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The indulgence of the picnic

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According to Wikipedia; “In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air), ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance, and usually in summer.” In the world we live in, it is my belief that one pines for a daily moment of simplicity.

I know in my heart that with all of the forms of connectivity these days, a picnic with my wife is the best way to for me to escape.

Before cars and even electricity, the picnic was the equivalent of a restaurant. Instead of it being a BYOB, it was more about bring your own everything. Couples and families would escape the home and set out on an excursion that would last most of the day. They would take a trunk full of provisions to a site by a lake, river or just a beautiful field and set up for a meal.

Can you imagine not having a local eatery or local coffee roaster with Wi-Fi!

I am reminded of a commercial where a bunch of guys on a quest for the perfect camping site look for a place with no cell service. Is that the new heaven on earth? Even when I am “not connected” I find myself taking photos in the hope of posting to Facebook and tweeting when service returns. The overwhelming force to share the moment with the world is very strong. I am looking for my inner Yoda to help me. What is wrong with me, why can’t I just enjoy the moment?

Over the past few years, I have come to realize that life should not be rushed, but savored. A picnic, as simple as it sounds, can give you a moment of clarity in a busy world. Sometimes you just need to slow down, grab a baguette, some cheese & a bottle of wine and enjoy the moment.

It is for this reason that we have decided to launch a picnic basket program at 109. All summer long we will be creating amazing picnic baskets for sale and also for rent. If you are going to a”Chirp” concert, let us cater it: a day on the lake, no problem; or my favorite, a great drive to an unknown destination, we’ve got you covered.

Call us or visit 109 Picnic to reserve your basket today.

A Wine for Dad

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Ramirez de la Piscina ‘Santa Maria de la Piscina’ Gran Reserva,

Rioja, Spain 2001 $39

The great Spanish wine region of Rioja is exciting, in part, because of its fascinating blend of tradition and modernity. Ramirez de la Piscina sums this nexus up nicely. The family has been making wine for four generations, and traces its roots back to the Middle Ages, the ‘de la Piscina’ referring to an ancestor who was involved in the taking of Jerusalem in the First Crusade, assaulting the city walls by the Pool of Bethesda. At the same time, their winery, which once fermented in old stone tanks, now uses temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with automated pump-over systems for fullest fermentation and optimal colour and tannin extraction. The fruit itself comes from family vineyards in the traditionally great subregion of Rioja Alta, with its ideal soil types and water deprived vineyards, and is picked by hand–but in a modern twist, the Gran Reserva is composed entirely of the great tempranillo grape. After sitting in barrels for two years and in bottles for at least three more, in the winery’s underground cellars, the result is a wonderfully balanced wine, with an intense nose of spice and violets, tastes of dark cherries and currants and a hint of tamari, with a really elegant texture–plenty of tannin and acidity from this great vintage make it a great food wine, and capable of aging–if you can wait!

 

Father’s Day Wine Dinner with Racing Legend – Bob Sharp

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Father’s Day Wine & Small Plates dinner at Sarah’s Wine Bar with No. 109 Cheese & Wine

$55 Sunday, June 17th @ 5:30 pm

With a Special Guest Race Car Legend – Bob Sharp

Talk with Bob about racing with Paul Newman and more!

You don’t want to miss this one.

Great food, wine, cheese and how often do you get to dine with Bob!

the menu

Benzinger Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma ‘10

Chilled Tomato Soup with Tomato & Avocado Bruschetta on Grilled Country Bread

King Estate Acrobat Rose Pinot Noir OR ‘11

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Grilled Shrimp served over Roasted Corn Polenta Cake with Wild Mushrooms & Green Peas

De Morgenzon DMZ Chardonnay S. Africa ‘11

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Beef Duo – Roasted Sirloin with Peppercorn sauce & Braised Short rib, with twice baked new potatoes, asparagus & Sautéed Spinach

Domaine Du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf du Pape ‘08

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109 Cheese Plate

Clos LaChance Meritage Central Coast CA ‘05

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Key Lime Cheese Cake with mixed Berries & Pistachio Biscotti

Reservations call 203-438-8282

 

 

Six Point – Victory Summer Love – Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Class

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Previously, we looked at the beers of the West Coast of the USA, and some of the classic breweries that helped start the American craft beer revolution.  Is revolution too strong a word? I don’t think so–have you had a Bud Light lately? This week, we’re getting back to our neck of the woods, where some of that same tectonic beer shift occurred–but this time, we’re looking at, not the classics, but the new guns.  With a focus on the beers of the Northeast (generously stretched down to the Mid-Atlantic so we could include the beer geniuses at Dogfish), we’re pouring some exciting, quirky, diverse, flat-out-different brews this Sunday… from an amazing twist on the super-traditional pilsner, from a brewery an hour and change away on Metro-North, to a bizarre modern revival of a Medieval Finnish style, to an American Black Double Imperial IPA, whatever that is.

The cheeses will be equally cool and well worth your time, and all the fun begins at five-thirty in the PM this Sunday June 10th, at your neighborhood spot for cheese, charcuterie, wine, and beer… 109 Cheese & Wine.

 

The Lineup:

Sixpoint ‘The Crisp’

German-style Pilsner

Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY

Victory ‘Summer Love’

Blonde Ale

Main Line Penna.

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

Saison

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY

Dogfish ‘Sah’tea’

Sahti

Milton, Del.

Clown Shoes ‘Hoppy Feet’

Black Ale

Ipswich, Mass.

Geary’s ‘London Style Porter’

English Porter

Portland, ME

3 2 Pair

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Domaine Cédrick Bardin Pouilly-Fumé, France 2010 $26

From a boutique producer with extremely small areas under vine (less than twenty acres in Pouilly-Fumé), all sustainably farmed, this is a classic Pouilly-Fumé, on the elegant, delicate end of the spectrum. Careful blending, of sauvignon blanc harvested from his various vineyards with different soil types, gives the wine a sharp focus of fruit (citron zest) and elevated aromatics (citrus, white flowers, a touch of the famous ‘smoke’) to compliment the classic minerality and energy of Pouilly-Fumé. Great zest and flinty stoniness, but overall a restrained wine for the type; balanced and reflective.

Cheese: Crotton D’Antan, goat, Loire, France - A little goatey French button… citrusy and grassy.

Château D’Angles ‘Classique’ rosé
La Clape, Languedoc, France 2011 $17

An elegant rosé from Eric Fabre, winemaker at Château Lafite Rotschild for most of a decade. When he settled on his own estate, he chose land on the edge of the Mediterranean, at La Clape, site of winemaking since the late Roman Republic. Eight out of ten days at his vineyard are full of sunshine, with cooler damp breezes off the sea at night to give the grapes just the right balance as they ripen. Fabre’s wine is certified sustainable, hand harvested, and estate produced. The wine is a blend of mourvedre, syrah, and grenache, and really shows off Languedoc rosé. A fresh and complex nose, with a palate of raspberry, white peach, citron, and Meyer lemon. Incredible texture. Really an elegant, balanced wine.

Cheese: Cowgirl Creamery ‘Mt. Tam’, cow, Point Reyes, California Buttery goodness… organic triple creme.

Domaine de Nidolères ‘L’Angelette’ Côtes du Roussillon, France 2008 $15

From vineyards in the foothills of the Pyrenees, this is one of those wines that shows off mountain fruit and lesser-known appellations. A blend of 60% carignan, 20% grenache, and 20% syrah, this expression of old-vine fruit (the carignan vines are 90 years old!) is an amazing value. With hand-picked fruit and traditional production methods, this winery produces an aromatic, medium bodied wine, with a good balance of dark fruit and wild herbs, a crisp entry and a round palate, and a moderate finish; an excellent wine for seasonal foods on the grill or in the picnic basket.

Cheese: Neal’s Yard Sparkenhoe Red Leiscester, England Cheddar-like, with a mellow sharpness and sweet nutty notes.

 

Rainbeau Ridge Farm Visit

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Rainbeau Ridge in Bedford Hills, NY is our primary source for local fresh goat cheeses. The cheese is light and creamy with a hint of grass and personifies what a fresh goat cheese should be.  So when Lisa Schwartz invited us to visit her farm and cheesemaking operation there, we marked our calendars and licked our lips in anticipation for the freshest samples of her amazing goat cheese. The day finally came and so did the rain! A little rain doesn’t stop the goats and so we didn’t let it stop us either. Being only 40 minutes from Ridgefield, it was easy to coordinate our food-loving group — myself, my husband Todd (thanks for the great photos, honey!), Terence from our wine store, and cheesemonger Patty with her toddler Ishbel in tow. Lisa must have known we were hungry, as she started us off in the farmhouse, sampling the cheeses we know and love as well as a new hard aged goat cheese she is experimenting with. We were all crazy about the new aged cheese, especially Ishbel, who at 18 months old, was happy she had the words “more cheese?” in her limited vocabulary! Nom nom…

Rainbeau Ridge feels like an old fashioned farm. Vegetables growing here, herbs there, and a variety of animals — sheep, cows, turkey, peacocks, cats, chickens, and of course, goats with their newborn kids! Can I get an E-I-E-I-O? Lisa, along with the help of a team of volunteers and interns, produces spectacular cheeses while finding ways to give back to the land and the community.  The farm includes a small-scale egg operation, organic vegetable gardens, a restored orchard, small pastures, barns designed for the farm’s many animals, and a very small cheese house, where Lisa Schwartz, the cheesemaker and owner, creates her award-winning farmstead goat milk cheeses. I think we were all in agreement that, despite the rain, our visit to Rainbeau Ridge went beyond our expectations.

The farm was a serene and peaceful place, the animals well taken care of, and the teeny tiny cheese house was a true example of cheesemaking efficiency!

You don’t have to be a cheesemonger to visit a local farm. While Rainbeau Ridge in not open daily to the general public, there are many programs at the farm for kids and adults offering an opportunity to experience the life there. Take a day to see where your food comes from. It is a wonderful family experience and always an adventure.  For details about Lisa’s wonderful cooking classes and children’s programs that offer a truly unique learning experience and environment, check her website: www.rainbeauridge.com.

 

We get a Rainbeau Ridge cheese delivery once a week and they do go quickly. Here’s the selection we currently offer:

ChevreLait:

Fresh, farmstead pasteurized goat milk cheese in 5” rounds

Meridian:

Ash-coated or ash/veined round (round with ash vein in middle and coated in same)

MontVivant:

Similar to France’s popular Valençay, this lightly aged cheese is slightly drier than the rounds; with an evolving taste and texture

Coming soon…

Luscious Lemon:

We’ve been patiently waiting for the re-appearance of this lemon version of fresh ChevreLait to make its seasonal debut. It is scented with lemon verbena grown on the farm and topped with pretty pansies. Almost too pretty to eat… almost.

Nom Nom..Cheese Please

Sprout Creek Farm – Cheesemongers Club special selection

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One of the great parts of this business is by far the people.  These are really passionate people that have strong values and truly love the cheese!

Going to the farms and meeting these cheese makers and the animals is such a treat.  With the introduction of our Cheesemongers Club, we wanted to bring something special to the members and I think we hit this one out of the park.  Not only did we get to taste some amazing cheeses, but also found our prize.

Colin McGrath and Patty from 109 searched the cave for what will be called the “109 Winter Selection” from Sprout Creek Farm. The “109 Winter Selection” is a beautiful raw cow’s milk cheese.  It is aged for approximately 9 months before its released.  This cheese, washed in a straight brine for 4 months has a wonderful supple texture with a slightly pungent aroma.  As a very limited cheese, with only about 9 wheels produced, we are fortunate to have it for the Cheesemongers Club.  This is truly an exclusive treat.

The cheese maker, Colin McGrath, produces about thirty thousand pounds of cheese a year from the milk of this one farm in just two small rooms, each about the size of an average residential bedroom. Colin came to cheese making after making beer in his earlier years and then going to culinary school. Destined to end up fermenting something, whether it’s beer or cheese, he has definitely found his calling. When he took over the cheese making operation, Sprout Creek was making only 3 or 4 cheeses; today he makes more than a dozen, and is always working on something new and we were the fortunate benefactors this time.

As a side note, while we were at the farm, two beautiful baby goats were born.  It doesn’t get any better than this.

 

Super Bowl XLII Platters and Appetizers

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No matter why you watch the game, great food is key!

Cheese and Charcuterie

“It’s in the Bag”, this is the no platter solution to your party needs.

2 cheeses,2 salami’s, Bernard’s Vegetable Spring Rolls and dipping sauce, and crackers.  Wrapped and ready for your own undoing.

4-6 people $45.00

Add $10.00 per person and invite as many friends as you like.

 

Mix it Up Platter

3 Cheeses, 3 Salami’s, fruit, nuts, displayed on two platters and an assortment of crackers.

6-9 people $75

10-14 people $110

 

All about the Cheese Platter

6-9 people $55

10-14 people $95

4 Cheeses selected at the peak of perfection, fruit, nuts, and an assortment of crackers beautiful displayed on a platter.

 

The Hail Mary

15-20 people $175

Our Grand assortment of 5 cheeses, 4 salami’s, 2 pates, fruit, nuts, crackers, and olives beautiful displayed on two platters.

Or come in and we can help you select your personal selection of favorites.

Appetizers by Bernard

Chicken Wings prepared confit style, with firey sauce and blue cheese dip  (12 wings) $20.00

Baked Vegetable Spring Rolls (6 pieces) $12.00

Flat Bread Pizza Winter Carmelized Onions, Goat Cheese, Guanciale (bacon), Chestnuts $10.00

Flat Bread Pizza Grilled Vegetable & 3 Cheese $10.00

Flat Bread Pizza Truffle Pistachio Sausage with brussel sprouts $10.00

Pigs in a blanket (Pork, Sundried tomato, pine nuts sausage) (16 pieces) $16.00

Risotto Balls Truffle & Fontina (15 pieces) $18.75

Spiced Lamb Feta Purses (12 pieces) $18.00

Seafood Quiche Bites (shrimp, scallop, lobster) (12 pieces) $15.00

Brie Encroute (serves 6) $20

 

Winter Events, Classes and Dinners

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Join us and…

EAT

GOOD

FOOD

2012 at 109 includes;

educational classes

Cheese & Wine dinners

local events around town

We can also help you with a private cheese and wine event, either at 109 or in your home.

 

Our goal this 2012 is exploring locally and around the world to bring you the best cheeses and foods and the wines that compliment them.

2012 The Year of Eat Good Food.

Eat Good Food for us means keeping it real, fresh, simple and seasonal.

So join us this year with our Market Place friends in providing you with food and beverages that make you feel good.

THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING SMALL & LOCAL.  See you soon.

 

Holiday Menu 2011

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We’re here to help make your holidays a bit brighter through cheese and wine!

Complete your perfect holiday menu and prepare your hostess gifts this year with our hand-cut artisan cheese and charcuterie. We will also be stocking Bernard’s hors d’oeuvres, soups, salads and main courses for the perfect holiday menu.

Stop in to 109 Cheese in the next week to order or download our 2011 Holiday Menu.

Happy Holidays!