With St. Paddy's Day on the horizon, perhaps you're expecting a Symphony in Green.
Well, stop the music and turn off the bubble machine! Cross the corned beef and cabbage off your shopping list. We're singing a different tune -- the blues.Cheese, that is.
And in order not to stray too far from shamrocks and soda bread, we'd like you to meet a nifty bit o' the Emerald Isle -- Irish blue cheese -- Cashel Bleu.
Cashel Bleu has been produced in Ireland since the 17th century when the Grubb family fled England for religious reasons. Ever since, the family members have been millers and buttermakers on their collective farm at Beechmont (near Cashel) in County Tipperary.
About 10 years ago Jane and Louis Grubb started making a raw cow's milk blue cheese (the only one in Ireland) from their herd of Friesian cattle. It quickly won as enthusiastic following (it's outstanding!). The cattle herd is a rare "closed" herd, meaning that new stock is acquired only from existing animals within that specific herd . . . guaranteeing consistent cheese qualities.
Each 4-pound round is foil-wrapped and aged two to three months. It is so creamy that at room temperature it becomes practically liquid. Great on crackers and as a melting cheese, it resembles the finest Gorgonzola.
We recently tiptoed through the mold at Liberty Heights Fresh cheese room. Along with the Cashel Bleu, a variety of blue cheeses is stocked by proprietor Steven Rosenberg -- the selection is amazing. His market at 1100 E. 1200 South is sure to be the place to find the green (veins) in the blues.
We plowed through the blues with gusto and recommend our top five favorites:
Maytag
Made with cow's milk at Maytag dairy farms in Newton, Iowa. Ages six months in cellars carved into the side of a hill on the farm. Peppery flavor, creamy texture. Great for snacks and salads or with fruit.
Bleu d'Auvergue
From the Auvergue region of France. Made with cow's milk. Ages in cool cellars for two months then wrapped in foil to mature slowly for one month. Texture is sticky moist and crumbly. Rather sharp with a rustic flavor. Delicious in salad dressings, with nuts or raw mushrooms.
Mirableu
Spanish blue-veined cheese made with sheep's milk. Creamy, pungent, much like Roquefort. Has its own character and a full, slightly salty finish.
Mountain Gorgonzola
Made in the region of Lombardy, Italy. Aged for six months. Soft cheese made from goat's milk. Pronounced spicy, earthy flavor. Marvelous with fruit, salads, pears and figs.
SPINACH CALZONES WITH BLUE CHEESE
1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups spinach leaves
8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 1/3 cups sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and divide into 4 quarters. Pat each quarter into a 6 X 5-inch rectangle. For each calzone: Sprinkle garlic evenly over rectangles. Top each rectangle with 1 cup spinach, 2 onion slices, 1/3 cup mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons cheese. Bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points together to seal. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until golden. Yield: 4 servings.
Each serving contains 183 calories, 2g fat, 7g protein, 34g carb, 614mg sodium, 8mg cholesterol. From Cooking Light
RIGATONI WITH SPINACH AND BLUE CHEESE
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 1/3 cups chopped seeded tomato
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
8 cups hot cooked rigatoni (about 16 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add spinach, tomatoes and broth; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine spinach mixture, pasta, cheese and pine nuts in a large bowl. Toss well to coat. Yield: 5 servings.
Each serving contains 432 calories, 10g fat, 18g protein, 70g carb, 267mg sodium, 9mg cholesterol. From Cooking Light
VEGGIE WRAP WITH BLUE CHEESE
1/4 cup tub-style fat-free cream cheese
4 (10-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese over each tortilla; top each with a lettuce leaf. Divide sprouts and remaining ingredients evenly among tortillas; roll up. Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally. Yield 4 servings.
Each serving contains 183 calories, 2g fat, 7g protein, 34g carb, 614mg sodium, 8mg cholesterol. From Cooking Light
MOON-BEAN SALAD
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 (16-ounce) cans cannelloni beans or other beans, rinsed and drained
11/2 cups diced plum tomato
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oregano and garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add vinegar and remove from heat. Combine vinegar mixture and beans in a bowl. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon oil, diced tomato and the rest of the ingredients, and toss well. Yield 8 servings.
Each serving contains 289 calories, 6 g fat, 12 g protein, 47 g carb, 640 mg sodium, 7 mg cholesterol. -- From Cooking Light