I’m all about casual, easygoing wine and cheese. For example, if there’s a liter bottle of wine on the shelf, I want it. I think I’m so drawn to liters because they seem more chill, low-key, leave them on the table and let everyone pour away. Salud!

Of course, casual, easygoing wine needs casual, easygoing cheese. Prairie Breeze cheddar is one of those cheeses that doesn’t get enough space here because it’s such a reliable standby I don’t think to write about it. I’m just like yeah, duh it’s always here because it’s necessary to cheese life. When I’m choosing cheeses for a cheeseboard, it always makes the cut. Salty, sweet, caramelly, mouthwatering cheddar, Prairie Breeze can fly with lots of wines and pretty much anything else you want to drink. I like to take my piece and break off a corner revealing crunchy crystals within the juicy paste. Also, Prairie Breeze is key to the shop’s grilled cheese sandwiches, so perhaps a casual dinner with a liter o’ red and sammies is in the cards for the weekend.

Then there’s Mt. Alice. It is easy to eat a lot of Mt. Alice. I mean, it’s easy to eat a lot of Prairie Breeze too, but Mt. Alice is just like boom boom boom gone. A couple months ago, everyone at the shop discussed how many bites it would take for us to eat a whole one pound wheel. Most of us thought we could do it in four bites. While we, thankfully, didn’t actually give it a go, I think each of us has brought home at least half a wheel and happily devoured the whole darn thing in one sitting. It’s casual, whatever. Predictably, I recommend a liter of rosé to wash down.

Now, Challerhocker. This one is such a comfort cheese. It is so smoooooth, talk about a good melter. Throw this one in your grilled cheese with the Prairie and swoon. Or eat it slice by slice and taste the butterscotch, toasted cashew, roasted shallot flavors. Swoon again. Here, I want that La Boutanche Riesling liter I’ve been staring at while writing this. It is a green bottle with a grasshopper on the label. He’s wearing a bucket hat and an aloha shirt, so chill dude, and he’s just been looking at me being like, let’s eat! Let’s drink! So obviously, I’m like ok, I am IN!

For the love of cheese and causal food,

Kiri

P. S. - I’ve been meaning to share this article with you that Susan, a friend of the shop, shared with me about The Food Project and its farm in Dorchester. Yasser Aponte, a Northeastern student and employee at the farm, discusses the importance of this farm and others like it in the food deserts around us.

Link for the article: https://news.northeastern.edu/2020/06/24/in-the-middle-of-boston-hes-growing-food-for-good/

Link for the farm: https://thefoodproject.org/farms/west-cottage-farm-and-langdon-street-farm/

Cheeses for Keepin' It Chill