MARCH 2016 – AROUND THE WORLD

Posted on March 30, 2016 Updated on August 11, 2016

– BREAD –

ITALY: Herb Focaccia.   A traditional Italian bread. Ours is made as a lean dough, just flour, water, salt and yeast.  Herbs and lashings of olive oil are then added. We make one third of the dough the night  before this is know as a poolish. We then leave this overnight in the fridge to mature. We  add this to the remaining ingredients as we mix the main dough. This bread is not shaped as  such, but is rather pressed into a tin.

HOLLAND: Sourdough.  Maybe not specific to Holland, but sourdough is a very traditional way of making bread, that  is fairly universal. No yeast is added to this dough. A wide range of yeasts and bacterias  exist on flour and in water  we ferment the flour and water together to make a ‘mother’ and  this leavens the bread. We make this bread over a three day process which gives it its  chewy, holey texture and slightly tangy taste.

FRENCH: Baton  What could be more French?! We use strong flour and long fermentation to create the  traditional chewy texture with a crisp crust. The large holes are created when the dough is  rolled. We carefully shape and roll the dough then place in a ‘couche’ (which can mean bed)  to prove in the fridge where they ‘sleep’ until ready to bake. We give our batons four slashes  with a razor blade to create the ‘ears’. The sign of a good baguette i when you can lift it up  by its ears alone!

IRISH: Soda bread  Also known as wheaten bread. Soda bread is the only bread we make that is yeast free.  Instead it is leavened with Bicarbonate of soda. A chemical reaction occurs between the  acidity of buttermilk and the alkaline of the bicarb. Because of this the dough must go  immediately into the oven, or it will collapse. This loaf is made with Organic buttermilk from North Yorkshire and wheat grown in North Yorkshire:a local affair. Both the buttermilk and course ground wholemeal flour are made for us especially.

SPAIN: Potato & Rosemary Bread  We have chosen to accentuate the flavour of the Manchego here. Potato gives the bread a  very soft, fluffy texture. We also add a little honey to bring out the sweetness of the  rosemary. This is a yeasted bread and is made over two days.

– CHEESE –

 Caciocavallo – Italy

This cheese is related to Mozzarella as it uses stretched curd and it is usually made in southern Italy. It gradually changes from a sweet, milky, buttery cheese to a hard, pungent one with gamey and oily flavours. It can be made with sheep, goat, cow or buffalo milk.

Gouda – Holland

The Dutch make some really great cheese. This 2 year old Reypenaer Gouda (VSOP) has an intense deep caramel and butterscotch flavour. During its maturing process  the cheese looses 25% of its original weight and develops protein crystallisations. Cow, pasteurised

 Tomme de Savoie – France

 Winner of the renowned Medaille d’Argent 2010 in Paris, this cheese is a superb example of the genre; supple, and winey with a slight earthy finish. It has a distinct, thick grey rind, with yellow or red moulding, and a straw-coloured curd. The flavour is soft, fruity and slightly salty. Cow, unpasteurised

Cashel Blue – Ireland

Made in County Tipperary by Louis & Jean Grubb. It has a  white appearance or paste increasingly turning towards a buttery yellow as it matures. The rind is edible and is intrinsic to the cheese, it contributes to the breaking down of the paste adding further flavour and complexity. Good for eating between 3 to 6 months

Villarjo Rosemary Manchego – Spain

 This well balanced semi-hard  raw sheep’s  milk cheese is rolled in locally grown rosemary. It has a lactic, slightly tangy interior with small ojes (holes) in it. It is made by a small producer and was developed in 1986. Made with milk from Manchego sheep.

– WINE –

Bodegas Gutierrez Colosia Fino

A dry, light and fresh sherry wine which we chill to serve with the Rosemary Manchego. A young wine made from the Palomino grape. In the hot south of Spain this grape takes on the chalky soil notes that the vines are grown on and hints of salty air which are so important to the area. A classic combination which lifts the palate and remains fresh to the end of the glass.

A.Mano Primitivo del Salento

In the heel of Italy this is dark in colour although fresh in the mouth backed up by dark berry flavours with a dash of black pepper spice. The vines were planted over 70 years ago and still perform well. The 2013 vintage was a little cooler than normal which means the wine holds a little more acidity to balance the richer fruits. Mark Shannon is the winemaker who hails from California where the grape is known as Zinfandel. He ages the wine in French and American oak for only 2 months which allows just a little influence and softens the younger wines.

Prosecco Spumante Giol.

Organically grown grapes. A winery we have been pleased to show on a number of occasions. Situated on the plains near Treviso and surrounded to the north by the imposing hills. An hour drive west of Venice finds this winery which has produced grapes and wine since the early 1400’s! They own most of the vineyards which produce the grapes for this wine. A lively pleasant opening with hints of cashew nut in the background. The idea of using the Prosecco with Cashel Blue is to keep the palate open and receptive to all the flavours and balance with the bread.

Wunsch et Mann Riesling Cuvee du Roi Clovis

To go alongside the Tomme de Savoie we have the refreshing Riesling, delicate with touches of white flowers, a mineral presence and a touch of underlying sweetness. As the wine loses its chill the bouquet opens out .The Mann family are practising organic farming methods and are keen to protect their environment. The versatile Riesling variety, often sadly overlooked, is a good partner to various meats, fish and cheeses.

Famille Perrin Syrah & Viognier. S.Rhone Valley

This fruity restrained red has plenty going on and at 12.5% can cope well with aged Gouda and spicy bits. Plenty of red berry fruits backed up back a dash of black pepper. The southern Rhone loves Syrah and with a good drop of the white grape Viognier to lift the more earthy notes.

FEBRUARY 2016 – A WINTER’S FEAST

Posted on February 24, 2016 Updated on August 11, 2016

BREAD

1. Apple and Ginger bread.

English Braeburn apples macerated with a little brown sugar, fresh and dried ginger. This is then swirled with our white sourdough for a savoury sweet bread that should contrast nicely with the lemony Caerphilly and crisp Cider.

2. Beetroot Bread.

We grate fresh English beetroot and add to our white sourdough. The beetroot gives a sweet, earthy flavour. All our sourdoughs have no yeast added and are instead risen with our sourdough ‘mother’ of fermented flour and water. The naturally occurring yeasts and bakers on the flour and in the water ferment and this flavoursome mixture is what rises the bread. Made over a 3 days process It should be chewy and soft with a crisp crust.

3. Cheesy Potatoes.

We have used Organic waxy potatoes grown in North Yorkshire as the base to this English version of an Alpine Classic. Served with a crisp green salad and bitter leaves to cut through the creaminess of the cheese.

4. Overnight White Bloomer.

Called thus because the dough is mixed the day before baking and left to bulk ferment at ambient temperature until we shape, prove and bake it the next morning. Long fermentation means the yeast content is very small and the bread, even though 100% white is very easy to digest. The crumb is chewy and the crust soft. The loaf colours to a rich golden brown because the long fermentation has broken the natural sugars down. Just flour, salt, water and yeast in this bread.

5. Walnut biscuits.

These thin savoury biscuits are made with olive oil and lots of nuts! The walnut should offset the Stiltons’ natural saltiness. Whilst together with the Port they will have an unctuous mouthfeel.

CHEESE

Gorwydd Caerphilly

Lactic, buttery and mushroomy.  At three-months old, this traditional Welsh Caerphilly breaks down to form a buttery, mushroomy layer around a lemony, lactic-fresh core. Made by Todd and Maugan Trethowan in Puxton, Somerset, England.

Gruyere

The Affineur Walo Le Gruyère AOC Extra Mature is matured for a minimum of 14 months in the caves that have been used by the Von Mühlenen family for decades. The caves are warmer than others used to mature cheese. This ‘warm’ aging is key to achieving a deeper, more rounded flavour. During the maturation, the cheese crystallises to deliver an intense flavour. The cheese is sweet, and the flavour is perfectly balanced. It grows and fills the mouth. There are the floral, fruity notes, but it is the silky texture with the crunchy crystals and immense flavour that set this cheese apart from other Gruyères. Walo’s dedication to producing cheese of the highest quality means he will never release a cheese that does not meet his exacting standards.

Ogleshield

With his Jersey herd of cows, Jamie Montgomery makes a raclette-style cheese.  Ogleshield is washed for three-months and is perfect for raclette grilling or simply eaten on its own!

Vacherin Mont D’Or 

Made in the shadow of the Mont d’Or in France this cheese has become famous throughout the world. Only made between the 15th August and 15th March when the cows are ready to come down the mountain from their high summer pastures and their milk is too fatty and too little to make whole Comte wheels, the Comte co-operatives turn their hands to making this truly seasonal cheese.

Colston Bassett Stilton

Made by Billy Kevan in Nottinghamshire, Colston Bassett is one of the only hand-ladled Stiltons. Hand-ladling produces an intensely rich and creamy cheese; and the Colston Bassett flavour is deep, lingering and complex. Creamy and rich: dissipating on the tongue, slightly sweet with a minerally tang. Pasteurised.

Montgomery Cheddar

Made with skill and care. Aged in cloth. Stripped after long maturing. Golden and glorious. Made in Somerset by Jamie Montgomery. Matured for around 14 months. Nutty, complex, real depth of flavour.

Dale End Cheddar Strong and tangy Cheddar.

Traditional, clothbound and made in Yorkshire.  Alastair Pearson (of Botton Creamery) selects specific batches for The Courtyard Dairy that are then further aged – up to 18 months. At this age Dale End Cheddar has a distinctive, tangy bite and rich, long-lasting flavour.

Wookey Hole Cheddar

A Cave Aged Cheddar from Dorset based cheese makers, Ford Farm Wookey Hole Cave age Cheddar has been crowned Supreme Champion at this year’s International Cheese Awards.

WINE

Christian Drouin Cidre de Normandie

Even though this appears light in character there are lots of natural apple flavours to compliment the Caerphilly which has super mature textures. Drouin is quite the artisan himself and is well regarded for the Calvados he produces. The tale goes one day Cidre; the next Calvados and so on. The buildings date back to the 17th century and are beautifully maintained.

Montes Classic Series Chardonnay

Why have we gone to Chile for the Chardonnay? Even the French can have too much of a good thing. We showed a Macon at the last event, this time I really like the balance of this fresh white from the Montes winery. Montes have been around since 1988 and are owners of pretty much everything they grow in there Colchagua vineyards. The grapes for this wine are from Curico valley which is more re-known for Sauvignon Blanc. The Chardonnay sees some barrel ageing in new and used barrels to soften the ripe flavours.

Tenute Fiorbelli Cabaletta Rosso -Venezie.

Selected to go with Vacherin Mont d’or. A really fresh red with very little tannins. Jeff and I love this wine and trust you find it works to balance the wash rind texture. A blend of three grape varieties Corvina, Rondinella and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon to add a little more body. American and French barrels are used for a limited period to soften the tannins and balance the fruit acidity. They also provide just a hint of spice and roasted notes.

Macizo Benjamin Romeo Catalunya 2009

From one of the top innovators in Spanish winemaking. This is a white wine made from 4 main varieties from old vines which are less than predictable! Romeo has great experience in nurturing the vine to produce high quality fruit in Northern Spain. This example does vary and is showing more colour than 12 months ago. Layers of ripe fruit and aromas of orchard fruits, nuts and that spicy note appear. Chardonnay, Garnacha Blanco, Malvasia and Xarel-lo are used.

Sagrado Collections Ruby Port

With Stilton and the winter theme this will warm us up to send us in to the night air. Not a light Ruby here from Jose Maria. Deep colour and flavours make up this younger style. The Ruby still spends up to 3 years in oak before lightly filtered.