One Day...

I'm going to succeed in doing something tasty with these.  For now, I have 2 failed batches of raspberry jam and one mediocre batch of "plumcot" (aka pluots, plum-apricot hybrids) preserves under my belt. 
Tomorrow is a new day.

Thankful.

We spent our long weekend driving up to Northern California to enjoy great food, wine, and each other's company. It was our first trip to the Sonoma and Napa Valley and we absolutely fell in love with them.  As I haven't posted any new food/cheese adventures lately, I thought I'd share a couple highlights from our trip.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  'Tis the season.

Scribe Winery

Opus One

Silver Oak

Cotswold

Starting from the beginning... a Double Gloucester cheese is a traditionally unpasteurized (though today it's pasteurized but not processed) semi-hard cheese similar - but punchier - in flavor to cheddar.  It's an English cheese made from Gloucestershire cow's milk.  
Cotswold takes a double gloucester and blends it with spring onions and chives.  It has such a dynamic flavor you really don't need to serve it with anything. 
I ate it for lunch today with a multigrain sourdough baguette and some good 'ole Campbell's Chicken Noodle.

Cheese Plate: Saint Marcellin, Extra Sharp Cheddar, Gouda

I haven't photographed a cheese plate in awhile.  Tonight's selection was sort of an interesting mix and not necessarily one I'd boast about.  Aside from the Saint-Marcellin (my favorite from our trip to France last year) I was most proud of not the cheese (I wasn't feeling the Gouda but the selection at the grocery store was limited and I was missing the presidential debate!), but the home-made accompaniments.  The extra sharp cheddar was paired with my apple butter from last weekend's post ...holy... And the Saint-Marcellin with a fig-orange-thyme jam I made that same weekend which sadly was not documented...next time!