By Jennifer Day Special to Tribune Newspapers
Summer demands a picnic, whether for a sleepy day on the beach or a night out at Ravinia Festival. Pastoral fromager Cesar Olivares offers some new flavors for our baskets.
Up in Smoke by Rivers Edge Chevre: Small, seasonal goat dairies have begun releasing the year’s new cheeses, and Up in Smoke is one of Olivares’ favorites. Just a nub of the creamy cheese delivers a potent dose of smoked tang — flavor the Oregon dairy imparts by wrapping the cheese in maple leaves and smoking it over hickory.
Ames Farm Single Source Honey: Pair Up in Smoke with dusky sweet dandelion honey from Ames Farm. Or make like Winnie-the-Pooh, and stage a tasting of four of the Minnesota farm’s varieties, ranging from the eucalyptuslike basswood honey to the tobaccolike buckwheat honey.
Creminelli Salami: From the outside, Creminelli’s miniature logs of salami look plain ugly — and they smell a little funky too. But slice one open — perhaps the wild boar — and you’ll find a ruby red interior studded with bits of fat. It’s full of earthy spices, but not hot; you have enough reasons to sweat this summer.
Sour Puss Pickles: Add a little pucker to your picnic. Made in Brooklyn, Sour Puss Pickles offer a zippy take with ginger carrots and curried cauliflower. The color of these pickles — like their crunch — is vibrant.
Chocolat Moderne Bar (lime): Chocolat Moderne created the perfect summer candy bar: Satisfyingly sweet, but lightened with a bright punch of acid. The New York company coats a crunchy toffee base in dark chocolate and cuts it with lime. It’s a treat among treats.
