Day Three Hundred and Fifty Six : Pickle Marriage Mondays

What's the classic accompaniment to a sandwich? Sure, you might get some potato chips or french fries, but above all, you will get a pickle! Pickles are cucumbers that have been allowed to ferment / have been preserved by either a bath of brine, vinegar, or another pickling solution. They come in a plethora of different types -- bread & butter, dill, half sour, sour, and sweet to name a few of the options. Cucumbers are not the only veggie that gets pickled, but they are the classic choice. Low in calories and fat, they are crisp and delish, a nice counterpart to a sandwich or whatever you desire.

So I thought why not make this classic sidekick this week's marriage Mondays star?

What sort of cheeses could you imagine pairing with a pickle?

Contestant Number # 1: Fol Epi - Meaning "wild wheat stalk" in French, this pressed cooked cow's milk cheese from the Loire Valley is brushed with toasted wheat flour during its aging process. Shaped somewhat like a loaf of bread with those classic Swiss cheese holes; this first contestant is loosely modeled on the recipe for Emmental, however Fol Epi is creamier and smoother. Somewhat nutty with a nice wheaty, milky, fruity finish, it sure is a versatile cheese! But will it have what it takes to stand up on its own to our pickles?

Contestant Number # 2: Rogue River Creamery's Smokey Blue - Rogue takes their Oregon Blue, the first blue cheese produced in the Pacific Northwest and makes it the first American blue cheese that has ever been smoked -- cold smoked over local hazelnut shells for sixteen hours. Creamy, luscious, piquant, spicy, with a wonderful nutty smokeyness to it! Does this pioneer of a cheese have what it takes this week?

Contestant Number # 3: Edwin's Munster - Our final contestant is not one of the orange rind Munsters you find in the supermarket nor does it hail from the classically regarded best region for the cheese, Alsace; this guy comes to you from a small village in western Austria. Crafted lovingly with raw cow's milk into eight ounce washed rind rounds, this semi soft cheese has the best type of barnyardy, farmy stink with a fabulous melt in your mouth quality. Full of gooey mushroomy notes, hints of caramelized onions, and that fantastic washed rind tangy oomph! Is it up to the task of pairing with pickles?

Image courtesy of http://www.murrayscheese.com/