Europeans, especially have known for years the magic of pairing cheeses with jam to create an extraordinary culinary treat. Cheese board, cheese tray, charcuterie or meat and cheese tray, it doesn’t matter what you call it, it’s everything from a great evening snack to a meal to share with a group.
Following are some notes on picking cheeses, then wines and meats. Following that is a list of our Savory on Toast Jam and jellies. You can shop our jams and jellies at Bountiful Market
THE CHEESE
An array of cheeses for a Charcuterie Board: Swizz style cheeses – Hard, milk cheeses. Pair with Chardonnay.
Hard cheeses like Asiago and Parmesan or a well-aged Gouda. Aged Cheddars, Gruyere. Sauvignon Cabernet or Chardonnay.
German Butter style cheeses – Rich and creamy. Butterkase, or Havarti. Really nice with the white Zinfandel.
Brie or Camembert – moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow’s milk cheese. Pair with any white.
Bleus, goat cheeses, – Lovely paired with any dry white or lighter red. Port, Malbec, Prosecco.
THE WINES – Some are of the opinion that cheese pairings are best with a range of whites.
Chardonnay – From citrus to fruity go for un-oaked. Pair with Raspberry Heat and aged Cheddar.
Pinot Grigio – Slightly sweet, crispy, with a finish that is crisp and clean. Any of the savory jams.
Cabernet Sauvignon, A full-bodied red with flavours from cherry to pepper. Beautiful with Fortified Cherry or Spiced Rhubarb.
White Zinfandel. A range of beautiful fruit flavours. Definitely, Savory Onion.
Merlot, A dry velvety Merlot, full-bodied. Best with aged cheeses and bleu. You might add a little chocolate to the plate for these.
Sweet whites like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, or Moscato go well with mild, creamy cheeses. Aged Rieslings are better with aged cheeses.
MEAT SUGGESTIONS
Classic Ukrainian – Tribute to Eastern Europeans who migrated to Canada enhancing our lives with the beauty of their traditional smoked sausages.
Southern and Mexican – Inspired by the intense flavours of the Spanish. Flavour Notes: Chipotle, Adobo, Chili.
Italian – Inspired by the rich, classic flavours of Italy. Flavour Notes: Red Wine, Garlic, Black Pepper, Oregano, Basil.
THE SAVORY JAMS
Apple ‘n Sage – a balance of onion, apple and fresh sage. Great with a milder cheddar or a good Irish. Customers suggest great to glaze pork, like your Thanksgiving ham.
Smoked Apple Bourdon – perfect with a variety of cheeses, it has a rich smokey flavour balanced with the caramel flavour of the bourbon. The sweetness of the apples combines with the tart of the cider vinegar.
Black Gold – Made from beautiful black garlic. Roasted for at 45 days, black garlic gives our jam a rich, smokey flavour. Customers suggest everything from a great steak to good cheddar.
Cherry Pepperbox – Dark cherries, red wine reduction, and crushed black and red Kampot peppercorns.
Cranberry Pear – Fitting on either side of the jam menu, Cranberry Pear would go equally well with your breakfast or your poultry. Great for the turkey dinner table where not everyone is a cranberry fan.
Fortified Cherry – Named for the liberal addition of a good Port and enriched, with garlic and just a hint of jalapeno. Beautiful with a variety of cheeses, especially Bleu. Also serve as an alternate to cranberry for turkey.
Polish Haskap – The rich flavour of Haskaps, made all the richer by the licorice-like flavour of tarragon.
Hot Jalapeno – Not for the faint of heart, but great with robust cheeses and as a glaze on wings.
Honey Garlic – Slow roasted for a milder, almost nutty flavour with just enough heat to be interesting, but not too tough for those with a delicate palate. Serve with cheese or use as a cooking glaze. Great on Easter ham.
Oven Roasted Pepper – The name implies rich, dark roasted peppers, and there are, lots of them. But the name doesn’t list the jalapeno, habenaro and long chili peppers that we simmer in wine and vinegar to go along with those red peppers.
Raspberry Heat – Beautiful raspberries from combined with fresh super chillies. Great with Irish style cheeses, cheddars and smoked Gouda. Makes a great meatball appetizer. peppers. It has some heat, but it isn’t screaming hot.
Rosemary Intenso – Wine simmered fresh rosemary and garlic. Great with roasted baby potatoes and a good smoked porkchop. Also wonderful with brie or any other creamy or mild cheese.
Savory Onion – Yes, jam made from onions. Caramelized onions and garlic. Just enough seasoning to make it interesting. Our favorite cheese for this is a rich, creamy Brie. Savory Onion is the favorite of several customers for roasting chicken.
Savory Fig – Savory Fig, caramelized red onion, brandy and Nonna Pia balsamic, it’s the perfect pairing, from cheese to chicken.
Spiced Rhubarb – Amazing, I’m told, on a grilled cheese sandwich. Flavourful accompaniment for any cheese, but pairs well with stronger flavoured. Also, on good old kielbasa! Spiced Rhubarb is made with fresh rosemary.
Strawberry Thai Basil – Sweet strawberries, honey, balsamic and our own Thai Basil. We love this jam piled on a really, good brie and baked. We have it on good authority that is also is wonderful on steak bites.
Wine Jellies: Rose; Sauvignon Blanc; or Merlot. – Light and flavourful, wine jellies and the perfect pairing for molder cheeses, especially Camembert.
Toast Jams and Jellies
Amma’s Amaretto Saskatoon Jam Almond flavouring and Saskatoons, how can you can wrong with that? Just like an old fashioned saskatoon berry pie.
Brandied Apricot – The sweetness of peaches with a touch of sour, apricots have an almost musky flavour, lush and sweet. Brandied apricot has a rich, aromatic perfume. (seasonal)
Brandy Alexander – Just like the beverage, a splash of brandy and dark chocolate just does wonderful things to blackberries.
Cherry Vanilla – Lovely Evans cherries, this jam is described as a refreshing flavour somewhere between sweet and tart. With just a hint of vanilla, it is beautiful warmed and drizzled over vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Country Crabapple – Beautiful ruby crabapple, with a cinnamon and honey.
Cinnamon Toast – If you grew up having cinnamon toast for breakfast, this jam will bring back memories. As much cinnamon as we could squeeze into one batch, this would be it.
Grape Cordial – Made from fresh Concord grapes, with a hint of orange.
Vanilla Pear – There is just something about the delicate flavour of pears, especially with honey and vanilla.
Nana’s Apple Pie – Not a savory, but lots of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Just like serving cheese with a wedge of old-fashioned apple pie. We’re told it is like having apple pie for breakfast.
Not your Gramma’s Chokecherry – Seasonal, not available. Almost everyone is familiar with chokecherry jelly from their childhood. This isn’t that jelly. This is a richly flavoured cherry jelly, not dry, with just a hint of bitter. Enhanced with a splash of cherry whisky.
Raspberry Tart – A full one raspberry jam, complete with seeds and just a touch of almond flavouring. Spread a little jam and add a dollop of cream to a scone. It’s like enjoying an English Bakewell Cake.
Rhuberry – Everyone knows strawberry/rhubarb jam. It’s a perennial favorite. But we can’t resist putting a spin on old favorites. So, Rhuberry. More tart when the rhubarb gets to lead. But strawberry makes a great supporting cast.
Triple Berry Smash – We don’t make a traditional strawberry jam, but for those looking for perhaps a more traditional flavour, we offer Triple Berry. One half strawberry, a quarter raspberries and a quarter blueberry.
Marmalades – After being begged too many times to count we present, Triple Fruit Marmalade. Grapefruit, oranges and lemons, made with all their fresh squeezed juices, plus candied zest. Lots of zest. Not bitter for those who aren’t a fan of traditional English marmalade. We also make Lemon Ginger, Orange India Spice, and Carrot Ginger.
Strawberry Mimosa – Just like the famous breakfast beverage, strawberries, champagne and orange juice. It has that slight tang for which champagne is famous.
Sweet Cherry Chocolate – One of our dessert jams, perfect to warm and spoon over crepes, ice cream or cheesecake. Rich, dark BC cherries with brandy and dark chocolate.
Tea Jellies – Made from brewed teas. London Fog, Lemon Tart, Chai, Winter Spice and Earl Grey. Delicate but flavourful.