Entertaining Suggestions
Frisian Farmstead Gouda is a cheese complex enough to enjoy on its own but the texture and flavor of this cheese works especially well as an anchor cheese on any cheeseboard. Its sweet and nutty notes with a hint of fruitiness often allow tasters to better appreciate the more pungent and intense flavor qualities of other fine cheeses, especially blues and soft-ripened cheeses. Here are some suggestions to get you started but we encourage you to explore your own pairings. Remember, the goal is to enjoy!
Frisian Farmstead Young Gouda: Enjoy with Riesling, Beaujolais or Pinot Noir
Frisian Farmstead Mature Gouda: Enjoy with Cote-du-Rhone, Syrah (Shiraz)
Frisian Aged Gouda: Enjoy with Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel
Frisian Aged Premium Gouda: Enjoy with Amarone della Valpoicella, Sauternes, Port or Oloroso Sherry
Frisian Farmstead Smoked Gouda: Enjoy with Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Malbec
Suggestions for Serving a Cheeseboard:
- Use a range of textures – from soft and creamy to hard
- Choose cheeses from more than one country
- Combine cow’s milk cheeses with a sheep’s milk and/or a goat cheese
- Different shapes and sizes from wedges to rounds creates interest
- A variety of flavors from mild to strong
- A selection of colors generally including a blue and/or washed rind cheese
Allow approximately 6 oz. of cheese per person if the cheeseboard is the focus. If serving as dessert or an appetizer, 3 oz. of cheese per person is generally sufficient.
Remember to remove the cheeses from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving to enjoy the full flavor at room temperature. Wait to cut it until just before serving to avoid the cheese drying out.
When cutting from a wedge, cut a long thin slice along the edge of the cheese. Smaller rounds of cheese can be cut into wedges. Harder cheese should be cut into thin slices rather than chunks or cubes. Don’t remove the rind from a cheese – some of your guests may prefer to eat it with the cheese.
A survey of European cheeses:
Crottin de Chavignol (goat cheese from France)
Idiazabal (sheep’s milk from Spain)
Vacherin Mont d’Or (cow’s milk from Switzerland)
Piave (cow’s milk from Italy)
Stilton Colston Basset (cow’s milk from England)
A sampling of American artisanal cheeses:
Constant Bliss (cow’s milk cheese from Vermont)
Wabash Cannonball (goat cheese from Indiana)
Frisian Farmstead Young Gouda (cow’s milk from Iowa)
Uplands Pleasant Ridge (cow’s milk from Wisconsin)
Crater Lake Blue (cow’s milk blue cheese from Oregon)
A collection of Frisian Farms’ Favorite Cheeses:
Monte Enebro (Goat cheese from Spain)
Epoisses (cow’s milk from France)
Ossau Iraty Brebis (sheep’s milk from France)
Frisian Farmstead Mature Gouda (cow’s milk from Iowa)
Parmigiano Reggiano (cow’s milk from Italy)
Cabrales (cow’s milk from Spain)
Accompaniments to the Cheeses:
Dates/figs
Walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews
Dried and fresh fruit
Hard salami, chorizo or Spanish jamon serrano
Cornichons
Pate
Chutney
Prosciutto, sorpressata, or capicola
Quince paste
Be generous with lots of fresh bread such as classic baguettes, Tuscan rounds or focaccia.
