Plus recipe inspiration for all of that inevitable leftover cheese
It’s officially cheeseboard season! However, if you find yourself standing in front of a bewildering amount of cheese while doing the 'Big Shop' this Christmas, fear not.
You can find your nearest Irish cheese producer on the Irish Farmhouse Cheesemaker map.
Now that’s all well and good in theory, but if you’re still flummoxed when it comes to what cheese pairs best with which chutney, read on.
Mount Leinster Cheddar
Mount Leinster is a traditionally made and matured farmhouse cheddar. It is made by Tom Burgess in West Wicklow, using the raw milk from his own herd. It is made with summer milk from Tom’s herd and bound in a traditional cloth and lard rind. Mount Leinster is aged for around 12 months allowing the flavour to develop slowly.
Crozier Blue
The sister cheese to Cashel Blue. Crozier is similar to Cashel Blue but, because it is made from sheep’s milk the ripening time for Crozier is considerably longer and the flavour richer and deeper.
Cnoc Liatroma
This is a delicate, fresh little goats milk cheese. made at Leitrim Hill Creamery, a small holding goat farm and creamery in Drumcong, County Leitrim. Lisa Gifford runs the dairy with her daughter Gypsy.
Durrus
Jeffa Gill has been making Durrus at her hillside farmhouse in West Cork since 1979. She has been more recently joined by her daughter Sarah. Durrus is a mild but complex cheese with a hint of pungency and a silky creamy texture.
These crackers and chutney selections pair perfectly with the above cheeses:
Brown Bread Crackers
These Brown-Bread crackers where created by Sheridans and are made handmade in West Cork. The Flour is stoneground at Macroom Oatmeal Mills, and the only other ingredients are local butter and butter milk along with a pinch of salt.
Janet’s Cranberry Chutney
Made by Janet Drew in Co Wicklow. Both sweet and sharp, a beautifully balanced seasonal chutney.
Sheridans Chutney for Cheese
Created by Sheridans and made by Janet Drew in Co Wicklow. An apple and plum chutney made to match with cheese.
Help, I Bought Way Too Much Cheese
‘Tis the season…. for overestimating how much cheese your family will actually go through this Christmas.
By the time we get to St Stephen’s Day, most of us will still have fridges full of cheese, however we will also have reached our cheeseboard limit.
It’s time to break out the Leftover Cheese big guns.
The Ultimate Cheese Toastie
Tea time for the next week is sorted, as these cheese toasties take very little effort, have a big tasty payoff and they help with food wastage, which makes them a win/win every time!
Use some leftover ham, lightly toast some fresh bread, mix together your grated leftover cheese, add some pepper and herbs and stick them all under the grill for a couple of minutes.
Extra Cheesy Baked Potato
Picture the scene, you’ve the feet up, you’re dozing off in front of a classic Christmas movie, you’ve had your fill of mince pies and turkey but dinner plans are calling you.
Simply throw on rack of baked potatoes in the oven and ten minutes from the end load them with a mix of grated leftover Christmas cheese, add a dollop of sour cream and garish with some chopped chives.
These will go down a treat as they are the furthest thing away from a ham and turkey dinner you can get, and for an extra added bonus point you’re also using up some of those leftover spuds!
Cheesy Brekkie Omelette
This recipe doesn’t have to be too overpowering, by simply adding in a small helping of grated cheese (opt for a cheese on the milder side for this one) you can easily fold it into any classic breakfast omelette recipe.
Make a bigger mixture for all the family on December 27th and you’ll fly through that leftover cheese in no time.
For more Christmas cheeseboard inspiration Kevin Sheridan, Managing Director of Sheridans Cheesemongers Ltd, joined Seán Moncrieff with his top picks.
You can listen to that chat in full here.
To find your nearest Irish cheese producer, check out the Irish Farmhouse Cheesemaker map.
