Category: Curd on the Street

New Products, Industry Info, Trends

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Same Cheese, New Heights: Slinging Cheese in Aspen

Murray’s owner Rob Kaufelt catches up with longtime friend Dana Cowin

By: Rob Kaufelt, Proprietor of Murray’s Cheese

When I graduated college way back in ’69, I climbed into my old Pontiac GTO and with my pals Dave and Gary headed west. When we got to Aspen, Colorado, the rednecks there said, in so many words, ‘There’s the road, son, you’re already on it, no need to stop here.’ This was their way of telling long-haired hippie freaks like us they didn’t want our kind around.

Flash forward forty-four years to the summer of 2013, when Murray’s crew Amanda Parker, Nick Tranchina, and I cruised into town in our rental car to meet Paige Yim (our Marketing Manager) and do Murray’s booth at the Aspen Food and Wine Classic. Not too many rednecks around that town anymore, not in a town where a twenty-million-dollar ski house is nothing special. Nor is a skinny woman with blond hair and Botox. But Mario [Batali] and the boys were there doing their celebrity chef thing, and so were we with our selections of the country’s best cheese, fresh from Brian’s caves.

“I could get used to this”

We have sixteen stores in Colorado now, and we visited most of them. What a rush to visit a store up in the mountains and see a sign on the outside of the building that reads ‘Murray’s, and inside, a beautiful shop with some of the nicest folks you’re ever gonna meet sampling cheese you never figured would get up into those hills. Times are indeed changing. So, if you’re ever going to go through these mountains, prepare a little and stay awhile for a beautiful Colorado vacation.

It was a smokin’ hot 99 degrees, and it was smokin’, period, as Colorado springs were literally on fire. Speaking of smokin’, you know that Colorado has legal weed, giving new meaning to the terms grass-fed and pot belly. In fact, hog farmers out there are indeed feeding their pig’s stems, leaves, and other leftover scraps the growers don’t need. The idea is that stoned pigs go easy to slaughter. Next, they’ll show that it cuts cholesterol and, capitalism being what it is, they’re bound to find some new uses for horrible piggy poop next.

All in all, a fun week in this old cheesemonger’s career!

Rob

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Greek To Me

As soon as summer hits, the cravings begin. Nothing does hot nights, and summer vibes better than watermelon. I mean, what says “dang, it’s hot”  better than slicing into a juicy, sticky, sweet melon? Few things. Of course, since Murray’s is a cheese shop, we had to find a way to sneak some dairy in there.

Feta. the perfect pairing. Salty and crumbly, not only does it play well with the flavors of watermelon but it also provides a nice textural change. Feta is a Greek sheep’s milk cheese, made basically by compressing fresh cheese curds and brining them for preservation. The brine makes this cheese slightly salty. I don’t know if this is something that you encounter but in Tennessee, where I grew up, watermelon was nothing without a dash of salt.

While the pre-crumbled feta is pretty common, try some of the real stuff from Greece. It will usually come in brine, and has a lot more acid, lemony flavor than what we are used to seeing. Of course, it is available at Murray’s.

Our Friends over at Real Greek Feta were nice enough to share this recipe for a super easy watermelon and Real Greek Feta salad. Perfect for those hot, lazy summer nights. Also, follow them on Twitter, and Facebook for the latest in all things feta.

Watermelon and Real Greek Feta Salad

Serves 4, 10 minutes

¼ lb Real Greek Feta, cubed

½ watermelon, chunks

½ red onion, thinly sliced

4 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1. Mix Real Greek Feta, watermelon chunks, and thinly sliced onions
2. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve

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Some Points on Points

Working at Murray’s is a foodie’s dream come true. Every day I am surrounded by downy white triple cremes from France, sharp and crystallized cheddars, eggy tommes that taste like buttered mushrooms, smoky paper-thin slices of Speck, and let’s not forget all the pairing items. However, having access to these delicacies can, shall we say… add up on the old waistline. So this Murray’s lady finds herself at Weight Watchers.

Continue reading “Some Points on Points”

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Get Grillin!

Congratulations, you have made it. It’s officially grilling season, which means there are tons of new Murray’s products to try this Memorial Day and throughout the summer. Whether you’re grilling on your fire escape, in the park, or in your back yard, we’ve got the stuff you need.

Brooklyn Hot Dog Company Classic Beef Dog

What screams warm weather, relaxation, and the American dream better than the hot dog? While I admit to shoveling down a street dog on occasion, the folks at Brooklyn Hot Dog Company are whipping up some outer borough dogs that are out of this world. These dogs put the street vendors to shame. Deep flavor, super juicy and made from 100% beef – these franks are begging to be grilled! Not a fan of the dog? That’s OK, try some of Brooklyn Cured’s new sausages for the grill. With a wide variety of flavors including Andouille, Bratwurst and Chicken with Apple, these guys have all of the bases covered. Brooklyn is really reigning the grill market this year, but with products this good, its easy to see why.

Scarfe Maxx

Going the hamburger route? We’ve got you covered. Naturally, we love our cheeseburgers, and the options are endless. Right now, I have really been feeling the Alpine style of cheese on my burgers. These cheeses melt perfectly, and there are a wide variety of flavor profiles that can be achieved. Like caramelized onions? Scharfe Maxx, will add a distinct rich oniony flavor to your patty. Feeling a little bit funky? Try some of Meadow Creek’s Mountaineer, which will be sure to take your burgers to a new level.

And don’t forget the condiments for all your grilling needs. Sir Kensington makes some great small-batch ketchup that has a much deeper flavor than store-bought ketchups. Notes of onion, cayenne, honey, and coriander will have you scooping this stuff on by the spoonful.

McClure’s Relish

McClure’s is yet another Brooklyn made product that really brings it this grilling season. Their line of spicy and garlic relish are mandatory at any cook out. They also have a great selection of pickles for munching on, and a Bloody Mary mix that will make you memorial day memorable (it’s also  been know to have the exact opposite effect).

If you don’t have time to shop in store, or live outside of the city you can purchase our Murray’s Griller Pack with everything you need online and get it delivered right to your door.  Whichever way you decide to go, grill hard and stay cool out there!

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What To Expect from Nina Planck When You’re Expecting

Nina Planck is the wife of Murray’s Cheese proprietor Rob Kaufelt. Nina is a food writer and activist, who has written two books about the benefits of eating “real” or traditional food. Real Food for Mother and Baby focuses on the kinds of food that expecting or new mothers and their children should be eating. Join Nina for a special class at Murray’s, on Sunday, May 19th, at 4pm.

“The modern pregnant woman cannot be blissfully happy,” writes obstetrician, surgeon, and midwifery muse, Dr. Michel Odent. “All of them have a least one reason to be worried.” Blood pressure too high or too low, weight gain too rapid or slow, anemia, gestational diabetes, too old, too young, too active, too sedentary. Plus the long shopping lists for the new, unnecessary nursery, the bedding, the bouncy seats, the dishes, and most of all, the toys to “entertain.” The true message of the ad copy serving the Pregnancy Industry is two-fold: First, “What to Worry About When You’re Expecting” and second, “How to Spend All Your Time and Money Easing Your Brand New Worries.”

The woman carrying a new life has some decisions to make, yes, and now is not the time to pick up a heroin habit, but her time would be better spent in wonder at her wonderful and maddening years before children, because she has no idea how wonderful and maddening will be the years with children. No idea whatever. The pregnant woman is one of those rare creatures: an innocent one. I include the woman who is pregnant for the second or third time, because she has no idea that the next baby she meets will be quite unlike her last. Some mothers during this time will look to many different ways in helping themselves through their pregnancy, from checking out a yoga school online to seeing a nutritionist specifically for pregnant women.

Still, a woman has to eat, and as Ashley Montague wrote in 1962, “Were they called upon to name the most important factor in contributing to the healthy development of the human conceptus, most authorities would unhesitatingly declare for the good nutrition status of the mother.”

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