Although in real life Halloween is two weeks away, in Salem, Halloween started at the end of September. This means we already have costumes planned, pumpkins carved, and the man dressed as a scary nun has been walking around town on his usual stilts for days and days. Since many of the usual festivities are not happening this year, we have to get in the Halloween spirit another way – with spooooky treats from the shopppp, oooo, sccaaaarrryyyyyyy. Well, if not scary, at least orange, or strange, or spicy hot, or excitingly witchy in some other way.

Speaking of witchy, Red Witch, a cow’s milk alpine style cheese from Switzerland, is basically our October star. Not only does it have a great name and great taste – slightly funky, buttery, and meaty – it also has the right look for this time of year with a paprika covered, bright red-orange rind that matches the turning leaves and bloody face paint alike!

Another cheese that has that fall-ish vibe is Mimolette. It looks a lot like a pumpkin with its spherical shape, which is always an adventure to cut, and it has BRIGHT orange paste. It tastes like bacon and butterscotch and is very firm. So firm in fact that Napoleon used wheels as cannonballs during a battle! Fine, yes, “supposedly” used, but why let shaky facts get in the way of our fun? In conclusion, orange color, pumpkin shape, and battles and ghosts and things - all very Halloween.

And then there’s Smokey Blue, for a bit of mystery and intrigue to match this eerie time of year. It is a cow’s milk blue cheese from Rogue Creamery that is cold smoked for hours over hazelnut shells and tastes like candied bacon. Really! It tastes sweet, fruity, and smoky with a tart pepperiness from the blue. Put that in your candy bowl and eat it! (If you’re in the mood for actual candy, our Chocolate Toffee Almonds are INcredible and super addictive, so be careful.)

If you wanna get a little sassy, a little spicy, we have a delightfully zippy GHOST Pepper Honey from Cloister Honey and the fiery DIABLO salami by the Colorado based Il Procellino Salumi. Both of these items are for those who like hot things and spoooooky things, of course. I don’t think I can spell spoooooooky with just two o’s until after October, so I’m sorry about that. Also, if you happen to be in Massachusetts – we can only ship alcohol within MA, boo outdated laws – I recommend adding some 1634 Mead to this order, The Devil’s Footprint perhaps, or the Wicked Wench, for more Halloweeny fun.

And there you have it! Some frighteningly delicious treats for the rest of Halloween month. I think you might even enjoy these more than drugstore candy!

For the love of cheese and all the spooooooky treats,

Kiri

PS. You know I’m obsessed with Samin Nosrat, along with the rest of the world, and that I’m always behind on pop culture/social media. SO this interview was out seven days ago on Instagram, which is approximately 57 months in Insta world, and maybe you’ve already seen it. If not, check it out! Samin interviews Amethyst Ganaway, cook of all things, but especially southern cuisine and Gullah Geechee food. Don’t know what that is? Listen and find out!

Eat, Drink, and Be Scary!