Cheese so good, you can eat the wrapper!

I love Kenny's Cheeses!

Touring the Farmers’ Market a few weeks ago, I saw this little girl walking away from the Kenny’s Cheese booth.  Obviously, this cheese was just too good to wait to get it out of the wrapper, she was going for it right there!  I captured this picture before she could stop and pose – caught in the act of appreciation!

If you’ve taken the time to try any of Kenny’s cheeses, you might be tempted to eat right through the package too.  Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese is located in Austin, Kentucky.  The selection of cheeses is mind boggling; from Gouda to cheddar to Asiago and all points in between.   Once you taste the quality of these cheeses, you’ll be back for more and different cheeses. Kenny’s cheeses are a huge part of the local cheese market, so much so that you can find them in nearly every grocery and specialty store in town.  But the most fun place to purchase Kenny’s cheeses is from the St. Matthews Farmers’ Market.  Neil Callendar is on hand every Saturday to offer samples and talk about Kenny’s cheeses.  I can tell you that it will be difficult to choose between the options.  Remember you have all summer to eat your way through the varieties.

My first option was probably Gouda, but that was long ago.  I still love Kenny’s Gouda, but choosing between that and Havarti, Asiago peppercorn, Chipotle Colby and Kentucky Bleu is just too hard.  I’d eat cheese for every meal and in between too, but you have to stop somewhere!  Use the Colby in your next batch of Mac N Cheese, paired with some of the Aged Cheddar and topped with shredded Asiago and bread crumbs.    I’ve used the Kentucky Bleu as an appetizer, drizzled with local honey and sprinkled with toasted walnuts.

I love to eat Kenny’s cheeses straight up, maybe with a handful of crackers, and most decidedly with wine in hand.  Kenny’s website will offer you a ‘Pairings’ page to give you their opinions about what with what.  But maybe you think that only Kraft cheeses can be used in recipes.  When doing a class focused on local foods, I borrowed a recipe from Katie Lee, and put together a rendition of her Goat Cheese Pimento Cheese with great success.  I paired Kenny’s aged cheddar with Capriole Farms Chevre, with fabulous results.  Here’s the recipe for that.

Goat Cheese Pimento Cheese

• 8 oz fresh goat cheese, preferably Capriole Farms
• 8 oz Kenny’s aged cheddar, crumbled
• 4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained or 1/2 cup diced fresh pimentos
• 1 seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 Tbls sweet pickle relish
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise, or more to taste
• 2 small scallions, minced
• freshly grated black pepper to taste

Mix everything together and allow to rest, refrigerated for an hour or so.  I love this served with really crusty bread or crisp crackers.  Try it on a grilled cheese!

Enjoy!