Recipes & Pairings

Wine & Cheese Pairings

Brie - Moscato, Sparkling Wines, Red Pinot Noir, Red or white sweet wines, fruity red wines.
Muenster - White Sauvignon Blanc, wide variety of wines work well, Red Malbec
Monterey Jack - Riesling, Red Merlot, White Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay
Havarti - White Riesling
Fontina - Chardonnay
Swiss & Baby Swiss - Sauvignon Blanc, White Reisling, Chardonnay, Merlot
Gruyere - Riesling or Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot
Gouda - Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc
Medium Cheddar - Many red wines are a nice complement, White Sauvignon Blanc, Red Merlot
Parmesan - Riesling, White Chardonnay, Red Pinot Noir
Asiago - Merlot or Pinot Noir, White Moscato
Farmers - Sauvignon Blanc
Gorgonzola - Pinot Noir, White Riesling, or Red Pinot Noir
Blue - White Riesling or Red Pinot Noir
Brick - White Riesling or Red Pinot Noir
Aged Cheddar - Many red wines are a nice complement, White Chardonnay, Red Cabernet Sauvignon, Reisling, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot
Feta - White Sauvignon Blanc
Mozzarella - White Sauvignon Blanc, Red Merlot
Provolone - White Sauvignon Blanc
Romano - White Sauvignon Blanc
               
**Sweet white wines tend to have an affinity for almost all cheeses. Fruity styled wines, whether red or white, go well with most cheeses.

Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients
3 cups uncooked rotini pasta
1 medium English cucumber, quartered and sliced
8 ounces thinly sliced hard salami, julienned
6 ounces Fontina cheese, diced (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Provolone cheese, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup diced pickled pepperoncini peppers

DRESSING:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley

 

Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Combine the pasta, cucumber, salami, fontina, provolone, olives, parsley and pepperoncini peppers in a large bowl.

Dressing:
1. Whisk the red wine vinegar, parmesan and sugar in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour 1 cup dressing over pasta mixture; gently toss to coat.
2. Cover and refrigerate salad and remaining dressing for at least 1 hour or until serving.
3. Stir reserved dressing. Pour over pasta salad; gently toss to coat. Garnish with parsley.

Select images courtesy of the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Fontina Cheese

Cheese Curds and Biscuits with Blueberry Preserves

BLUEBERRY PRESERVES:
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Zest and juice of 1 medium lime
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, optional

BISCUITS:
4 biscuits (store-bought or homemade)
10 ounces Ellsworth Natural White Cheddar Cheese Curds (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme, optional

Instructions

Blueberry Preserves:
1. Combine the blueberries, sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Combine cornstarch and remaining water in a small bowl until smooth; stir into blueberry mixture. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
2. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice and thyme if desired. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Biscuits:
1. Heat oven or toaster oven to 350°F.
2. Split biscuits in half; top halves with cheese curds. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until biscuits are toasted and curds are warm. Top with blueberry preserves and thyme if desired. Cover and refrigerate any remaining preserves.

Select images courtesy of the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

Cheddar Cheese Curds

Spicy Garlic Asiago Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients
7 ounces uncooked multigrain angel hair pasta
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded and divided (1 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer.
3. Stir in the zucchini, fire-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, thyme, red pepper flakes and remaining olive oil. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Add pasta; toss to coat.
4. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup asiago; gently toss to combine. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with remaining asiago.



Select images courtesy of the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Asiago Cheese