Appel Farms Cheese Board and Mac n Cheese

While in Bellingham last month, The Man and I visited Appel Farms and brought home three wedges of their farmstead cheeses; two were cheddars and the third a raw milk gouda. We enjoyed the cheeses one evening with 34° Natural Crispbread crackers.

The next day I used the leftovers to make a gooey mac n cheese.

While I was still slinging cheese at the Hawthorne Fred Meyer, I reviewed two other Appel Farms goudas: a gouda with jalapenos and the other a smoked gouda.

Appel Farms recently opened a store “around the corner” from the farm that features their cheeses, a cafe and a drive-through window… more likely for coffee, but you can buy their cheeses at the drive-through window… how cool is that? You can even take your picture with a couple of their cows… which, of course, The Man and I did…

In addition to the cheeses, we bought a slice of their cheesecake for a late-evening snack in the hotel… it was divine…

The first cheese on our board was a “Sharp” Cheddar; nutty with just a hint of a bite. It crumbly and yet creamy on the palate. This was The Man’s favorite of the three.

The second was a Cheddar with Black Pepper; a lot of black pepper, more pepper than what The Man liked, but just right in my book. Nice and spicy to compliment the creaminess mildness of the cheese.

Last on the board was the raw milk gouda, my favorite of the three. Sweet, milky and a little grassy; a perfect gouda… definitely a 4 Paws Gouda.

We kept it simple and enjoyed these cheeses with the 34° Natural Crispbread crackers.

There were leftovers and the next day I used the remainder of all three cheeses to make a creamy, gooey mac n cheese:

Ingredients:

8 ounces egg penne from Rustichella d’Abruzzo – I bought it in bulk at Murray’s Cheese in the West Village. It’s a little pricey, but well worth the extra cost to have premium pasta to go with premium cheeses.

4 ounces of each Appel Farms cheese – Sharp Cheddar, Black Pepper Cheddar and Raw Milk Gouda, shredded. 12 ounces total.

2 ounces butter

1/3 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chili Flakes (optional)

(1 – 2 cups Panko and 2 ounces melted butter mixed together to make crust if you choose to bake.)

Preparation:

Prepare pasta al dente. Drain. Do not rinse.

Melt butter in saucepan.

Add flour and whisk and cook to remove flour taste without burning.

Add milk gradually, whisking constantly and cook on low-medium heat until it starts to thicken.