PRODUCT: The Best Cheddar Cheese From Tillamook
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We’re always happy when our favorite foods receive the laurels they deserve. That’s why we were so pleased when the Tillamook County Creamery Association received first place recognition for three of their cheeses at the United States Championship Cheese Contest, held recently in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The winners: |
Three award winners from Tillamook Creamery Cooperative. Photo by Elvira |
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It wasn’t an easy win. There are many fine cheese makers in the U.S. This year, the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest had a record-breaking total of over 1,700 entries across 82 categories, including seven categories of Cheddar. |
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 Delicious white Cheddar. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE. |
ABOUT TILLAMOOK CREAMERY The Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) was established in Oregon in 1909, when several small creameries teamed up to ensure the quality and reputation of cheese made in the Tillamook Valley. Today, membership comprises more than 100 dairy farm families, many of whom are kin to the early pioneers. The farmer-owned cooperative is famously known for its award-winning, naturally aged Cheddars. But it is quickly becoming known for its variety of cheeses (including Colby Jack and Pepper Jack), butter, ice cream, sour cream and yogurt. Approximately one million people visit the cheese factory each year. The products are distributed nationally. ABOUT CHEDDAR CHEESE Cheddar is a semi-hard cows milk cheese, the most popular cheese in England. Based on aging, from 3 months to 30 months, it varies from mild to extra sharp. Cheddar has been made at least since the 1100s; the first were made in Cheddar, a village in southwest England. The term has become almost generic, so Appellation of Controlled Origin-protected cheddar is labeled “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar,” which includes neighboring counties of Somerset, where the town of Cheddar is located. |
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The cheese is naturally a creamy white, although vegetable dyes have made the orange color the preferred commercial style (the dyes have no impact on the flavor). In the U.K. the slang meaning of cheddar is money—similar to how “gravy” is used in the U.S. Here’s a tasty apple and grilled cheese sandwich, courtesy of Tillamook. RECIPE: GRILLED CHEESE & APPLE SANDWICH Ingredients 1. PREHEAT a grill pan or regular frying pan over medium heat. 2. ASSEMBLE cheese and apple slices onto one slice of bread. Top with optional extras and second slice of bread. 3. DRIZZLE olive oil on outer sides of bread and transfer to the pan. Grill a few minutes per side, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. Cut in half and serve immediately.
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