When I was writing my last book, one of the comments my editor made on the draft was that she was afraid I was recommending pairing too many of the recipes with cheese. We worked to come up with some alternate suggestions for those headnotes, but many of the cheese pairing suggestions remained. The reason? Cheese and jam (or pickles, chutneys, jellies, etc) are downright delicious together.
When run out of time to make a big salad or a pile of roasted vegetables for a potluck, I head for the pantry instead. I find a jar of of something homemade (tomato jam is always a good choice), buy a slab of creamy, crumbly goat cheese, and pick up a baguette. I set that out on the potluck table and watch as people eat up every crumb and drop.
A few years back, I did a very informal collaboration with the folks at Cypress Grove (they make the most glorious goat’s milk cheeses). Essentially, they sent me some cheeses and I dreamed up a tasty little jam to serve along with those cheeses. My recipe for Plum Star Anise Jam was one of the preserves that resulted.
Sometime in the last year or so, I reconnected with one of the very nice people over at Cypress Grove and we decided it might be fun to do another round of recipes designed expressly for a few of their products. So they sent me some cheese and I got to work. So far, I’ve come up with two preserves that pair up brilliantly.
The first recipe is a preserve that I’m calling a peach mostarda. It’s not a true mostarda, in the sense that it does not contain super concentrated mustard oil (which is quite difficulty to get in the US, because it an ingredient in mustard gas). I use generous amounts of mustard seeds, coupled with some sinus clearing cayenne to mimic the pungency of the mustard oil, and I think it works well. Whatever you call it, I like it eaten with a little wedge of Humboldt Fog.
The second preserve are pickled plums that end up being a cross between a jam and chutney (recipe coming soon). I took slightly firm Italian prune plums and cut them into slivers. They sat with restrained dose of sugar, some apple cider vinegar, and a cheesecloth bundle of spices until they released their juices. Then I cooked it down until the syrup thickened but before the fruit lost its integrity. It’s delicious when you perch a bit of the pickled plums on top of a slice of Truffle Tremor.
The lovely folks at Cypress Grove a cheese prize pack to one lucky Food in Jars reader. It will contain a Humboldt Fog Mini, a wedge of Truffle Tremor, and a hunk of Midnight Moon in a snazzy Cypress Grove cooler pack. You’ll also get some other Cypress Grove-branded goodies, including a cheese wire for easy Midnight Moon slicing. Additionally, I’ll throw in small jars of these two preserves, so that the winner can try my pairings.
Here’s how to enter:
- Leave a comment on this post and share your favorite cheese and preserve pairing. Cheddar with caramelized onion jam? Apricot jam with chevre? Grilled cheese with tomato chutney? Let me know!
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm east coast time on Saturday, September 27, 2014. The winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog by the end of the day on Sunday, September 28, 2014.
- Giveaway is open to US residents.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left on the blog, I cannot accept submissions via email.
Disclosure: Cypress Grove sent me a package of cheeses for pairing and photography purposes. They are also providing the prize for the giveaway. No additional compensation was provided.
My favorite is the classic goat cheese with local honey. Sometimes I add black pepper and/or fresh rosemary! Oh god I hope I win this cheese I need this cheese so bad I live for cheese!! Also your blog is super rad! 🙂
your tomato jam paired with almost any cheese is delicious –
Looking forward to trying my new peach rosemary jam with a brie or
chevre.
Honey sweetened tomato jam with goat cheese on crostini! It’s divine!
Goat cheese with fig jam, or bacon jam, or caramelized onion jam, or a fruit jam, or…. 🙂
Hot pepper jelly on a grilled cheese is my tasty lunch.
I adore fig jam with strong cheese like blue or the super-sharp cheddar that is crystalized like parmesan. So, so good.
fig spread and brie. it’s a classic for a reason!
I tried a spicy sweet/ savory tomato jam with a briny sheeps milk feta on a grilled ciabatta . It was great!
I love goat cheese on a cracker with fig jam and sliced apple!
I love Crescenza with fig jam.
Loving grilled cheese sandwiches with plum cardamom jam!
FIJ very own Honey Sweetened Peach Chutney with chevre and a crunchy baguette.
Fig jam + chevre is always a winner! I made fig jam for the first time this year just because I love that pairing but never want to spring for the fig jam at the store.
I am new to both cheese and jam pairings and goat cheese, but I would love for this to be my introduction.
grilled Gruyere or Swiss cheese on rye with a really good smooth mustard, or Gouda with bacon-onion jam
Goat cheese with apricot jam and pistachios 🙂
Golden raspberry jam with goat cheese. Yum. 🙂
I like a good goat cheese with a local honey. So good.
I like to snack on a hard cheese with spicy pickled carrots.
The strawberry caramel recipe you have posted, paired with a lemon chevre. Better than the most fattening of cheesecakes!
It was at a party a couple of years ago that I had my first experience with preserves and cheese. It was a block of cream cheese that had been covered with apricot jam mixed with horseradish. It was delicious! I’ve had it a couple of times since, but haven’t tried any other combos. My sister LOVES cheese, so I’d definitely have to share this with her… And, maybe I’ll make her a gift basket for Christmas of a few preserves with cheeses- thanks for the inspiration!
Rogue River blue with fig jam
i love Brie with an onion and apple chutney!
When I can find Vasterbotten I love eating it on a cracker with some quince paste.
Definitely a nice soft chevre with any kind of stone fruit preserve.
Last year I made fig jam from the fig tree in my community garden. The figs didn’t all ripen at once, so I dehydrated them as they did. Come December, I made the jam. It’s the best fig jam I have ever made. I love it with spread on the bread with cheese and then made as a grilled cheese.
I love a classic goat cheese and blackberry jam!
I love a dollop of spiced cranberry jam on goat cheese and crackers. It’s always a big hit at picnics and pot lucks!
My favorite is a soft young cheese draped in some rhubarb cherry chutney. I made that chutney from the FiJs recipe substituting dried cherries for the raisins, which I was out of at the time. It’s amazing on a cracker or good crusty bread!
Are dried figs or dates a preserve? I love them with cheese of all kinds.
I love your honey strawberry jam (with thyme!) with Brie or manchego.
I love melted cheese with tomato jam on a toasted slice of bread.
The above humboldt fog with a Pinot noir jam that has some raspberry notes in it.