What's For Dinner/LRBC Little Known Fact #45

We dig cheese.
The first time I became a vegan I was convinced the thing I would miss most was ice cream. Ha ha. Silly, novice, little Imbecile. What I quickly realized was that I would not be able to forget, or eventually live without, was the way that cheese melts and tastes, or develops on the tongue, the way it bites and nudges at the senses, the way it lives elegantly solo or compliments and pairs amazingly with partners, and oozes with love, and tradition and handcraftedness. Try as I might, I never have been able to get away from the fact that I love cheese and all the food, beverage [i.e. beer & wine, macaroni, grilled sandwiches, pasta, eggs, toasted nuts, quince paste, roasted vegetables, etc.], and time-honored processes that go along with it.

In fact, before we opened the Cafe I applied for a position at the cheese counter at New Seasons Market. Evan bought me the The Cheese Primer which I reminiscently studied like a true nerd would for her comprehensive exams and I went ahead and wrote a four-page supplemental essay in addition to my application explaining why I should hold post at one of the most coveted positions as cheesemonger at one of the finest grocery stores out there. I couldn't imagine anything better than talking cheese, eating cheese, cutting cheese (yeah, yeah-grown up already!) pairing cheese, and discovering new cheese all day long. Unfortunately [or perhaps through fate] I never did hear back from New Seasons regarding the position or my application. Having a cafe and opening access to all of the wonderful cheeses and cheese producers out there has certainly been the next best thing to living it. We never skip an opportunity to see what's new, to appreciate what's old, and gorge on what's tried and true. Currently our stockpile boasts: smoked gouda, gorgonzola, brie, chevre, Flagship, mild cheddar, smoked cheddar, jack, parmesan, pecorino, swiss, and manchego.
Lists such as these lead us to do silly things like make dinner entirely out of dairy products. Tonight we're enjoying a trio of simple crostini:

goat's milk brie with dried cherries and balsamic glaze
goat's milk brie with {freshly} homemade Oregon blueberry jam
Tillamook smoked cheddar, sauteed chard, and sliced Washington braeburn apples