I went a little crazy this week.  Well, a little crazier, I suppose would be the proper term.  Not just cheese, but crackers, mini-toast, and even fancy salami!  It was worth it.

Starting off with the soft ripened cheese on the left, we have Port Salut.  Far and away the favorite of the day, this rich, buttery, tangy cheese was absolutely delightful when spread on toast or crackers and paired well with the salami.  A whole mess of people came back for seconds or thirds on that one.  It was a good thing that we had both crackers and toast!

To the right of the salami and toast we have Van Kaas Mediterranean Gouda.  It is a standard (yummy) gouda with tomatoes, olives, garlic, and a few other herbs thrown in, leaning heavily on the garlic and tomato for its flavor.  Guaranteed to keep away vampires, your enjoyment of this cheese will really depend on how much you like garlic.  I happened to love it.

Lastly, we have Manchego, a firm sheep milk cheese from Spain.  It has a very mild, salty flavor, with a smooth texture.  This one also went quite well with the salami, and there are a couple of people here who claim it as their all time favorite.  While I don’t go that far, it is a lovely cheese, and I look forward to chopping it up and having a couple of cubes every time I bring it in.

Stay cheesy!