It’s March finally and that means Cape May will soon be emerging from hibernation. Contrary to popular misconception Cape May does not disappear from the map in January and February although many of its business owners do. Some brave souls keep open year round and some even start new ventures.

I was pleased to see one new business this year. I don’t make a habit of plugging businesses in this column, but when a unique and much needed addition to the culinary landscape presents itself, I would be remiss if I did not talk about it. What kind of an enterprise? A four star restaurant? A hot, new, talented chef has chosen to make Cape May home? A needed overhaul to a town institution? No such luck. But tucked away in West Cape May is a culinary Mecca for these parts. I am talking about Seaside Cheese Company.

Cheese – milk’s leap towards immortality as an Arab proverb puts it. Being a cheese fanatic, I no longer have to trek to DiBruno brothers in Philly or Murray’s in New York to find Stilton or True Roquefort. True, the Stop’n’Shop in Rio Grande started with a decent selection, but it has dwindled as of late. Besides, shopping for cheese in a Disneyfied corporate store is not the same as going into an independently-owned cheese shop. Seaside Cheese Company harkens back to the days when businesses emphasized one product and did not pander to America’s thirst for a one-size-fits-all solution to everything. Can a place with such narrow market niche survive in Cape May? I, personally, will contribute as much as possible to make sure artisan cheeses remain available down here in the culinary wilderness.

Cheese is not just cocktail party fare. Cheese can elevate any course or add (with the help of a good port) a nice ending to a fine meal.

So what cheese fits in where? For salads, I love nothing better than Bleu Cheese and, in my opinion, the stinkier the better. Pairing robust bleus with hard fruits such as apples and pears and nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, is almost de’riguer on any menu these days.

Try Point Reyes Bleu an artisan American varietal (for you jingoistic Francophobes out there) that is creamy but has an acidic bite that pairs well with gala apples or a crisp Bartlett pear. To accentuate the contrasts, poach or bake the fruit and warm the cheese slightly. To bring it all together, use a simple vinaigrette and stay away from olive oil. Try walnut oil or grape seed oil with fresh lemon juice or champagne vinegar.

For cheese as a warm first course, try cambozola – a German Brie type with bleu veins on some warm, grilled flatbread, roasted garlic and a bottle of red and you are in cheese heaven. With pasta, try ricotta salata. No, not the soft variety of lasagna and cheesecake fame, but an aged type that, when grated and tossed with shrimp fussili artichokes and roasted red pepper, imparts a nice mellow blending of flavors.
You want a cheese to eat which stands on its own merits? Try the beemster Gouda. You will never partake of the grocery store red wax variety again.

For dessert or after dinner, try the Belgian-honeyed, goat cheese with a Riesling or sauterne and some fresh champagne grapes or peaches, or warm it slightly with a piece of baklava.

My challenge to you is to expand your horizons and try one new cheese a week and open up a world of new flavors beyond basic mass-produced cheeses. Taste cheese made by craftsmen and see the difference.

Try these cheesy recipes – pizzetta with roasted garlic and warm cambozola; Point Reyes-stuffed apples with mixed greens and champagne vinaigrette; and lobster macaroni and cheese with manchego.

Until next month, Bon Appétit!

Pizzetta with Roasted Garlic and Cambazola

Jon Davies

Print Recipe

Course Appetizer, Bread

Ingredients

  

• 1 Head garlic
• Olive oil
• 1 Six-ounce pizza dough
• Salt and pepper
• 4- Ounce wedge cambozola cheese

Instructions

 

• Cut top off garlic. Rub with olive oil.
• Wrap in foil. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes until soft and golden brown.
• Roll out pizza dough. Brush with olive oil. Grill over medium heat about 3-5 minutes per side. If grill is too hot, cook lightly on each side and finish in 375° oven.
• Warm cheese at 325° for 8-10 minutes until cheese starts too ooze.
• To serve, cut pizza into wedges. Rub with roasted garlic clove and spread warm cheese on top. Enjoy with pinot grigio or pinot noir, if you prefer red wine.

Point Reyes Gala Apple Salad

Jon Davies

Print Recipe

Course Salad

Ingredients

  

• 2 Gala apples split and cored
• 4 Ounces Point Reyes blue cheese
• ½ Cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• Frisée 1head rinsed and torn
• ¼ Cup champagne vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon chopped shallots
• ¾ Cup grape seed oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Brown sugar
• Butter

Instructions

 

• Take apples and lightly sprinkle with butter and brown sugar.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
• In food processor, pulse bleu cheese until smooth. Spoon into apples.
• Continue to bake the apple/cheese mixture until cheese begins to melt.
• In sauté pan, with no oil, toast walnuts until golden brown. Move constantly.
• In bowl, add shallots, vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in oil. Toss frisée lightly with dressing.
• Place a warm apple-half on top. Garnish with toasted walnuts. Enjoy.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Jon Davies

Print Recipe

Course Main Course

Ingredients

  

• 2 Cups cooked elbow macaroni
• 5 Ounces shredded manchego cheese
• 1 Teaspoon garlic
• 4 Ounces butter
• 4 Ounces flour
• 3 Cups milk
• 2 Cups heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoon chopped chives
• 4 Ounces cooked coarsely-chopped lobster meat
• 1 Ounce Madeira

Instructions

 

• Sauté garlic in butter. Do not brown.
• Add flour. Stir to make roux. Cook lightly. Do not brown.
• Add warm milk. Whisk to avoid lumps.
• Add cream. Simmer on low 10 minutes or until flour taste is cooked out. While at a simmer, whisk in cheese.
• Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
• Fold in lobster meat and Madeira.
• Add macaroni and chives.
• Top with chives and shredded machego