What cheese pairs with PLUMS
La Femme Fromage wants you to know: What pairs with plums? CHEESE!
Fall is officially here and that means saving and utilizing the summer's bounty. While house-sitting recently, I inherited a bounty of plums. So what does one do? Make compote (recipe below). Why? Because it's awesome with cheese.The plum is a stone fruit of the subgenus Prunus that has a soft, mildly sweet flesh that's skin is tart and bright... perfect for cheese. Fall weather means fall flavors: allspice, cinnamon, clove, star anise etc. To add an extra pop of sweet and tart, I had some loose gooseberries hanging around.So what cheeses go with this compote, you might wonder? Lucky for you, there is no wrong answer. Pair it with what you like and let me know what you think. As for me, I do have some personal preferences. I found this compote to pair very well with the bright, herbaceous notes in Cypress Grove Creamery's "Humboldt Fog Haze Remix" that has been laced with lavender and wild fennel pollen. The creaminess anchors the sweet plums as the the spices and herbs dance around the palate. The wafting aromas of warm spices and fennel triggers fall memories in the kitchen as the October leaves whisk by and descend in the crisp air.Alpine cheeses like Gruyere and "Alp Blossom" are also a great go-to with this Plum Compote recipe. The richness of the cow's milk, inherent nuttiness, and sometimes pungency (talking to you Scharffe Maxx!) really grounds the sweet and floral qualities of the compote. Try it with other goat cheeses like the spanish darling "Leonora" from Mitica or even a blue like Roquefort or Rogue Creamery's "Smokey Blue".Pair with a nice Dunkel or Bock (Occidental Port, Zinfandel (try Eola Hills Winery), or go bold with a Bourbon of your choice ( I love Oregon's own Broken Top Bourbon Whiskey).Check out the recipe below and try it with your favorite cheese and drink!
La Femme Fromage's Plum Compote: (makes about 12 oz)
1 1/2 lbs plums (coarsely chopped or quartered)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 pint of ground cherries (aka gooseberries)
2 whole star anise pods
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
l lemon zest and juice
Directions: Combine sugar and spices and put in saucepan on medium-low heat to warm. Once the aroma fills the kitchen (5-10 min), add plums, lemon juice/zest and ground cherries and turn up to medium until simmering for 15 min (or until they begin to break down). Optional: smash plums with back of a wooden spoon if you want it less chunky;). Take off heat and let cool before storing in fridge and should last 2-3 weeks.