Celebrate in Community with a Spring Cheese Board

April 9, 2021

Spring is in the air, and vaccinations are on the rise. Although we cannot jump to “going back to normal,” we can proceed safely and with caution to gather in community with the proper precautions. An excellent addition to any Spring gathering is a cheese board. Friends and family are likely to enjoy this easy-to-make and nice-to-look-at cheese board. This is one (lovely) way to support small-scale, local Community Foods cheese producers at Seward Co-op!

Start With Cheese

With so many flavors and textures of cheese to choose from, engage your taste buds with a few different varieties. You can choose your own adventure when building a cheese board and co-op staff are eager to connect community members to different cheeses. Below are some seasonal recommendations from trusted staff at our Cheese counters to get you started.

For a crumbly cheese and funky flavor, try Deer Creek’s The Blue Jay. Deer Creek is a small-scale, local cheese producer from Wisconsin, and their beautifully veined Blue Jay blue cheese is flecked with crushed juniper berries for a botanical freshness that welcomes warm weather with each bite.

Another lovely addition to a spring cheese board is Milton Creamery. They work with local Amish dairy farmers to make the best cheeses, like their award-winning Prairie Breeze. This hard, white cheese has a light, fruity aroma and a satisfying nuttiness on the palate.

For a softer, spreadable cheese, try family-run, local producer Donnay Dairy’s goat cheese. This small-batch chèvre is tangy and not too tart or rich and is never produced with hormones. Donnay’s farm is nestled in the hills of Stearns County, Minn. – you can bet that the proximity makes the freshest cheese for a bright spring cheese board.

Flavorful Pairings

What better way to celebrate Spring than with some thematic cheese pairings? Cherry trees will again bloom, so pair that chèvre and Prairie Breeze with Divina Sour Cherry Spread. To invoke thoughts of our pollinator pals, add Ames Farm or Beez Kneez honey to the mix for drizzling over the Blue Jay. If you’re feeling extra fancy, plate all of the above on a nice cutting board and fill in any gaps with dried fruit, nuts, or fresh herbs to add to the presentation. Don’t forget to grab a lovely Patisserie 46 baguette to bring it all together – the stories about all these fantastic Community Foods producers are great conversation starters as we acclimate to safe in-person gatherings again.