A Sustainable Cheese Board for the Holidays
Blog Post By Meg Barkley
At Clif Family our mission is to craft unique, regional wine and foods using practices that care for the earth; to farm using sustainable, organic farming methods; and to contribute to a more vibrant and healthy food community.
Make your holidays extra meaningful this season with a cheese spread that supports sustainable artisan producers!
The Cheese
At Clif Family, we’re lucky to have access to many local and artisan farmers, dairies and producers who produce beautiful cheese. One of our favorite partners is Cowgirl Creamery. Cowgirl makes cheese with heart! Their mission is to craft delicious cheese from extraordinary milk in Sonoma and Marin counties. For the curation, we are working with their best-selling, Classic Collection gift set which includes a trio of organic soft-ripened cheese: decadent, triple cream Mt Tam; versatile, aged Wagon Wheel; and the seasonal Devil’s Gulch, rolled in red heirloom peppers. This special cheese collection and other selections can be shipped directly to your doorstep from Cowgirl Creamery.
The Accompaniments
All 90 acres of Clif Family estate vineyards and farm are certified organic and certified Napa Green, a “soil-to-bottle” sustainability program. We source certified organic ingredients for our line of specialty food products. We are committed to improving the efficiency of our crop inputs and increasing our soil organic matter and plant diversity. At Clif Family our foods are inspired by the vibrant flavors of our Napa Valley home. For the board we are working with our Seasonal Fall Pantry Gift Set which includes Solar Grown™ Hot Honey with Cobanero Chili, Organic Tamari Glazed Mixed Nuts & Sesame Seeds, Organic Strawberry Jam, Organic Jimmy Nardello Hot Sauce, Organic Dark Chocolate Toffee Crunch and Organic Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
The Pairings
Mt. Tam with Solar Grown™ Hot Honey with Cobarnero Chili
Cowgirl’s very versatile triple cream cheese is our favorite cheese to work with at Clif Family. Want to make it Hot Tam?! For a twist, warm up your Mt. Tam in the oven for a few minutes at 325 degrees and serve in a ramekin on your board with a drizzle of Clif Family Solar Grown™ Hot Honey with Cobanero Chili. The rich and creamy textured cheese is the perfect balance for the sweet yet spicy raw honey.
Wagon Wheel with Organic Strawberry Jam and Organic Tamari Glazed Mixed Nuts & Sesame Seeds
This mild cheddar style cheese has a delicate and nutty flavor that can stand up to a myriad of flavors including sweet, savory or a touch of spice. A dollop of Organic Strawberry Jam with the cheddar creates an extremely satisfying bite. Or bring out the toasty notes of the cheese with our Organic Tamari Glazed Mixed Nuts & Sesame Seeds.
Devil’s Gulch with Jimmy Nardello Hot Sauce and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Enhance the dried red heirloom peppers atop this seasonal cheese with a splash of Organic Jimmy Nardello Hot Sauce and Organic Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Or tone down the heat by introducing sweet and fresh fruit accompaniments like Hachiya persimmon, Asian pear, or Pink Lady apple.
The Extras
To complete your board, dress it up with fresh rustic bread or seasoned crackers. Bring in fall fruits like persimmons, pears, and apples to welcome the seasonal flavors. And consider blending in various vegetable textures like Radicchio, Romanesco and roasted Delicata squash or fresh pickles. Garnish your board with fresh herbs and beautiful edible flowers like sage, rosemary, marigold, and nasturtiums. And to complete the experience and satisfy your sweet cravings tuck in a small bowl of Organic Dark Chocolate Toffee Crunch.
A Wine Pairing You’ll Love
This cheese board has an array of flavors that range from sweet and salty, to tangy and spicy which calls for our most versatile wine, the Clif Family Mendocino Gewürztraminer. The beautiful fruit notes and zippy acidity of the wine aligns perfectly with the array of flavors on your plate.