“Fall” in Love with Apples….

Fall is finally here! The days are a little shorter and the nights are a little cooler…but there is one other thing that would let me know what time of year it is…Apples! I live in the foothills near an area called “Apple Hill” and every market in the area is overrun with all of the delectable local apple treats that are coming out of this area.

When I was a small boy, my mom and I used to go to our local Marie Calendar’s Restaurant and right there next to the list of pies was a saying… “Apple Pie without Cheese, is like a kiss without a squeeze”. While I was too young to realize it at the time, but this was one of the earliest remembrances of a food pairing (except for maybe peanut butter and jelly!). As I grew and traveled the country more, I realized that apple pie and cheese was really “a thing” and learned that several states actually had laws regarding it:

The Wisconsin State Law Library says that in the 1935 Laws of Wisconsin, chapter 106 required restaurants to include a small amount of cheese and butter when serving apple pie (effective from June 1935 to March 1937).

Vermont has a similar law that when serving apple pie in Vermont, a "good faith" effort shall be made to meet one or more of the following conditions:

(a) with a glass of cold milk,

(b) with a slice of cheddar cheese weighing a minimum of 1/2 ounce,

(c) with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Truth is that Cheese loves apples and vice versa.

Working for a French cheese company, I had heard all about the classic regional pairing of Pont- l'Évêque cheese and Calvados ~ Following the tradition of what grows together, goes together. 

Pont-l'Évêque is an uncooked, unpressed cow's milk cheese, that is square in shape. The center is soft, creamy pale yellow in color with a smooth texture. The exterior is a washed rind that is white with a gentle orange-brown coloration and has a pungent aroma. It is generally ranked alongside Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort as one of the most popular cheeses in France. Pont-l'Évêque became a protected AOC (appellation d'origine controlee) cheese in 1976.  Pont-l'Évêque is believed to be created by the Cistercian Monks in the 12th century, but the cheese was not mentioned by name until the 18th century. This was about the same time that it also took its square shape to make a point of difference with Livarot. It was named for the town located between Lisieux and Deauville in the Calvados département of the Normandy region.

 In the 19th century, the development of grazing pastures and dairy breeding in Normandy allowed for the increase of the production of Pont-l’Évêque. The expansion of the railways during this period in history greatly helped the sales and recognition outside of its area of production.

 Since 1910, E. Graindorge and Sons have been producing some of the finest P.D.O. cheeses in Normandy such as Pont-l'Évêque, Livarot, Camembert de Normandie, and Neufchâtel.

Calvados is apple brandy that is distilled in the same region as Pont-l'Évêque. Distilling apple cider had been going on since the mid-1500’s, but the term Calvados did not come about until after the French Revolution when the département of Calvados was created. 

The fruit is harvested and pressed into a juice that is fermented into a dry cider.  It is then distilled into eau de vie. After two years of aging in oak casks, it can be sold as calvados. The longer it is aged, the smoother the drink becomes. Usually, the maturation goes on for several years. Calvados became an AOC protected name in 1942.

For this pairing, I chose Berneroy Calvados VSOP (aged 4 years) and indeed, it was an amazing pairing.

But weren’t we talking about pie?...and Cheddar??...Time to get busy and make that apple pie and pair it with some cheddar!!

While we are waiting for the pie to bake, let’s take a look at some classic cheddars with some apple accompaniments.

The Barber family has been making cheddar since 1833, which makes them the oldest surviving cheddar-makers in the World! 

I chose their Barber’s 1833 Vintage Reserve Cheddarwhich is aged for at least 24 months. Their Vintage Reserve has a creamy texture and smooth finish, containing naturally occurring crystals (tyrosine crystals) that give it a distinctive crunch. Refined sweet notes balance out its tangy sharpness.

 I paired this with fresh apple slices, La Panzanella® Mini Croccantini® Crackers, and L’Épicurien Apple Cider Confit with Calvados. Simply elegant!

 For my last pairing I chose Black Diamond® Canadian White sharp cheddar and locally produced Apple Butter from the Apple Hill area (that I mentioned at the beginning of this story).

Why Black Diamond Canadian Cheddar?...Well, for several reasons…First, they do not pasteurize their milk, so you get a much fuller flavor. Next, they produce their cheddars in a range of vintages from 1 year up to 5 years. This helps the consumer pick a younger, creamier cheddar, and they can work their way up to a bolder, sharper cheddar…all in convenient 6 oz. bars….and lastly, yes, I work for the company that produces it and I won’t lie…I have some in my cheese refrigerator.

I enjoyed writing this week’s post because it was local, and I enjoyed some great cheese with apples, which are not as commonly paired with cheese as they should be…Probably due to people worrying about browning.

I hope that you enjoy this season!....Time for some Apple Pie and Cheddar!

Until next week!

Trevor