The Great Dr. Seuss once said “So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.”   Take this into any context and it will prove you right every time. Today, we’ve it taken into the culinary world and will learn about the balancing act of pairing cheeses with Grampa’s Honey.

Balance is focused mainly on two ideas:

• Pairing two similar flavors that will enhance and provide depth to one another; OR
• Pairing two very distinct flavors that because of their differences, achieve harmony

Slice of Honey and Cheese Pairing

Clover Honey

Subtle and mildly sweet, Grampa’s Clover Honey is sourced of course from Sweet and Yellow Clover flowers in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Described as it “… will remind you of a summer wind cooling off a hot afternoon”, this  honey is versatile enough to use in a variety of dishes that call for honey. Unlike the usual clover honeys you know, this honey has a layered depth to it that brings out various cheeses, as well as not overpowering it.

Semi-hard cheeses such as Muenster or Gouda will balance Clover Honey due to the mild fruitiness of traditional Gouda. This honey will also evolve a nutty flavor on your palate and the finish will let the cheese shine. Tasted with the Muenster and you will find a sweet milk flavor, almost sugary but nor overpowering. We also tried pairing it with a hard cheese such as Parmegianno Regianno and discovered that Clover Honey had a tendency to bring out the saltiness of the cheese that went nicely with the sweet honey.

Chamiso Honey

Also sourced from the San Luis Valley in Colorado, this time from Chamiso “Rabbit Brush” flowers and known to the Native Americans as a plant highly regarded for its medicinal powers. As you taste this honey, aromas of citrus peels will develop and a finish of nuttiness (particularly Hazelnut) will bring it all together.

Pairing citrus with cheeses can be complicated, but sticking with a hard, cured cheese will bring you great results. Pecorino Toscano, due to the nuttiness of this cheese (similar to the nuttiness of the honey) create a harmonious balance when paired.

Dessert Wildflower Honey

A slight reddish tint in this flower will provide you will a look into what flowers it is sourced from: Ocotillo, Cactus, Broom Weed, Burro Weed, Desert Buckwheat, Desert Bird, Mimosa, and Mesquite.

Although a bit of smokiness comes off this honey, when paired with a soft cheese like Brie or Camembert, the smokiness combines to develop an earthiness flavored pairing. This honey is also layered with tropical fruit nuances such as oranges and starfruit and when whipped into creamy, soft cheeses elevate them to a completely different level of enjoyment.

White Honey

Also known as Creamed Honey, this is Clover Honey that has been crystallized under controls conditions, making it perfect for spreading on toasted baguette slices, scones and grilled banana bread. Although the same honey as Clover, the texture allows for a different flavor sensation to develop.

Grab a slice of ripened goat cheese (not creamy) and spread it on! The tanginess of the cheese, paired with the texture and sweet creaminess of the honey will be a great pairing!

Tamarisk Honey

The darkest of all of Grampa’s Honey, sourced from Tamarisk tree flowers near Socorro, New Mexico, along the Rio Grande River. This honey is reminiscent of molasses, dark beers, hickory, pine and the always welcomed flavor of umami (soy sauce nuances). When pairing, save this honey for last, as you would wines.

Ideally paired with blue cheese or chevre goat cheese, Tamarisk Honey is the pairing when two strong flavors combine to balance each other. If paired with a light flavored cheese, the honey will be overpowering, so sticking to stronger cheeses will be the best idea.

Tamarisk Honey drizzled over Blue Cheese

Stay tuned for Part Two of this Honey and Cheese Love Story…

In the meantime, check out the following shops for honey, cheese and more:

One of my favorite food bloggers Use Real Butter (who is also the official photographer for Grampa’s Gourmet Honeys) recently posted a recipe for a Red Bell Pepper Honey Vinaigrette.  She used our Clover Honey in the recipe, and as always took lots of gorgeous pictures.

I also like the story behind the recipe: she had ordered the dish at a restaurant, asked for the recipe of the vinaigrette and when told that she couldn’t have it, she identified the flavors, jotted them down on her iphone and here’s the result:

Red Bell Pepper Honey Vinaigrette
Use Real Butter – inspired by McGill’s at Crested Butte

1 red bell pepper
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsps honey
1/4 tsp oregano
pinch salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup olive oil

Wash, core, and de-seed the pepper. Slice into quarters or eighths and place in a blender with the red wine vinegar, honey, oregano and salt. Purée until smooth. It will look a little frothy. Don’t worry – it settles out. Pour the contents into a bowl and whisk a thin and steady stream of the olive oil into the purée until desired consistency/taste is reached. Tweek the dressing to your liking. Serve on something awesome… like a bed of greens and a few thin slices of blackened grilled flank steak.