sample it but they were all out of some to sell. You so have to try the new cheese. It's so much mellower than the original.

And caprese is about the only time that I eat tomatoes in large amounts. Probably because they're topped with basil -- and I love that stuff.

Kailyn said...

Duh. You've had the new cheese. Just read your earlier post. Silly me.

Zoomie said...

I don't think that can be improved upon. Why add other flavors when the ingredients are simply perfect as they are? You made the right choice.

cookiecrumb said...

Kailyn: I'm impressed you've already seen the "Stilton." You rock!
I know I'm pretty alone in not liking basil. Xx

Zoomie: I am SO into simple flavors.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

You don't like Basil?? *Shocked*

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: I have a suspicion I'm one of those "super tasters," and little things like coffee and basil and even black pepper come across as too strong. I don't want to seem like a picky eater; I appreciate those tastes but I don't want a mouthful.

kudzu said...

Had a press release from Jill at Pt. Reyes Farmstead -- the cheese will be at the Marin and SF markets this weekend. Glory be. Hope you get some!

cookiecrumb said...

Kudzu: Yep, we got some! Cranky is doing the twitchy dance, because he can't wait to get into the new ball of mozzarella. Were you able to get any?

kudzu said...

Not yet -- and certainly not today when I am hunkered down in my shady, fan-cooled house, not venturing forth.

cookiecrumb said...

I GOT NOTHING TO BE MAD ABOUT TODAY

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Aahh, my mum is a supertaster, she cannot cope with any sort of hot/pepper, including capsicum (bell peppers).

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: Oh, very interesting! I hate bell pepper too. But I'm fine with hot peppers.