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Local Crackers


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Crackers?

Finding locally produced cheeses seems pretty easy and loads of fun to explore. But what about crackers? Is the point to just buy some plain, nuetral crackers? Or should my explorations consist of crouching in the Giant isle for the bottom-shelf crackers?

Or...are 'crackers' not the proper nomenclature, and I should instead be seeking 'flatbread' or some other less pedestrian sounding terminology?

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It couldn't hurt to check with the producer for recommendations. I've been places and had cheese served with chutneys, with fruit pastes, with arepas, with fresh fruit, etc. Maybe they will surprise you with something fun and new.

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I'm not a big cracker person, but now that you mention it, I can't think of any local crackers. Cheesetique does have a nice selection of crackers (from all over, though) -- though Whole Foods etc has plenty as well.

Have you ever tried making them yourself? They're actually pretty simple. Martha's hors d'oeuvres cookbook has lot of recipes--and great pictures.

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Crackers?

Finding locally produced cheeses seems pretty easy and loads of fun to explore. But what about crackers? Is the point to just buy some plain, nuetral crackers? Or should my explorations consist of crouching in the Giant isle for the bottom-shelf crackers?

Or...are 'crackers' not the proper nomenclature, and I should instead be seeking 'flatbread' or some other less pedestrian sounding terminology?

How about crostini? Cut bread (baguette or raisin/nut bread) into thin rounds. Spread olive oil on a sheet pan. Dip slices into the oil and turn over. Sprinkle with a little salt. Bake slowly in low oven until crispy and lightly browned.

You can get fancy with the olive oil and infuse it first with rosemary and garlic--just don't try to bottle garlic oil because of botulism. I warm the oil and let the rosemary and garlic sit in there for 15-30 mins then use right away.

Depending on the cheese, maybe you can make mac and cheese. Take time to make a good mornay sauce. I like mine with mustard and garlic added.

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great ideas everyone! I continue to experiment and enjoy...now I have a few new paths to explore.

I guess it was more the realization that local cheese is everywhere, but local crackers seem scarce. While breads and crostini and other such options are often better, crackers are just plain convenient. Not better, just more convenient. There are lots of good crackers on the shelves of the grocery stores...I hoped to support local producers if possible.

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I seem to recall that Everona makes crackers/flatbreads. I think B)

Correct. You can find this Virginian cheesemaker in lots of farmers markets around these parts. Cowgirl Creamery likes to sell lines of locally produced foods that go well with cheese, so they might carry their crackers and other local stuff of that nature. Everona's crackers are very thin and crackly.

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If you're feeling ambitious, you might try making your own crackers. Our resident baker extraordinaire, mktye, made some wonderful rosemary garlic crackers for a picnic many moons ago. Her recipe is here, along with several flavor variations (which she also brought to the picnic). As I recall, they were light and crispy, probably better for conveying slices of cheese than spreadable, soft cheeses.

A quick look at one of my favorite iPhone apps (Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything) reveals an ultra-simple, 15 minute, 3-ingredient recipe (plus water) for crackers. He doesn't include mktye's instruction to place the dough directly on parchment paper, which is a very good idea.

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