Gourmet Gift of the Day Blog

Growing up on a dairy farm in the midwest, I’m no stranger to fresh milk, butter and cheese.  Although it wasn’t until I was older and moved to “the city” that I experienced fresh cheese curds.  Cheese curds may sound a bit unappetizing, but they are very tasty!  A “curd” is made when the whey (liquid part) separates from the curds (solid part).  In a standard cheesemaking process the curds and whey would be pressed together to form a block of cheese, but in this instance the whey is not used and only the curds are utlized.  Because of this process, curds are more firm and in many instances they “squeak” when you bite into them!  Cheese curds are also best enjoyed when fresh, as opposed to cheese – which is considered fine if aged for a number of days.

Squeaky fresh cheddar cheese curds can be ordered from the Wisconsin Cheese Mart for your snacking pleasure.  If you order a 3 lb combo you will receive a mix of white and orange cheddars, both with a rich flavor and sqeaky bite.  The curds will vary in size but are usually the perfect bite!  The first time we ordered these curds I served them with a variety of deli meats and crackers, only to find that the cheese was the first component to disappear!  The second time I got smart and served them on a pretty tray with no “accessories”.  The third time I ordered them specifically for my husband and sons’ lunchboxes and after school snacks.  We’re now awaiting our fourth order to arrive in less than 4 months, so you could say we’re a bit addicted!  The combo sells for $23 and we live close enough that we can utilize ground shipping, but if you live closer to either coast you will have to ship via air so they freshness isn’t wasted on shipping time.

For a savory hors d’oeuvre at your next dinner party, this cheese torta is second to none!  The mix of tomatoes and pesto give just the right amount of flavor to the smooth cream cheese base.  We garnish ours with fresh tomatoes and serve with a variety of whole wheat snack crackers – the guests love it!  Order this 9.5 ounce appetizing spread from the Wisconsin Cheeseman for only $14.99.

If you can’t excape with your sweetheart to France this Valentine’s Day, give her a gift that will transport her to the French countryside while still in the comforts of home!  The gift box contains a variety of fresh pears that are perfected paired with two varieties of award-winning Blue Cheeses.  The flavors blend together perfectly to create a romantic appetizer around the fireplace or a tasty late-night snack.  Available from The Fruit Company for $64.95.

Lighter than Gorgonzola, richer than Danish blue and more intense than US blues, Britain’s Historic Blue Stilton cheese is causing a revolution in the kitchen.  The full-rounded qualities enliven salads and hors d’oeuvres, soups, sauces, and a variety of dishes.

More than just a cheese, Stilton is prized as the authentic flavor of an earlier time – a taste of history that continues to add taste and texture to today’s gourmet meals.  Only seven dairies in Britain are licensed to produce the creamy king of cheeses, but luckily it is available online at idealcheese.com.  You can try a half wheel (approximately 2.75 lbs) for $40 plus shipping.  Crumble it into a salad, melt some into a sauce, or add chunks to your steamed vegetables for an unforgettable meal!

This unique gift set offers tasty food items with a football theme.  The cutting board is firebranded with your company’s logo, and the beef summer sausage is shaped like a football!  Along with the cutting board and meat, the gift set includes mild cheddar cheese, sesame crackers and a cheese knife.

These personalized gift sets can be shipped directly to your clients or can be bulk-shipped to your office to be given in person.  Each gift costs $37, and the customer service team at Holiday Gifts & Gift Baskets will help to ensure your logo will be perfectly firebranded onto each cutting board.

A software developer and a real estate agent seem like unlikely candidates for creating handcrafted gourmet cheese, but that is exactly what happened in 2005.  Brothers-in-law Tim Welsh and Pat Ford traded in their fast-paced lifestyles to churn milk into award-winning, artisan style cheeses.

In the past three years, Beehive Cheese Co. has won a number of awards – including the top three places at the American Cheese Society Competition in the summer of 2008.  The Beehive Cheese Company has also won best of state in their home state of Utah, and has been featured on The Food Network.  Very few cheese companies in the country still produce all of their cheese by hand, but the Beehive Cheese Company is one of them.

We decided to try their most popular product online, the Box-O-Cheese for $55.  We were sent a sampling of their top-selling cheeses:

• Barely Buzzed – Espresso and Lavender Rubbed – This cheese is extremely complex, hand-rubbed with a blend of coffee and lavender buds, then aged on Blue Spruce racks so the cheese is infused with a variety of unique flavors.
• Promontory Cheddar – Aged for at least 8 months, this cheese is created with whole Jersey cow’s milk and leaves a sharp taste in your mouth.  We loved this cheese with pasta.
• Promontory Smoked with English Walnut Shells and Apples – Here, the Promontory Cheddar is smoked with walnut shells and apple slices, giving it a smoky fall flavor.
• Uintah Jack – This jack cheese is named after the town that the Beehive Cheese Company calls home, and is aged at least 12 months to create a snappy addition to your favorite Mexican dish.  We loved it in Chicken Quesadillas.
• Promontory with Habanero – This cheese was my husband’s favorite.  The cheddar is infused with habanero flakes, making it a hot and spicy treat.
• Squeaky Bee Curds – The boys loved these cheese curds, they were a perfect after-school snack!
• Squeaky Bee Curds with Flavor – We received the Habanero curds (selections include Habanero, Rosemary, Cajun and Dill), so they were left for my husband, who enjoyed them with crackers and a tall glass of milk.

After trying this cheese sampler, we have found it hard to go back to standard grocery store cheeses.  Our tastes became accustomed to these high quality selections, so we will be ordering this sampler box again – and very soon!

When you are trying to find a gift for those people that like savory food more than sweet treats, this gift box is the perfect choice. Small Wisconsin dairy farms provide quality milk to a their local cheese making company, Henning’s Cheese. Maybe this is why these cheeses are so darn good and why this great company has been around since 1914.

The large Hennings Cheese Gift Box (#8) for $39.95 plus shipping contains:

12oz. Colby
12oz. Tomato Basil Cheddar
12oz. Medium Cheddar
2-8oz. Cheese Spreads
4.4oz. Crackers
12oz. Summer Sausage
10oz. Cheese Curds
Cheese Slicer
Bamboo Cutting Board

The box holds a great variety of products sure to satisy your recipient’s taste buds!