10 minute read
Spring Into Flavor With Deer Creek Cheese
As spring arrives, so do the celebrations that honor indelible moments with friends and family. The fragrance of blooming flowers, the clinking of teacups, the joyful chatter of loved ones, and a shared appreciation for artisanal cheeses exemplify the season’s promise of new beginnings. Whether hosting a baby shower, a Mother’s Day lunch or an Easter brunch, adorn your tablescape with stunning cheese pairings and recipes featuring Deer Creek’s handcrafted specialty cheeses. Each characterful cheese highlights a whimsical name, an artful label, a beautiful story and a delicious, award-winning flavor as inspiring as the fresh breezes that awaken our senses this time of year.
A Unique Approach to Cheesemaking
Deer Creek’s artisanal cheeses blend timehonored traditions with innovative flavors. They’re inspired by the charming characters from “The Golden Story Book of River Bend” by Patricia Scarry—a childhood favorite of Chris Gentine, Deer Creek Cheese’s president and founder. Each cheese carries a story that began at the Gentine family’s kitchen counter, where Chris and his wife, Julie, dreamed up creations like vanilla bean-infused bandagedwrapped cheddar and caraway seed-dotted colby. Even the packaging involves the family, as their daughter Sophie designs and draws the artwork for each label using ink, watercolor and acrylic paint.
As a licensed cheese grader with a razorsharp palate, Chris often collaborates with Wisconsin’s Master Cheesemakers, such as Kerry Henning and Sid Cook, to bring his inventions to life. He thoughtfully refines every delectable recipe with his cheesemaking partners, visioning and crafting creative gems with dynamic tastes and exquisite qualities.
Revitalizing Classic Cheeses
“We like to put a twist on the classics by asking ‘What If?’” shares Chris. “Starting with an inspiration, we experiment with different flavors, cultures and affinage techniques. Our goal is to imagine something unique—something meant to be shared.”
Deer Creek ® The Carawaybou™ embodies Chris’ passion for reviving historic, sometimes forgotten, cheeses. “Colby was a childhood cheese for me,” he recalls. “To me, it means happy times spent with my grandparents. This cheese is a recipe from 1914 from the University of Wisconsin Cheese School. You had to be able to make this cheese to get your cheesemaker’s license. The caraway reflects the influence of the European immigrants who settled in Wisconsin. We cure it so the caraway gets more deeply infused into the cheese. It has an Old World vibe—like a time machine for your taste buds.”
Another inventive spin on a classic is Deer Creek ® The Wild Boar™. “Our goal in creating The Wild Boar was to focus on bringing all of that truffle to the forefront,” Chris notes. “We chose monterey jack as the base because it helps the truffle shine along with the flavors of the cheese.” Chris selected this mild, creamy cheese because of its buttery characteristics. “There’s quality truffle in there,” he adds. “When you use an exceptional ingredient, you bring something special to a simple cheese.”
Caramelized Onion and Truffled Jack Tartlets
Ingredients
2 sheets refrigerated pie pastry
4 tablespoons butter, cubed and divided
1 package (8 ounces) sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 bag (5 ounces) fresh baby spinach (about 5 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
6 ounces Deer Creek® The Wild Boar™ cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
Minced fresh sage
Instructions
Heat oven to 325°F.
Roll out one sheet of pie pastry on a lightly floured surface into an 11-inch circle. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut pastry into eight circles. Press dough into lightly greased muffin cups. Repeat step with remaining pastry. Prick bottoms of pastries with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crusts are light brown. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 4-6 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and garlic; cook and stir until spinach is wilted. Transfer mushroom mixture to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.
Melt remaining butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add onions; cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 20-25 minutes longer or until onions are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar; cook and stir until liquid is absorbed. Stir in sage and mushroom mixture.
Whisk the eggs, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spoon heaping tablespoonful mushroom mixture into the center of each tartlet. Top each tartlet with a tablespoon egg mixture. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons The Wild Boar™
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Gently run a knife around edges to loosen tartlets if necessary. Remove from the pan. Garnish with sage.
Grilled Chicken, Berries and Beets Salad
Ingredients
Strawberry Vinaigrette:
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Salad:
1 pound red beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 to 6 medium)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided Salt and pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
8 ounces spring mix salad greens (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
6 ounces Deer Creek® The Doe cheese, shaved (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Instructions
Strawberry Vinaigrette:
Place the strawberries, basil, balsamic vinegar, vanilla, honey, salt and pepper into a food processor; cover and process until mixture is combined. While processing; slowly drizzle in olive oil until blended.
Salad:
Heat oven to 425°F. Line two 17 x 12-inch baking pans with aluminum foil.
Drizzle beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil on a prepared pan; toss to coat. Arrange beets in a single layer. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until beets are tender, turning once. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Drizzle asparagus with remaining olive oil on the other pan; toss to coat. Arrange asparagus in a single layer. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until asparagus is tender, turning once. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Grease grill grate. Heat grill to medium.
Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted into meat reads 165°F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice chicken.
Toss salad greens with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in a large bowl. Transfer greens to a serving platter. Top with the beets, asparagus, chicken and berries. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle with The Doe and almonds.
Caraway Colby Cheese-Stuffed Rolls
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cheese Filling:
6 tablespoons butter, cubed, softened and divided
10 ounces Deer Creek®
The Carawaybou™ cheese, shredded and divided (2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Combine the 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl. Warm the milk, water and butter to 120°F–130°F in a saucepan over medium heat. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until combined. Beat in egg until well combined. Add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl (dough will be sticky).
Knead dough in mixer or turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough into a greased bowl. Flip to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead a few times by hand. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 20 x 12-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut dough in half widthwise, yielding two 10 x 12-inch rectangles. Cut each rectangle into six 10 x 2-inch-wide strips.
Cheese Filling:
Combine the 4 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 cups The Carawaybou™ , parsley, green onions, garlic, chives, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Spread 2 tablespoons butter mixture on a dough strip to within 1/2 inch of edges. Pinch edges of dough to seal seams and ends, creating a rope. Starting at one end, coil the rope. Tuck the outer end under the coil. Pinch end to seal. Repeat step with remaining butter mixture and dough strips.
Place rolls 2 inches apart on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until light golden brown.
Melt remaining butter; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with remaining The Carawaybou™. Bake for 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.
Pistachio Macarons with Cheddar Buttercream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup pistachio flour
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons green gel food coloring, optional
Sweet and Salty Buttercream:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 ounces Deer Creek® The Fawn cheese or Deer Creek® The MoonRabbit cheese, finely shredded (1 cup)
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 to 2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur, optional
4 teaspoons green gel food coloring, optional
Chopped white chocolate, melted
Chopped pistachios
Instructions
Place the 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, almond flour and pistachio flour into a food processor; cover and process for 20-30 seconds or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Sift flour mixture into a large bowl.
Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in another large bowl until foamy.
Sift sugar and remaining confectioners’ sugar into a separate bowl; gradually beat into egg whites mixture until soft peaks form. Beat in food coloring if desired. Beat mixture on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Using a spatula, gradually and gently fold egg whites mixture into flour mixture, about a third at a time. Fold in mixture, using circular motions, until the batter drizzles off the spatula in a thick ribbon.
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe batter into 1-inch rounds, teaspoon-sized, placing 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. (The batter should flatten out.) Firmly drop baking sheets twice on the surface to release air bubbles. Let stand on a surface until tops are dry to the touch, about 30-60 minutes.
Heat oven to 275°F. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until macarons are firm to the touch. Cool completely on pans. Remove from baking sheets with a thin spatula.
Sweet and Salty Buttercream:
Cream the butter, The Fawn and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add remaining confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Beat in the cream, hazelnut liqueur and food coloring if desired.
Sandwich 1 tablespoon buttercream between two macarons. Drizzle tops with white chocolate. Sprinkle with pistachios. Allow chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
