We were gifted cheese with cherries in it. Now what?
January 28, 2024 11:05 AM   Subscribe

The cheese is mild tasting but the overall property of the cheese is sweet, so the cherries must be sweetened. It's not to our taste but I don't want to throw it out. Any suggestions for putting this cheese in a recipe of some kind? My google-fu has failed me. Thank you!
posted by bluesky43 to Food & Drink (13 answers total)
 
Can you turn it into a sweet and sour cheese sauce without curdling it? Sour would cut the sweetness.
posted by Jane the Brown at 11:08 AM on January 28, 2024


Can you share more info about the texture of the cheese? Soft like a brie or medium-hard like a cheddar? Crumbly or smooth?
posted by A Blue Moon at 11:08 AM on January 28, 2024


Response by poster: It's a bit like a gouda texture, very mild flavor. Smooth-ish, not crumbly.
posted by bluesky43 at 11:12 AM on January 28, 2024


Response by poster: Here's a pic of what it looks like, except ours has a dark maroonish wax around it.
posted by bluesky43 at 11:14 AM on January 28, 2024


I could see this being nice in a sandwich with deli turkey + tomatoes + lettuce. Or, I'd crumble/chop it over a green salad.
posted by coffeecat at 11:28 AM on January 28, 2024 [8 favorites]


I’ve enjoyed cheeses like that on holiday platters for years. I don’t know that I’d ever use them in a more transformative way, though. Have you tried pairing it with other things that would cut the sweetness? There is a sweetened cranberry Gouda I used to have around Christmas that I liked to eat with lots of whole grain mustard on rye crisps. Or maybe use it crumbled on a salad of bitter winter greens like chicory and watercress, with walnuts and a balsamic dressing to connect to the sweetness of the cheese. I think pork is one of the best meats to have with fruit. Maybe make a pork tenderloin and use leftover cold slices on a baguette with your cheese and some peppery greens. Cherries also work very nicely with black pepper, so maybe go for a pepper crusted piece of meat, like pepper turkey from a deli counter.

You might enjoy the cheese more if you had it in a dessert context. Have you tried it with some very good dark chocolate after a meal? Or, try it melted on toast with a cup of tea in the afternoon instead of a piece of cake or cookies. In a holiday context I’ve liked similar cherry studded cheeses with candied and spiced nuts and alongside buttered biscuits with a breakfast spread.
posted by Mizu at 11:33 AM on January 28, 2024 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Are you sure it's cherries? It looks very much like a Wensleydale with cranberries, and there's plenty of recipes for that - it's a traditional pairing with fruit (I'd add apple slices), green salads, scones might be a good fit for the sweetness. Even if you're sure it's something else, it should fit the same flavour profile and recipes.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 11:38 AM on January 28, 2024 [5 favorites]


I like the idea of a dark chocolate pairing. This recipe for a grilled cheese, chocolate and jam sandwich could be adapted by leaving out the jam.
posted by BibiRose at 11:55 AM on January 28, 2024 [1 favorite]


I could see putting it in muffins. If you search "cheese muffins" you will find a lot of recipes. Or scones, as suggested above.
posted by Redstart at 11:59 AM on January 28, 2024


Response by poster: It looks very much like a Wensleydale with cranberries

I think you're right! What we've got fits the description online, and strangely, I like it better now that I'm expecting cranberries and a mild cheddar. Thank you all!
posted by bluesky43 at 12:33 PM on January 28, 2024 [4 favorites]


Oh, a nice filling for danish pastry, cut with some milk ..or wrap some puff pastry around spoonful for tasty bites.
posted by Czjewel at 12:45 PM on January 28, 2024 [3 favorites]


I don't know if you can get hold of them easily where you are, but Wensleydale with cranberries goes really well with McVitie's Digestive Biscuits (which are similar to Graham Crackers but sweeter and a little crumblier), and almost make a kind of cheesecake-y end to a meal. Walmart sell them and they should be in the 'British' aisle of most large supermarkets.
posted by essexjan at 1:27 PM on January 28, 2024 [3 favorites]


I’d lean into the sweetness and melt some in a warm crepe!
posted by kapers at 9:19 PM on January 28, 2024


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