We’ve mentioned recycled wine staves before (and we explain the where’s and why’s of it all) Here’s another good use: as a cheese board.
Cheese on an old oak barrel stave
Of course you probably don’t want to use recycled cheese.
What’s nice about these is that they are long, so you have space for a nice spread of cheese. And yes, they are made from recycled and local (at least to us: California) oak wine barrels that have been used for a few years.
Some cheese ideas to fill out that spread:
- Epoisses de Bourgogne – soft rind cheese washed with marc (brandy) so it has a red rind and the meltiest, creamiest center ever imaginable
- Robiola – an Italian soft rind cheese that’s very mild and very delicious, even those who don’t usually like soft rind cheese like this
- Cotswold – a double Gloucester cheese with chives mixed in. Really good. (if you have any left, it melts great – best cheese for a tuna melt ever)
- Cocoa Cardona – you read right: this is an aged goat cheese (from Wisconsin) that’s coated with cocoa powder, it’s subtle and takes that bite off the goat cheese flavor
- Cantal – a french hard cheese classic dating back to the 13th century, milky and nutty with a slight tang.
A good start…and the holidays are a great time for cheese!
