“You have to be a romantic to invest yourself, your money, and your time in cheese.”
― Anthony Bourdain
In the Hamlet of Centerbrook, Connecticut, adjacent to the village of Ivoryton, sits The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook, a market where you can buy artisan cheese from around the globe, Marcona Almonds, homemade chocolate truffles, 24-month-aged Prosciutto Di Parma, and hand-finished salted rosemary baguette.
While visiting family up north, we look for items to create charcuterie. Gleaning flavors of salted butter, crisp and fresh cream, earthy mushrooms, and the essence of fresh Alfalfa and citrus through each of Deana Simmons well-curated cheese selections.
The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook
After working in corporate sales for most of her career, Deana took over the shop a few years back. She is no stranger to the food industry; as a child, she watched her parents run a catering business throughout her childhood and drew inspiration from her family's passion.
She’s not changed much, only adding to the depth of cheese products and cured meats. She has even made considerable strides for vegetarians and vegans alike. Locals love her selections of prepared foods in the market's refrigerated section, and she delivers consistency with high-quality products for her community.
When creating charcuterie for family parties or game nights, I consider aged meats to pair with artisan cheeses and crackers. Adding nuts and dark chocolate truffles helps the finish and rounds the board. I carefully prepare fresh fruit and Maldon Sea Salt pretzels to cut the richness. I add blackberry jam, toasted baguette infused with rosemary and olive oil, and English Cheddar to round out nutty and earthen layers of flavor.
Consider the notes of crème fraiche and French cultured butter across your palate. Of course, a triple cream, washed rind with Wild Sage and Salton finish, or even a blooming rind round out any tasting board. Charcuterie's flavor profiles are vast and diverse, and it's a way to immerse yourself in wine and beer tasting while merging salts, fats, and acids into a delicious bite.
From local cheesemakers like Litchfield’s Arethusa Farm to Beemster Vlaskaas (Creamy Aged Gouda) to The Chaumes, one of my favorites is the Fromager D'Affinois, a French double cream. The 3-Year Parmigiana Reggiano and The Tres Leches from Spain are always on my boards. Finally, the Manchego, a sheep’s milk cheese, is delicious and drizzled with hot honey.
Creative Inspiration
Deana offers the Olli Tascano, a pork Salami made with fennel pollen, anise seed, turbinado sugar, and wine. She also carries the nutty Swedish Tegel with artisan bread. Make sure to seek out some Connecticut Strawberry Rhubarb Jam to pair it all with a Stout, Porter, Rosé, or even an oaky Chardonnay, like Sonoma Cutrer.
The River’s Edge - Up In Smoke, from Oregon’s Coastal Range on the Siletz River, is a hand-crafted chevre misted with bourbon wrapped in hand-foraged Big Leaf Maple leaves from the cheesemaker's property. This decadent delight is wrapped in smoked leaves, bringing forth an autumn-like feel. It offers citrus, intense smokey flavor, and barrel-aged bourbon notes. We recommend pairing it with Prosciutto di Parma, 24-month, or the Schaller & Weber Black Forest Ham, which is pretty tasty, too! Drink a Petit Syrah, Riesling, Red Ale, or Irish Stout to embrace the flavors of Fall.
Raw milk organic cheeses, like Grey Barn’s Bluebird Reserve, are made on Martha’s Vineyard. That cheese makes the journey on the Woods Hole Ferry to the mainland of Cape Cod and then onto the customer! The flavor profile begins with a light sea salt-creamy texture, with earthen and yeast factors. Enjoy with the Firehook Baked Sea Salt or Gallentine Tuscan ‘craquelin’ from Deana’s selections. This pairing goes well with the Sonoma Portworks Petit Verdot ~ Port Wine, a Late Harvest Reisling, and for beer, try a Little Red Barn Cow Tippin’ Copper Ale or Norbrook Farm Brewery’s Dennis Hill Saison Farmhouse Ale.
Centerbrook Gift Boxes
As we approach the Fall season, Silent Auction fundraiser ideas come to mind, where Deana and her team work to create boxes choc full of beautiful cheeses, mustard, olives, and cured meats. Names like The Cheese Shop Deluxe Sampler, The Thank You Box, and The Pantry bring fresh perspective to a family gathering.
Charcuterie
Deana carries products like Soppressata Hot, Pepperoni, and Larchmont Charcuterie’s Beef Prosciutto/Bresaola, curated by Daniel Teboul, the owner and chef behind Larchmont Charcuterie. He uses a French curing approach, where the meat is air-dried and smoked. For a meat alternative, she carries Hellenic Farms Fig Salami, made with Aleppo Peppers, dried figs, smoked paprika, and pistachios, to name just a few.
Next time you make it to the Connecticut shoreline, stop in and say hello to the cheese team, and make sure to bounce next door to the Centerbrook Package Store for your hand crafted spirits. Make sure to check with Deana on cheese supply and availability.
The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Tuesday through Saturday. For more information on artisan cheese, cheesemakers, and the local shops carrying such delicious products, click the link to Foraging and Farming below!
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