Masseys

Cheese of the week: Gorgonzola

Vandy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:10:48 +0000

Gorgonzola is not so much a blue cheese as a green cheese: its distinctive, soft green veining brings an unmistakable element to its smooth, creamy body and generally mellow tangy flavour. The strength of flavour varies according to the age of the cheese: sweet and soft when young (when it can also be known as Dolcelatte), as it ages it becomes firm, crumbly, robust and spicy.

It freezes well, though after freezing it will become extra crumbly and is then best used in cooking or salads. Its flavour becomes milder and sweeter during cooking; it melts deliciously when stirred into a simple risotto.

Here’s a recipe for Jamie Oliver’s Apple & Walnut Risotto with Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola Facts

Gorgonzola with Marsala is the Italian equivalent of Port and Stilton. Gorgonzola also pairs well with champagne, full bodied red and sweet red wines, and with pears, apples, peaches, nuts and raisins.

Gorgonzola was first made in the village of that name outside Milan, though the village has now been absorbed into the city after centuries of urban growth. Some date the history of Gorgonzola production precisely to 879 AD, others go as far back as the Romans – but however long its pedigree it remains hugely popular worldwide. Many cheese makers have attempted to imitate Gorgonzola, but it is protected as fiercely as fine rare wines, and imitators are unable to replicate the balance of moulds which continue to give it its distinctive flavour. These moulds occur naturally in the caves where it was first ripened centuries ago.

Trivia point – The London Stock Exchange is known as ‘Gorgonzola Hall’ because of the greenish marble used in its interior!

Recycling matters

Marc — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:19:23 +0000

For those who couldn’t make the event - here’s the report on the latest sustainability talk in Whittlesford – subject: All things recycling.

Cheeses of the week – Emmental & Gruyer

Vandy — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:00:09 +0000

We’re going Swiss this week with two cheeses that make perfect fondues

Emmental cheese is the original Swiss cheese, a creamy colored cow’s milk cheese with characteristic large holes. The cheese originated in the Emme Valley of Switzerland, in the region of Bern. The large holes and creamy, nutty flavor have made Emmental a perennial favorite around the world, and the cheese is well suited to a range of cooking projects.

Gruyere is in the family of Swiss cheeses, a group of semi firm pale cheeses stippled with small holes or air pockets. Gruyere also has the distinction of carrying an appellation d’origine controlee, or protected origin designation, which means that only a specific cheese can be labeled and sold as gruyere.

If you fancy making a hot, creamy, melty, cheesey fondue to dip our delicious breads into – here’s a recipe to use.

(Tip: Sliced ham, rolled up and skewered on a fondue fork, is a very tasty cheese collector to dip into a fondue).

(Another tip: If you don’t have a fondue set, or don’t want the hassle of cleaning our burnt-on cheese from the bottom of a pot – place your fondue ingredients in a glass bowl or jug and melt in the microwave. You may have to pop the bowl back into the microwave for a few seconds after about 15 minutes, but that’s a lot quicker than cleaning a fondue pot)

Photo Credit: Scaredy Kat

The rhythm of village life

Vandy — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:00:46 +0000

Channel 4 is gathering material at the moment for a new TV series on village life vs city life. They’re asking people to tell them what they love about whichever style they have chosen.

We got a note from a customer that made me think about one of the best aspects of life in Whittlesford.

It’s rhythm.

Every place has it’s own rhythm. It’s the stuff that creates the structure of daily life, the people you see at the same time every day, the flow of activity through the place. It’s a combination of movement, sound and people.

The card we got was from a 10 year-old customer who drew very big smiles on the front and wrote:

“Thank you for waving and smiling at me every day!
It really makes me SMILE!
It always starts my day off very happily!
I will carry on waving to you!

She’s talking about part of the early morning rhythm of Whittlesford. Just before school starts, the stream of mothers and children who walk down the High Street wave and smile as they pass the shop. And we wave back. It happens every day during term time. And she’s absolutely right – it’s an excellent way to start the day.

And we’d like to follow her example and say thank you to all our smiling customers.
It’s a great part of the rhythm of Whittlesford.

What’s your favourite village rhythm?

Photo credit: 1happysnapper

Drawing competition – the winning entry

Marc — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:00:57 +0000

We just love this fantastic picture done by Amber Thayne. She’s captured all the elements of what she feels is important in the shop, and it’s so bright and creative – it makes us smile every time we see it. Amber’s picture will be on display in the shop window for everyone to see.

Prizes were received by Amber Thayne and Daisy Godbold.

Amber receives her parcel of sweets and chocolates, watched by her proud mum, Elaine.

Cheese of the week – Wensleydale Blue

Vandy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:13 +0000

Wensleydale Blue from Hawes Dairy is worthy alternative to Blue Stilton but with the texture and character of white Wensleydale.

And here are a couple of recipes using Wensleydale Blue:

- Cream of celery and Blue Wensleydale soup

- Roast root vegetables with Blue Wensleydale

- Pasta with blue cheese (you can substitute Wensleydale for the Stilton)

Masseys Muffins are back

Vandy — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:42:41 +0000

Wild blueberry, chocolate, Cherry, Raspberry, Chocolate Orange, Fruitcake…

Which is your favourite flavour?

William Westley Quiz Evening

Vandy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:00:37 +0000

Cheese of the week – Grandma Singleton’s Lancashire

Vandy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:45:27 +0000

Some 20 years ago, Singleton’s began in a farm house kitchen, set in a beautiful and remote area of Lancashire known as Beacon Fell.

Grandma Singeleton’s traditional Lancashire cheese is named after the founder of the dairy. With its distinctive red wax is the strongest Lancashire available.

It is matured for a minimum of 10 months, has a semi-soft consistency and is slightly crumbly with rich yellow colour and a strong, tangy flavour.

Wine tasting review

Marc — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:03:17 +0000

Peter Topping very kindly sent us his impressions of our wine tasting event:

“Went along to the wine tasting session at Masseys which launched the wineclub.

Noted oenophile and Whittlesford resident Noel Young was in attendance to guide a crowd of us through a range of bottles, from the everyday drinkable to some very fine examples. Prices were between £5.95 and £11.95.

With each bottle opened we left a cold January evening in Cambridgeshire further behind, sampling a crisp South African chenin blanc, a balanced fruity Viognier, a lush New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and a complex Chardonnay from the Margaret River area of Western Australia.

A pause for nibbles laid on by Marc and then on to the reds: a Sicilian, a light Pinot Noir (for summer evenings!) a deep intense plummy Malbec from Argentina and a dark cherry Spanish number. We learnt about partial wild yeast fermentation, French Oak barriques, and discussed cork, metal and plastic stoppers and whether you should keep opened reds in the fridge (yes! said Noel).

Very enjoyable, learnt something and I’ll definitely be ordering.”

Thanks very much, Peter. We had a great evening too – we’ll be holding more wine tastings later in the year.