Remember the good old wine and cheese days? There was always a bunch of grapes on one side of the platter, and most times a selection of nice crackers to go with the range of cheeses which always included camembert, while the wines being served invariably carried French names. This was my first introduction to pairing cheese with fruit. I was also a great fan of a salad served at the Victoria University student cafe, consisting of green apple slices with grated cheese. This salad was served just like that, with very few other ingredients. The apple slices were never brown, suggesting that they might have been tossed in some lemon juice to stop them from browning. Watermelon and feta cheese is also a great favorite in the summer among Greeks. Another well known cheese-and-fruit combination in international cuisine is fig and salty cheese. I love this on wholemeal crackers, accompanied by some white wine.
I was recently given some strawberry jam from Philadelphia, which contained an unusual ingredient: chili pepper. "Try it with cheddar cheese on toast," my friend helpfully informed me. She was absolutely right; this taste has kind of grown on me now.
Thanks to Joy from PA for the lovely gift of strawberry chili jam and for introducing me to a new taste; and Petros from the UK for my favorite cheddar: Cornish Cruncher from M&S.
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Looks delicious! I love paring sweet and salty. Try it with some Cretan graviera too. You Cretans have a long tradition of sweet and salty: I tried some thyme honey on Cretan graviera at a friends house the other day and it was one of the most delicious thing.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a very interesting jam...sounds good. Two of my favorites-strawberries and chili peppers. I would have never paired the two.
ReplyDeletein crete, graviera cheese is often served with honey - this is also a specialty at weddings
ReplyDeleteMaria, the "trendy" thing to do here now (in Australia) is to pair quince paste (like a kidoni marmelada) or a spicy pear paste with cheese. This combination looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteI just had some delicious chocolate a chili ice-cream last night form the authentic Italian gelateria here in Nafplio. It was amazing. First you have a frozen sensation and then right at the end you get the kick of the chili! Yummy. All praise to those who think of such combinations!
ReplyDeleteAs one of the "Arti-Farti-left wing-radicals" i.e. I was a member of the Drama Club, we met and ate upstairs at the "what ever its name was" cafe. They made a mushroom and watercress salad that got me eating mushrooms.
ReplyDeleteI now know to use lemon juice, not vinegar (not ever) for a good looking mushroom salad. And then I will go back to inner drooling over the food you've shared in this wonderful post.
Much love and care, Michelle xxx
every time you leave a comment here, michelle, i take a trip down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteDid you get the Marks and Spencer cheese in Crete? I looked in M&S in Athens the other week - the food and wine had gone, it's only clothes now. I assumed they had decided they couldn't give the foods away because of Greek culinary insularity.
ReplyDeleteWhat a combination, strawberry and chili - and cheddar! Wow, not sure I can imagine the taste, but it must be scrumptious! I love cheese platters, too... Mmmm, now I really got hungry!
ReplyDeleteI love cheese and fruit. There is a grocery store here called Whole Foods that has an amazing cheese section. They give out a lot of samples. :-) Mmm ... it's worth a trip there just for the cheese! I think I would really like that jam. I've not had anything like that, but it looks and sounds wonderful! YUM!
ReplyDeleteI guess if you can eat chocolate and chilli then strawberry and chilli isn't so strange. It definitely sounds good with cheese. My fruit and cheese history is mostly limited to cheese and apple sandwiches. They do go a bit brown by lunchtime but they still taste good.
ReplyDeleteAt the school reunion windup Easter 08, they had a beautiful blue cheese (Whitestone Windsor Blue from Canterbury) served with a rich and moist gingerbread (you know - cake style) or/and plain crackers and quince jelly.
ReplyDeleteI love a good blue cheese and now make quince jelly. And adore a sheep or goats milk feta made here.....sadly can only afford the cow's milk feta most of the time.
You are not missing - horizontal rain from the North, which is a wee break from nasty cold southerlies. Central North Island closed by snow a couple of days ago and due again. This is what happens when you have springtime school holidays in NZ!!!!(4 school term year now)
Army had to rescue umpty wotsit stranded travellers on snow bound (30 to 60cms high) roads. Those folks and their holidaying children got to stay at the Waiouru Army Base. whoop-not
Completely normal in Yorkshire (UK) to eat rich fruitcake with cheddar cheese. And a glass of sherry over Xmas..........
Sending super and much caring love. And foodie sharing, adoration and wonder, Michelle xxx
If you can find Jalapeno Jelly, try it with Cream Cheese. Delicious.
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