Cheesemaker Dinner

American Cheese Month is a celebration of the cheesemakers, retailers, and cheesemongers who all make it possible for us to enjoy delicious artisan American-made cheeses. While in Chicago, I celebrated with Bar Pastoral at their Cheesemaker Dinner.  Each course featured Avalanche Cheese Company's goat cheeses and an artisan cider to pair. Chef Chrissy Camba (Top Chef Seattle contestant!) created a delightful menu highlighting Avalanche's diverse goat cheeses. I was thrilled to meet Chrissy, Wendy the cheesemaker, and Ken, owner of Bar Pastoral. Their hospitality and the incredible food was the cherry top on top of a great birthday weekend.

First Course: Cabra Blanca with a pork meatball, caramelized onions, and roasted peppers

Cider Pairing: Eric Bordelet, non-vintage // 'Tendre' // Normandy, France

Cabra Blanca alone is pretty darn tasty. But melted and snuggled around a pork meatball? Soo good. The cheese was gooey and great for spreading on bread. The meatball itself was seasoned nicely and played well with the sweet onions and peppers. The cider cut the richness of the dish, cleansing the palate for the next course.

Second Course: Lamborn Bloomers with roasted squash, charred onion, asian mesclun, and fried lentils

Cider Pairing: 2011 'Bloom' // Salem, Oregon

This was a beautifully composed salad and one of my favorite courses. The salad featured Landborn Bloomers, a decadent Robiola-style goat cheese. Its creaminess and light tang worked well with the sweet delicata squash, slight bitterness of the greens, and salty crunchy lentils. Who would've thought to fry lentils? Awesome idea. The cider was sweet and acidic, pairing well with the mesclun.

Third Course: Gnudi with Midnight Blue

Cider Pairing: Vander Mill, non-vintage // 'Chapman's Blend' // Spring Lake, Michigan

This dish was a labor of love. Chef Chrissy explained that the gnudi took 3 whole days to prepare. Ricotta cheese is shaped into small balls and coated in semolina. The moisture slowly gets absorbed, leaving you with a fluffy pillow of deliciousness. The sauce was made with Midnight Blue, an award- winning goat's milk blue cheese. The cheese was pleasantly piquant and did not overpower the gnudi. The fresh herbs, notes of lemon, and crisp cider were refreshing, offsetting the decadence of the dish.

Fourth Course: Apple Pie Pot de Creme with a goat cheddar shortbread

Cider Pairing: Aspall, 2011 // 'Imperial' // Sulfolk, United Kingdom

I have to say, this is probably one of the best desserts I've ever had. Not over-exaggerating--it was awesome! The juxaposition of salt and sweet was outstanding. As I dug in, the goat cheddar shortbread broke apart in the luscious layers of creamy custard, apples, and goat cheddar. The flavors danced on my palate. It's food like this that gets me excited and makes blogging so much fun!