Cheaze is a cheese lovers dream

Staying at home has become the new going out for a lot of us lately with the pandemic so we have had to enjoy date nights in. There is an array of ways to make the perfect date night in special from ordering a takeaway or perhaps one of the many DIY cook boxes, or even carefully crafted bottled cocktails by top mixologists but what tops off the ultimate night in my opinion is a lump of cheese. Cheese is ideal for an after dinner treat which can be eaten with crackers, chutney and savoured with wine. Attentively cheese is also great used to make starters and main meals with.

Courtesy of Cheaze I was gifted a box of their cheese to sample at home where I nibbled on some new cheeses and I even got a little creative with some as I made some delicious meals with them.  

Cheaze

Cheaze are all about great tasting cheese providing customers an exceptional cheesy experience.

They deliver a range of exceptional cheeses from around the world so no need to dash around the supermarket or surfing the net. With all their cheese boxes they love to get people pairing, tasting, understanding, learning and expanding their cheese horizons as that is all part of the Cheaze journey!

Cheaze journey at home

I love cheese and when I received my box from Cheaze I was impressed by the range of cheese all of which come from around the world.

The box came with Date & Cranberry Walnut biscuits, Black Pepper & Poppy Seed Biscuits, Camembert, Chillizola, Ossau Iraty, Red Fox, Northumberland Cheese Company Nettle, Norfolk Mardler Goat, Old Amsterdam cheese and a surprise cheese which this month was White Stilton with Mango & Ginger.

Petit Normand Camembert is produced in France. It’s a soft cheese which is creamy and mild. Camembert is perfect cooked and served with crunchy bread. I served mine with cooked figs and crusty bread.

Camembert with figs

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

6-12 ripe figs
2 tbsp good sherry vinegar
100ml red wine 
50g walnut pieces
thyme sprigs
4 tbsp honey
Whole camembert
Crusty bread

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 180c fan.
2. Cut a cross in the tops of the figs nearly all way down but not quite.
3. Place in a baking tray, big enough to hold all the figs, cut-side up.
4. Mix together the vinegar and wine with some seasoning, and pour all over the figs.
5. Scatter over the walnuts and thyme.
6. Drizzle over the honey.
7. Bake in oven for 15-20 mins until the figs start to become soft and sticky.
8. Tuck the whole cheese in among the figs and put back in the oven for a final 5 minutes.
9. Serve straight away with crusty bread.

It was a delicious combination providing sweetness to the cheese.

Chillizola is produced in Italy. It’s a 50 day old aged blue cheese which has added chilli flakes to it. A creamy delicate blue cheese with that hit of heat from the chilli.

Cheaze suggestion is to add to cooked pasta which I did. It gave the pasta a creamy cheesy flavour with that extra kick thanks to the chilli flakes within the cheese.

Ossau Iraty is produced in France. This sheeps cheese is wonderful as it provides a refreshing taste, sweet, smooth and buttery. It worked beautifully with Oaty Biscuits by Grandma Wilds which are crunchy, buttery and peppery.

Red Fox is produced in Whitchurch in the UK at Belton Farm. Russet in colour this rugged cheese has a sweet and yet savoury taste. Similar to cheddar but stronger and red.

Red Fox Cauliflower Cheese

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 large cauliflower
2 bay leaves
salt
100g butter
2 tspn English mustard
50g plain flour
500m milk
300g grated Red Leicester cheese

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200c fan.
2. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, place into a saucepan of boiling salted water with the bay leaves.
3. Once soft drain under cold water. Discard the bay leaves.
4. Layer the cauliflower into a ovenproof dish in an even layer.
5. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the mustard and flour, and cook over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes.
6. Lower heat and whisk in the milk. Stir until it becomes thick and begins to bubble then add a handful of the grated cheese and stir until melted.
7. Season then pour it over the cauliflower and scatter over the remaining grated cheese.
8. Cook for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is hot and the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top is slightly browned.

Northumberland Cheese Company Nettle is produced in Northumberland in the UK. The cheese is made from cows milk, onion and nettles. It is a hard textured cheese and has a distinct taste of onion.

Nettle Cheese Soufflé (serves 4)

Ingredients

50g butter
25g breadcrumbs
50g plain flour
1 tsp mustard powder
300ml full fat milk
4 eggs
100g grated Nettle cheese

Method

1. Heat oven to 180c fan.
2. Prepare four soufflé dishes buttering them and generously sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and rotate the dish to ensure coated.
3. Make a thick white sauce by melting the butter over a medium heat, stir in the flour and mustard. Cook stirring for 1 minute.
4. On low heat add milk slowly. Stir continuously until thick. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
5. Crack the eggs, placing the whites into a clean bowl and stir the yolks into the sauce white sauce. Stir in cheddar and season well.
6. With the egg whites whisk until peaks form then add with a metal spoon into the white sauce gently.
7. Spoon the mixture into the soufflé dishes. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden and soufflés risen and has a slight wobble. Serve immediately.

Norfolk Mardler Goat cheese is produced in Norfolk in the UK. It is a hard cheese made from goats milk. Is firm in texture and gives a clean robust flavour. Works wonderfully with a meat.

Chicken stuffed with Goats Cheese and Red Onion Chutney

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 chicken breasts
Goats cheese
Red onion chutney
Seasoning

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c fan.
2. Slice open the chicken breasts but not all the way.
3. Open like a book and stuff with slices of goats cheese and red onion chutney.
4. Close up and hold in place with toothpicks.
5. Cook in oven for 25-30 minutes.
6. Serve straight away.

Old Amsterdam is produced in Amsterdam. This Gouda cheese is famous in for it’s full favoured firm texture. Ideal served with a glass of red but also great in a cheesy toastie.  

Cheesy Toastie with mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 tbsp salted butter
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
250g mushrooms sliced
120g Old Amsterdam cheese grated
Handful of grated mozzarella
4 slices of bread 
Seasoning

Method

1. Divide into two and top two slices of bread with the mixed cheese.
2. Melt 1 tbsp butter and oil together and cook the sliced mushrooms in the frying pan along with the garlic and seasoning.
3. Once cooked top on the cheese on the bread and close up with the other slices of bread.
4. Heat another saucepan and add the remaining butter and add the sandwiches.
5. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until just beginning to brown on each side.
6. Serve immediately.

For the surprise cheese it was a slab of White Stilton, Mango and Ginger which is produced in Northumberland in the UK. Such a soft creamy textured cheese with a lovely fruity taste thanks to the pieces of mango and ginger. Gave it that sweet edge and sharpness with a fiery kick. Perfect simply with the Date and Cranberry Biscuits plus the Oaty Peppery Biscuits along with a glass of prosecco. An ideal cheese for Spring and Summer.

Verdict

All of Cheaze cheeses were a real treat. I discovered many cheese brands I have never heard of before with some of the cheeses becoming my new favourites such as The Fielding Cottage Cheese.

So if you are looking to discover new cheeses, or you just love cheese or even looking for great cheese for your next dinner party with family and friends then Cheaze provides the perfect cheese boxes.

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Thank you to Cheaze for the cheese box. All views are my own honest opinion.