A Nice Bit of Wensleydale

Long before he became a nocturnal vegetable thief, Wallace was cheese-obsessed.  He read magazines with titles like Cheese Holidays and Cheese Monthly.  In “A Grand Day Out,” he chatters on about Cheddar and Lankeshire, mentions Philadelphia in passing, and builds a rocket to the moon -- “We’ll go somewhere where there’s CHEESE!”  -- when he finds the fridge empty. 

In his latest adventure, “The Curse of The Were-Rabbit”, he’s brought back from the dead with a whiff of Stinking Bishop, a hard British cheese with a rind washed in pear alcohol.  But his favorite and most often mentioned is Wensleydale, a somewhat lesser known English export than the ultra-famous Cheddar or Stilton. 

Wensleydale is a verdant area inYorkshire, the North of England, where the use of agricultural chemicals is restricted. Pastures sprout from earth rich in limestone and the cows graze naturally, free and happy.  What results from their milk is traditional firm white cheese based on a recipe dating back to 11th century Cistercian monks. Tart, nutty, creamy and crumbly at the same time, it bears some similarity to mild white cheddar.  It’s traditionally eaten on top of apple pie, a dessert combination found in the U.K. and reinvented in Canada as Apple Pie & Cheddar.

The cheese is produced by Wensleydale Creamery, who have recently packed it up with a picture of their biggest fan and his wise dog.  Wallace & Gromit Wensleydale can be ordered online from www.cheesesupply.com and goes for about $23 a pound.  Much cheaper than a trip to the moon.

Comments

[Keyclerie]

Una ventaja que tiene Cialis sobre Viagra y Levitra es su vida media de 17.5-hora (Cialis puede

[Vintage Ring]

Very tasty cheese, I ate it when I was traveling in Great Britain. I was there on vacation with my wife, we ordered it in one small restaurant, I don't remember the name:) It was very very nice cheese, we liked it, both of us.

[farmgirl]

Hello! I just popped over here for the first time from Small Farms because Tana raved about your blog. How fitting that I landed on this post, as I ADORE Wallace & Gromit. The title popped up first, and I knew exactly what it referred to. Of course, as a sheep farmer, my favorite Wallace & Gromit film will always be "A Close Shave." Looking forward to reading more of your posts. : )

[Bev]

But...but...you've posted this on FRIDAY...isn't it better suited to TUESDAY??

[Dr. Sardonic]

This brings to mind a Philadelphia foodie factoid: the eponymous cream cheese (which took first place the last episode of America's Test Kitchen) is actually named for a small town in upstate New York. As a native Philadelphian, I was of course heartbroken to learn this. And the person who broke the news to me was, naturally, a New Yorker. Are we citizens of the City of Brotherly Love forever fated to live in the shadow of the rotten Big Apple?