How to consume cheese in autumn

(Yes, it’s possible to be doing it wrong.)         

Nothing like some cheese and wine in that crisp, autumn air.

September is a month of harvesting, and, whether your at-home harvest is apples, raspberries, tomatoes, or seasonal home décor, odds are it would be enhanced by a snack pairing transcendent in its universal appeal.

How about, I don’t know, cheese?

What else checks as many boxes? Flavorful, textured, nutritious, diverse, global — cheese’s closest competitor is, perhaps, coffee, and even coffee is, sometimes, cheese.

Basically, if someone doesn’t go for cheese, they can’t be trusted (looking at you, Rachel from Hoyme Hall floor three).  

Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin recommends highlighting cheeses that are savory, aged, and nutty during the autumn months. These three deceivingly broad flavor profiles, when paired with seasonal sweater weather foods, act as bridges connecting the snacks’ strengths and contrasts.

For instance, a smooth Gouda would pair well with candied pecans, an aged Cheddar might compliment a freshly picked apple (try Honeycrisp or Pink Lady), and a creamy Butterkase cheese  may be your red grape vine’s best friend.

Feeling adventurous? Plan a trailblazing cheese pie for your upcoming Friendsgiving, or sign up for a fall-themed charcuterie board class, offered around the country. (Yes, there are legitimate paid courses meant to teach hopeless aesthetic arrangement folks like myself how to present cheese and meat in a manner worthy of an Instagram reel.)   

For guaranteed palate satisfaction, check out Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery’s selection of cheeses, linked accordingly above. And be sure to share your personal recipe and pairing findings with us.

Here’s to hoping for cooler days to come, and for occasions that welcome experiments in cheese tasting (as if I need an excuse).