The Cheese More People Choose

A recent business trip took me to a small town in Wisconsin this past weekend. When I think of Wisconsin, two things come to mind: 1. It’s cold there this time of year. And 2. Supposedly they make good cheese.

Both were true. We landed in a Madison to a winter wonderland of snow and cold. Also, there were signs and stores boasting delicious cheeses everywhere. Everywhere.

But after two days of meetings and seminars, it seemed time escaped us much too quickly. There was simply no time to explore the wintry environs of the Wisconsin Dells and take in the local culture and food (save for all the meat you can eat there).

But our sadness at a lost opportuity faded when we saw an enormous billboard on the way back to the airport boasting great Wisconsin cheese and sausages. We exited at the required location and pulled up to Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet, a purveyor of local food and the requisite Wisconsin gifts (think overpriced plastic cheeseheads and sausages shaped and packaged like bottles of Milwaukee’s Best). The best thing about this chalet, which bears the appearance of a Bavarian shack, was that it welcomes visitors with an enormous fiberglass dairy cow outside the shop. We like that kind of stuff.

From experience, I’ve learned these types of places usually have great homegrown goods in addition to whatever their signature item is. In this case, many varieties of homemade jams were on sale, as well as some Door County (known for its cherries) favorites, such as cherry salsa, which is made with the county's best sour and sweet cherries, onions, peppers, and other savories. I picked up a small jar of spicy pickled garlic, also a product of Door County. Whole cloves of garlic are married with jalapenos, red peppers, and vinegar. I was told this should be eaten straight, but I hope to find some way to work it into a salad dressing or a pasta dish.

On to the cheese: The variety was almost too much to handle. You know how deciding on one or two things from a Chinese restaurant menu can be completely daunting? I had the same problem here. There were so much to choose from. You had the basic cheeses—cheddar, havarti, aged homegrown varieties. Then there were fruity and chocolate cheeses, and others with various flavores and added elements. I wanted to go for something simple so I could truly enjoy the creaminess and flavor of the cheese. I went for a half pound of the Wisconsin havarti. Adjacent to the cheese counter was an ample selection of cured meats, and in this case it was their award-winning peppery hard salami that caught my eye. I got a half pound.

AC’s facial expression alone told me I had made the right choices. The sausage was indeed hard, but peppery and chewy. And the cheese was unbelievably fresh and creamy. Though havarti is a mild cheese, it had enough flavor and punch to marry nicely with the spicy sausage.

If you’re in the Madison, Wisc. area, check out Ehlenbach’s at:

4879 County Road V
Junction V & I-90-94 (Exit 126)
DeForest, WI 53532
(608) 846-4791

Or order it online at:
www.ehlenbachscheese.com

—AKC