{"id":47181,"date":"2024-03-11T15:04:40","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T19:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=47181"},"modified":"2024-09-18T10:32:23","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T14:32:23","slug":"bonnie-shershows-perfect-cheese-pairings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/bonnie-shershows-perfect-cheese-pairings\/","title":{"rendered":"Bonnie Shershow\u2019s Perfect Cheese Pairings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Decades of working alongside mongers inspires the founder\u2019s favorite bites. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Cheeseboard with Red Pepper Jelly & Black & Blue Jam | Photo Credit: Erin Beutel\/Teatime Creative<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Scan the shelves at the grocery store for accompaniments, and you\u2019ll likely gravitate toward the well-known Bonnie\u2019s Jams. But before the fruity preserves<\/a> became a household name decades ago, a partnership with a neighborhood cheese shop fueled a road for the founder\u2019s entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone tells you they have 20 years of experience working in cheese, you\u2019ll likely assume they\u2019re a cheesemonger or producer. For Bonnie Shershow, the founder of Bonnie\u2019s Jams<\/a>, her introduction to the world of cheese started at Formaggio Kitchen<\/a>, a beloved cheese shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had the nerve to ask the [owner of Formaggio Kitchen] if I could use his commercial kitchen to make jam, and he agreed,\u201d Bonnie Shershow tells culture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Travels to Europe filled with delicious fruity bites as a child ignited Shershow\u2019s infatuation with stewing seasonal fruit combos into jams. Back home in southern California, with access to a 20-acre orange grove surrounded by berry bushes in her backyard, it\u2019s only right that she fell deeply in love with preserving seasonal ingredients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jars of Bonnie\u2019s Jams with berries and flowers | Photo Credit: Erin Beutel\/Teatime Creative<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Once Shershow received the green light in 1999 to set up shop at Formaggio Kitchen, she found wisdom from cheesemongers<\/a> who provided feedback on improving her fruit preserves. \u201cCheese became a part of the company\u2019s growth,\u201d says Shershow. In the back of her mind, when she was stewing apricots and oranges, she devised plans on which Manchego or gouda to pair the jam with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Bonnie\u2019s Jams can still be found on the shelves at Formaggio Kitchen and countless grocers across the country. With innovative flavors like Bourbon Berry and Cantaloupe Peach with Black Pepper, there\u2019s no shortage of accompaniments for your cheese board<\/a>. But to give you a headstart, for culture<\/strong>, Shershow shared her go-to pairing right now based on years of experience in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese<\/a> + Lemon Pear with Lemon Verbena Jam<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fragrant lemon jam complements the bold blue from Point Reyes<\/a>, offering milky and zesty bites. \u201cThis cheese has won so many awards, and for good reason,\u201d says Shershow. To go the extra mile, you can smear some of this wedge on crusty wheat bread along with the citrusy preserve for a creamy, peppery, and tangy grilled cheese<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Bellwether Farms Whole Milk Basket Ricotta<\/a> + Strawberry Rhubarb Jam<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This pillowy ricotta from Bellwether Farms<\/a> pairs deliciously with the strawberries\u2019 sweetness and the stewed rhubarb\u2019s lip-puckering flavor. This rich buttery cheese transports Shershow to her travels in Naples, Italy, when she would savor fresh basket ricotta, she says. Try the duo as a dessert; it\u2019ll taste like a creamy cheesecake covered in berry preserves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Cashel Blue<\/a> + Lemon Pear with Lemon Verbena Jam<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While Shershow prefers buying local cheese varieties, when she does reach for wedges made in other parts of the globe, she loves the Cashel Blue<\/a> from Ireland. The wheel naturally carries a tangy flavor, and rather than contrasting those bites, the jam enthusiast loves to complement it with zesty lemon jam. The combo yields a bright, creamy experience perfect for warm, sunny days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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