Transition into fall with your summer cheese leftovers!

As we head into the fall and the weather starts to dip a bit, we start looking for more autumnal recipes to inspire our creativity in the kitchen.  But with summer still within eyesight, there still may be a bit of cheese leftover from all your summer-y snacks and dishes.  Never fear—here are some of our ideas for fall cookin’ with leftover cheese.

 

 

Dip into Oktoberfest

As soon as September starts, the celebration of Oktoberfest begins.  Along with German breweries, local breweries across the country (and the world), start their month-ish long celebration of Oktoberfest, too.  But Oktoberfest isn’t just about drinking Märzen and lagers; it’s also all about the food.  We like to keep it classic and indulge in an array of würstl, all the pork products one could imagine, and plenty of roasted chicken while keeping it simple with sides of spätzle and potato pancakes.  But we do need sustenance throughout the day if we are going to indulge in boots of beer and this is where pretzels come in!  This salty snack is essential to Oktoberfest and is often served with a cheese spread called Obatzder.  Though we love this dip, we also make a Cheddar Mustard dipping sauce because the more cheesy dips, the better.  We particularly like this recipe from House of Nash Eats.  Not only is the dip amazing, but there is also has a great pretzel recipe if you want to go all in!  This recipe will use up the rest of the Fini Cheddar you were melting on burgers all summer and keep you going as you barrel your way through a boot of beer.

 

 

Summer’s Gone, Soup’s On

As we round out the “Grillin’ with Gorg” season, we start moving towards foods that warm our bellies on colder fall nights.  The abundance of summer squash is starting to fade and the hearty winter squash are starting to pop up more and more in the produce department.  One of the best ways to use up all your AmaGorg is with our Butternut Squash and Pear Bisque Soup recipe.  This simple soup recipe is only 7 ingredients but the flavor is unbeatable.  If you want to mix it up throughout the colder fall and winter months, you can always swap in some apples for the pears for a different flavor combo that will delight even the ficklest of eaters.

 

 

New Season, New Salads

Even though all the summer produce is starting to make its way out, it doesn’t mean that salads are going into winter retirement.  Put the Panzanella Salad recipe away, and make room for

heartier salads that scream “AUTUMN!”  We love the Autumn Salad with Figs and Blue Cheese  from Food and Wine.  Fresh fig season generally runs from about August to October, so the time for this salad is now.  Though this recipe calls for Roquefort, St. Pete’s Select makes the perfect substitute, especially since its original recipe was inspired by Roquefort!  The mix of sweetness from the apples, grapes, and figs highlights the sweetness in St. Pete’s while the savory hazelnut adds a toasted, earthy flavor which balances out the Blue and the sweeter fruits.  Since you are only topping the salad with blue cheese crumbles, it’s a great way to utilize those leftovers!

 

A Time to Transform

Finally, when it comes to the fall, we tend to swap the sweets on a cheeseboard for more savory accompaniments.  To keep our guests guessing, sometimes we like to surprise them with a cheesy transformation!  Though we love showing off Jeffs’ Select in its (near-perfect) original form, we are always open to serving it in deliciously different ways.  This recipe for Marinated Gouda is a great way to use the extra Jeffs’ you have in your fridge.  Plus, if the cheese dried out just a bit, by marinating it in oil, you are helping to rehydrate it.  All of the autumnal fruits, bold nuts, and heartier breads are perfect companions for herb-y, marinated Gouda.