Raw milk from the hills of southwest Virginia makes Meadow Creek's Mini a small wonder. Washed in oatmeal porter from Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, North Carolina, the Mini has a thin reddish rind with a smooth, melting paste. Its flavor is boldly tangy and grassy, developing a sweet, hoppy taste as it ages.

A perfect pairing

Mini + Hot Peach Chutney: a perfect pairing

We’ve chosen Virginia Chutney Company’s Hot Peach Chutney as the perfect accompaniment to the Mini. The rich, bold notes of the cheese are beautifully balanced by the sweet flavors of peach and a generous pinch of hot spice.

You know what a cheesemonger is, but are you a true turophile (lover of cheese)? Use this handy vocabulary list to impress your friends like the cynosure (celebrity, big cheese) you are.

Alpage: A French term for the alpine fields where animals graze during the summer months, which enhances the flavor and complexity of their milk and the resulting cheese

Beestings: The first milk a cow produces after calving; high in protein, beestings is specifically used, for example, in Spain for the production of Armada, a strong, semifirm cheese

For the collaborators, the goal was clear: bring a wholly original regional product to market by creating a local cheese infused with the complexities of a local beer.

But which cheese and which style of brew? This past January, 16 different prototypes for “Bathed in Victory” cheese were made at the creamery; four months later they were ready for tasting. Read on for what happened next...

Story by Laurel Miller, words and pictures by Josh Kramer

One of my favorite foods to share with friends is a big messy plate of nachos. The usual combination of corn chips, spicy salsa, beans, and melty cheese is always a crowd-pleaser, but since I’m a chef, I can hardly ever leave well enough alone.

So when culture’s editor asked me to reimagine the nacho, to shake up the concept, I jumped at the chance to bring a new twist to an all-time winner.

I realized that the essential elements of classic nachos are not so much tied to the ingredients themselves as to their function in this finger-friendly, unfussy dish. This means that what you need is a crunchy base layer as a vehicle for the toppings and cheese, with flavorful accents to jazz up the whole thing. Playing in the kitchen with this idea to guide me, I discovered a multitude of possibilities. The recipes I share here are the best among them.

Chef Estes uses Cowgirl Creamery’s fromage blanc and yogurt to make this signature gelato. It’s a great base recipe to use for making flavored variations as well, including fruit and fudge ripple (ice-cream making machine required).

THE COBBLER TOPPING

No matter where you live, summer shouts “bounty” for veggie lovers. And perhaps no more so than with bushels of zucchini.

These green batons of sum- mer squash first appear in early to midsummer and don’t cease their rapid-fire production until fall. Good thing zucchini is a veg that’s altogether versatile. You can prepare it raw, cook it in minutes for an al dente side dish, or even slow-braise zucchini ratatouille style.

Tangy and salty cheeses complement zucchini’s mild flavor. Try these quick preparations:

Shave ribbons of raw zucchini with a cheese planer and toss with feta, fresh mint, and olive oil; marinate 20 minutes, then serve.

Never get bored with this double-duty cheese board. The oak base and slate slab fit together to make a two-tone serving plate, or they can each fly solo as a simple oak cheese board and a slim, sleek slate board.

This granite supplier has a lot of beautiful scrap stone lying around, and what better use for it than cheese boards? Each board is a little bit different, which makes everything more interesting. Your cheese will love hanging out on this polished surface.

Mix practicality with looks when you use this tambourine cheese board, made with marble and walnut. Two cheese knives fit right into the sides of the board and act as handles for easy transport from kitchen to table. This is a picnic-date must-have.

This hefty piece of reclaimed granite makes for a slick serving plate that will last forever. Equipped with wine-cork feet, an easy-to-clean surface, and an accompany- ing cheese knife, this board is bound to become a family heirloom.