Rush Creek Reserve for the Holidays
by Austin Coe Butler
For many during the holiday season, cheese comes before or after a meal as its own distinct course. If cheese makes its way onto the dining room table or into the kitchen it is often grated over or whisked into a dish to be subsumed in a supporting role or as a garnish. But this Thanksgiving I’d like to invite you to bring one cheese to the table to take its rightful place as the centerpiece, Rush Creek Reserve.
Rush Creek Reserve is the perfect cheese for large gatherings because of its size and ceremony. Girdled in spruce bark and mottled with glaucous mold, it has an arresting aesthetic like a well composed holiday wreath. Many of you have likely had this cheese before, and what I’m going to tell you may sound perverse, but this year you should bake it and serve it alongside your Thanksgiving spread.
Heated, Rush Creek Reserve takes on an unctuous, velvety texture that reminds me of gravy, demi, or even more decadent jus gras with a syrupy, tacky mouthfeel that is lip-smacking. The “woodsiness” imparted to the cheese by its spruce cambium girdle is perfectly at home alongside traditional Thanksgiving herbs and seasonings like parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, or poultry spice. Served alongside or on lean white meat like turkey, Rush Creek brings needed richness. A tart cranberry sauce with citrus zest pairs perfectly with the savory, meaty flavors of the cheese, too. Gravy on your mashed potatoes? Why not Rush Creek for instant aligot? Fresh bread or crackers with this cheese? Use stuffing as your delivery vehicle of choice. A warm Rush Creek Reserve deserves your gravy boat’s spot on the Thanksgiving table.
To prepare your Rush Creek, set your oven to 150º or its lowest setting. Remove it from its paper wrapper, and place it on a small sheet tray lined with parchment. Bake it for just 5 to 10 minutes. There should be some resistance when you press the top with your finger, but it shouldn’t be bubbling or leaking. Score the perimeter right above the bark and peel back the top rind. Once you remove the top your can serve your Rush Creek as is or place it under the broiler or a hand torch to get some color on it. Take generous spoonfuls of the Rush Creek and drizzle it like honey over whatever you choose. For the uninitiated or unconvinced, try a warm Rush Creek over a sheet tray of roasted vegetables for a hearty, vegetarian meal that many of our mongers cook during this special time when Rush Creek is available.
When you’re in the shop to pick up your Rush Creek, be sure to buy an extra. You’ll want one for your leftovers, trust me.