June 4 is observed as National Cheese Day. Gourmet shop Murray’s Cheese features branded charcuterie, cheese and other items in Smith’s Food and Drug in Las Vegas.
Cheese is produced from the pressed curds of milk from cows, buffalo, goats or sheep. Temperature, length of aging, spices and other seasonings create the texture and flavor of cheese. The New York City iconic cheese shop, established in 1940, has introduced new products while still carrying the items loved by customers.
Some of the new cheese items available include St. Mark’s, a creamy, woodsy cow’s milk cheese. The product is served in a little terra cotta crock with complex flavors. Serve cold or bake in the oven as a fondue. The Hudson Flower is sold as a wheel of rich sheep's milk cheese rubbed with rosemary, elderberry and lemon thyme. The herbs add a floral aroma with a scent of pine. Greensward’s cow’s milk combines lush, intense flavors for adventurous palates. The spreadable cider-washed rind can also be made into a smooth paste.
The Cabot Cheddar is Cabot's English-inspired clothbound cheddar. Made with the milk of Holstein cows, the flavor profile is sharp and nutty with hint of caramelized sweetness.
While June 4 is National Cheese Day, cheese is meant to be paired with other food. Some choices from Murray’s Cheese include Murray’s Prosciutto di Parma made with trimmed pork legs hand-rubbed with sea salt and aged for at least 20 months. Murray’s Genoa Salami is Heritage pork seasoned with pepper and fresh garlic and slow-aged to perfection. Murray’s Calabrese Salami is heritage pork is infused with Sangiovese for sweetness with a kick of cayenne and paprika.
While one might think of putting a slice of cheddar cheese on slice of apple pie, there is Murray’s Apple Butter to top cheeses. The apple butter is made with crisp apples simmered in cider, brandy, cinnamon and allspice. Pair with nutty, caramel-like cheeses. Blueberries and cheese also pair well with Murray’s Blueberry Preserves: Fresh blueberries are added to a simmering base of plums and lemons creating a sweet but not overly tart.
Murray’s Cheese offers hundreds of domestic and imported artisan cheeses, along with specialty goods. Murray's Cheese can be found in the over 270 Kroger stores including Smith’s Food and Drugs in Southern Nevada. For more information, visit murrayscheese.com.
