Fruit of the Week: The apple-pear

Name: Apple-pear or Asian pear

Brand: I don't think that "Crunchy and Sweet" is a brand name, but that's what the sticker said.

Place of Purchase: Dahl's in Ankeny, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: I believe that the cultivar I bought was a Shinko, which was first cultivated in Japan.

Price in Iowa: $1.39 each

Description: A gigantic golden apple.

Flavor: Sweet and crisp, woody, Apple-y.

Aroma: Fresh, flowery and woody.

Texture/Mouth-feel: Firm and slightly grainy, like a pear, but with a very small stone.

Notes: Honestly, the best "apple" I've ever had. It was crisp, it had a great flavor and strong, but not overpowering sweetness. I've had better pears, though. The flavor profile isn't as complex as a European pear. It was gigantic, though (about 7-inches in diameter).

I'm not sure where this pear came from. They do grow them in the Northwest, but it could have easily come from Japan or Korea. It seems that they are always shipped in little Styrofoam dresses, too. Probably to keep them looking pretty.

Cheese of the week: 1000 Day Gouda

Name: Tagen Dagan Gouda

Place of Purchase: Cub Foods in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Holland imported by DCI Cheese Inc.

Price in Iowa: $19.99/lb.

Milk: cow

Processing: It's a Gouda, so the whey is boiled away, the curd is washed, and the soaked in brine. Then it's aged for 1000 days.

Texture: firm

Color: caramel

Rind: Wax

Aroma: mild dairy and nutty

Taste: Dry, very sharp and savory flavor. Warm, umami aftertaste.

Mouth feel: Full-bodied and very dry. Protein crystals formed by the aging process give the cheese a bit of a crunch.

Notes: I'm pretty sure that this is my most decadent cheese yet. Not only was it fairly pricey, it's processing took almost 3 years. It was worth it. Very view of the cheeses I've eaten so far have a recognizable aftertaste. This 1000 day gouda has two distinct flavor profiles, one up front, and one about 10 seconds after you put it in your mouth. The protein crystals might have something to do with that, as the very dry protein would take a few moments to become soluble in your mouth. This cheese is very dry and crumbly, so I suggest using a proper cheese cutter if you plan on presenting it on a cheese tray. Also, make the pieces fairly small, as this aged cheese packs a lot of flavor.

Fruit of the Week: Prickly pear

Name: Prickly pear aka opuntia

Brand: Not sure, but it's from a local grower. Either hothouse or a winter-hardy variety

Place of Purchase: Dahl's in Ankeny, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: US

Price in Iowa: Two dollah

Description: A blood red hand grenade, with a think skin and blood red flesh.

Flavor: There's sweet and starchy flavors in the fruit, but that's about it. Even the pleasant aroma doesn't come through in the flavor.

Aroma: Melon and banana (amyl). It's a nice, fresh scent.

Texture/Mouth-feel: grainy, meaty, full of 1-2cm diameter seeds.

Notes: Not my favorite. The strong red color and sweetness makes this fruit a good additition to syrups, jellies and juices, but alone it's kind of dull. Considering how ubiquitous these plants are, it might be worthwhile to learn to enjoy them. There are also three libations made from the prickly pear: Colonche, Bajtra Liqueur, and Tungi Spirits. Maybe I can get my mitts on those, too?

Cheese of the week: Raclette

Name: Grand Cru Raclette

Place of Purchase: HyVee Foods West in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: From Roth Kase in Wisconsin

Price in Iowa: $12.99/lb.

Milk: cow

Processing: Curdled and salted, aged for at least 3 months

Texture: semi-firm

Color: golden

Rind: Salt-washed

Aroma: Strong dairy

Taste: Mildly sharp, strong dairy flavor (mostly from the aroma)

Mouth feel: Velvety, melts in your mouth

Notes: Now, I knew the Raclette was one of those specialty Swiss cheeses that had a rich tradition associated with it. I remember reading Craig Thompson's "Carnet de Voyage" and having him described a Raclette grill, where the cheese is warmed to melting, and then poured and scraped onto the plate. However, lacking a campfire, gril or fondue pot, I just warmed the cheese to room temperature and ate over melba toast. This cheese is very pungent, and the flavor is provocative. But the mouth-feel of this uber-creamy cheese is the draw. Plus, the milk-fat content is so high, that a plate of new potatoes covered with this cheese is said to satisfy the biggest appetites. Next time, I'll do a proper Raclette party, which is how I suggest everyone enjoy this cheese.

Fruit of the Week: Tangelo

Name: Tangelo

Brand: Minneola (I'm pretty sure that's the variety)

Place of Purchase: Hy Vee Foods, Ames, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: Peru

Price in Iowa: This one cost me 59 cents

Description: A juicy orange with a nipple.

Flavor: A slightly sour orange.

Aroma: citrus, tangerine

Texture/Mouth-feel: super juicy citrus

Notes: I decided to search REALLY hard for a fruit this week. I don't want week after week to be filled with preserves. So, I opted for the tangelo. I'd never had one before, but I had seen them in the produce aisle. Minneola tangelos are hybrids of tangerines and grapefruits. Tangelos are intentionally (or accidentally) bred for their mild flavor and high juice production. Imagine a grapefruit that isn't super sour. These fruits are BIG and juicy. I might pick up a few more and pull the unitasker juicer out of storage...

Cheese of the week: Parrano Originale

Name: Parrano Originale

Place of Purchase: HyVee Foods West in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Holland imported by Best Cheese Corporation

Price in Iowa: $12.99/lb.

Milk: cow (pasteurized)

Processing: It's a Gouda, so the whey is boiled away, the curd is washed, and the soaked in brine.

Texture: semi-firm

Color: golden

Rind: Wax

Aroma: woody and nutty

Taste: Salty, sweet and very savory (umami). 1/3 Gouda and 2/3 Parmesan

Mouth feel: Full-bodied and somewhat dry

Notes:This cheese choice made up for the Gejtost last week. Everyone loved this cheese. It's savory, nutty flavor made it a big hit. It's not as sweet as gouda, but it makes up for that with a nutty, meaty/umami flavor. We just ate it as is, but I could see this adding a new twist to a number of Italian dishes; chicken parrano, perhaps?

Fruit of the Week: Quince

Name: Quince

Brand: Hero

Place of Purchase: Ames British Foods, Ames, Iowa

Country/Region of Origin: Switzerland

Price in Iowa: $6.50 for a tin of jam

Description: A yellow pomme, something in between a pear and an apple.

Flavor: Fruit: even after a frost, the fruit that I took from Iowa State campus was way too tart and astringent to enjoy. Plus, I think that it was a decorative cultivar. Jam: Flowery, tart, mildly astringent. The addition of sugar made the fruit much more palatable.

Aroma: woody, apple and pear, slightly flowery

Texture/Mouth-feel: grainy, like a pear

Notes: I was able to find a quince fruit on a tree, and it was the perfect time to harvest (right after a frost), but I quickly discovered why the first marmalade was made from these fruits. Once you add a ton of sugar, quince is pretty palatable as jam. The flowery and woody notes come through, along with the pear-apple fusion flavors. If you like pear butter or apple butter, then quince preserves will be a nice treat. The interesting thing is that humans have been eating this fruit since the beginning of civilization. So, take a bite of history and try some quince jam.

Cheese of the week: Gjetost

Name: Gjetost or Brunost

Place of Purchase: Wheatsfield Co-Op at 413 Douglas in Ames, Iowa

Country of Origin: Norway (another Tine Brand cheese)

Price in Iowa: $5.99 for an 8oz. block

Milk: cow and goat

Processing: Boiled a lot. Goat's and cow's milk is boiled to remove most of the whey, caramelizing the milk sugars. Then, in the brand I bought, cream is added back to enhance the creaminess. This is the cheese equivalent of "fudge."

Texture: soft

Color: nutty brown, close to peanut butter

Rind: rindless

Aroma: very mild dairy (cream) and caramel

Taste: Cream cheese and chevre cheese, with sweet and slightly nutty notes

Mouth feel: Creamy, dense, smooth as cream cheese

Notes: I loved this cheese. I'd call it a dessert cheese, but I could imagine it would be great for breakfast as well. It's not very spreadable, but if you slice it thinly and put it on warm, buttered toast you won't be sorry. It did scare off a few people, though. I don't know if it was the color or the dairy smell (which isn't that strong), two of my friends tried it and left the rest for the rest of us.

Have you've ever been to the State Fair and bought a half a pound of fudge? You want to finish it, but you can't. You try sharing it with your siblings, but even then you barely finish the dense treat. Gjetost is denser than fudge. It's nowhere near as sweet, but I shared it with a room of 5 and we didn't finish it all. Just remember, slice it thin, and serve it with crisp crackers or crisp apples. Man, we paired it with butter crackers and gala apples, and THAT was amazing. But, at the end of the night, I still went home with some cheese.

So, I bought some apples and finished it the next day.

Gjetost Cheese