Seasonal Cheeses
By the fifth heatwave of the summer, even the British have run out of useful things to say about the weather. Almost three-quarters of England is now officially in drought, London included, temperatures in the hottest places could approach 38°C, and every conversation seems to begin with how badly we slept and end with conflicting theories about when the windows should be opened.
Then, this evening, the Moon will move across the Sun. From London, around 90% of it will be obscured at the height of the partial eclipse, making this the closest the UK has come to totality since 1999. There is something slightly unreasonable about a solar eclipse arriving in the middle of one of the hottest weeks of the year, although the clear skies should at least improve the view. Through proper eclipse glasses, naturally.
None of this can be improved by a cheeseboard, strictly speaking. I have made one anyway.
Jimmy patiently waiting for his piece of cheese
Six cheeses from England, Scotland, France, Switzerland and Spain, made from cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, give us six completely different textures, aromas and expressions of milk. It is a celebration of cheese and of the remarkable diversity we can still place on one table, beginning with the gentle, buttery character of Waterloo and ending with a sheep’s milk blue from Devon, accompanied by blackberries and a little honey.
At close to 38°C, the instruction to “bring the cheese to room temperature” sounds less like serving advice and more like a threat. Keep the cheeses refrigerated, serve them in small quantities and replenish the board as you go. Between each one, I recommend a cold, barely sweetened lemonade made with lemon, lime, fresh mint and plenty of ice. It is less a pairing than a cooling strategy.
We begin with Waterloo.
1. Waterloo — Start gently
Waterloo is the right place to begin on a day already doing far too much. Made by Village Maid Cheese in Berkshire from Guernsey cow’s milk, it has a soft white rind, a rich golden paste and a mellow, buttery flavour, with a gentle lactic freshness. The curd is washed during cheesemaking, which reduces the development of acidity and contributes to its soft, approachable character; that is all the technical detail anyone needs at 38°C.
Waterloo & strawberries
Serve it with ripe peach and strawberries, which bring enough sweetness and acidity to lift its richness without competing with it. Take out only the piece you intend to eat: in today’s heat, Waterloo will soften faster than you can find your eclipse glasses.
Once it has introduced the board gently, Emmentaler brings a little more structure.
2. Emmentaler — A little more structure
After the softness of Waterloo, Emmentaler feels reassuringly composed. This Swiss cow’s milk cheese has a firm, elastic texture and a gentle sweetness, with nutty and sometimes buttery aromas. Its famous holes are pockets created by carbon dioxide released during maturation - one brief piece of microbiology that also makes an unexpectedly useful contribution to today’s astronomical theme.
Emmetaler & ice-cold cantaloupe
Serve it with pink grapes and melon, which add coolness and juiciness without covering its delicate character. Emmentaler is also less likely to surrender immediately to the heat than Waterloo, although at 38°C no cheese should be asked to prove a point.
From its easy, nutty sweetness, Ossau-Iraty takes us towards the deeper and more concentrated character of sheep’s milk.
3. Ossau-Iraty — The board deepens
With Ossau-Iraty, the board begins to deepen, although the day itself has already supplied quite enough drama. Made in the French Pyrenees from sheep’s milk, it has a firm, supple texture and a character that can move from buttery and gently sweet towards hazelnut and a longer, more savoury finish as it matures.
Ossau - Iraty
Ossau-Iraty is traditionally served with black cherry preserve; today, a few ripe blackberries and blueberries bring the same dark-fruit direction in a fresher form, with no jar to open and no more sugar than this heat deserves.
From the Pyrenees, Isle of Mull takes the board north and turns up the intensity.
4. Isle of Mull - going North, and getting louder
Made at Sgriob-ruadh Farm near Tobermory, Isle of Mull is a raw cow’s milk Cheddar, wrapped in cloth and matured for around 10 to 16 months. It is drier than many Cheddars, with a firm, crumbly texture and a powerful character that can be sharp, deeply savoury and occasionally rather boozy.
Can't go wrong with a piece of Isle of Mull Cheddar on a scorching day
Serve it with ripe peach and just a few raspberries. The peach brings sweetness and juice to the drier paste, while the raspberry contributes a brighter acidity that is strong enough to keep up. Structurally, Isle of Mull is better prepared for today’s heat than Waterloo, although that is an extremely low bar.
After Isle of Mull, the board leaves the British Isles for Monte Enebro. The texture becomes soft again; the character does not.
5. Monte Enebro - already in eclipse
Of all six cheeses, Monte Enebro appears to have understood today’s assignment most thoroughly. Made in Ávila from pasteurised goat’s milk, it has a bright white, soft paste beneath a blue-grey rind developed with Penicillium roqueforti. Its character is creamy and lightly acidic at first, becoming more intense, earthy and piquant towards the rind and as the cheese matures.
Ripe peach is the best fruit here, bringing enough sweetness and juice to soften the tang without covering the character of the goat’s milk. A few blueberries may sit nearby for the eclipse photography, but the peach does the actual work. In today’s temperature, Monte Enebro needs minutes outside the refrigerator, rather than the customary half-hour.
From blue mould on the outside, we move to blue mould within: Beenleigh Blue.
6. Beenleigh Blue - maximum eclipse
Beenleigh Blue brings us to the final cheese and the "darkest" point of the board. Made in Devon from sheep’s milk, it has a moist, creamy texture, earthy blue aromas, a gentle sharpness and a lingering sweetness that keeps its intensity beautifully balanced. It is assertive enough to follow Monte Enebro without becoming exhausting, which on a day like this is a particularly useful quality.
Serve it with ripe blackberries and a little honey. The berries bring acidity and deep fruit, while the honey connects their sharpness with the salt and blue character of the cheese. A few drops are enough; the intention is balance, rather than turning the final cheese into pudding.
If you reach Beenleigh Blue as the eclipse reaches its maximum, your timing has been impeccable. If you do not, cheese is considerably more forgiving than astronomy. As the Sun returns, whatever remains of the board should return to the fridge.
