Thanks to Amy & Rachel, I have a variety of cheeses that I’ve been sampling these past few days. I’ve now tried them all but the Coombe Farm Cheddar, which I’ll probably open tomorrow. I have discovered two very important things.

1. I really don’t like blue Stilton. The flavor is too overpowering. I need a recipe for the blue stilton to go IN, and I think I’ll like it better.
2. Sage Derby is a happy cheese! I was trying to come up with the best description for it while my folks and I were trying it Sunday. And that’s the best way I can describe it. It’s happy!

Today, I tried the Saxonshires, and I like the combo of flavors as well as the individual cheeses. Unfortunately, I don’t know which cheese is which in the combo, but as I liked them individually, I know I’ll be safe getting the individual cheeses on their own some time.

The Dorset farmhouse cheddar is very good. It’s softer than US cheddars (and is white, like a cheddar should be) but not mushy like mozarella. It has a nice bite, but doesn’t overpower like blue Stilton.

I think my idea for soups & cheese&crackers is a good ‘un. I need to make a stirfry tomorrow to use up the last of the cabbage (which is a key ingredient in mom’s veggie soup), but I then intend to get back to making soups. Elsa’s mushroom soup and Amy&Rachel’s spicy lentil pot (AKA wedding soup) are next in line for manufacture. I bought a blender this weekend just for the purpose of making the pureed soups like those.