Shadfest Cheese Picnic

Yesterday I woke up to my cheese-packed fridge and decided it was time to plan a picnic. The sun was out, the cherry trees along my block were in bloom, and the park near my house was hosting a music festival, the much-loved Shadfest – named for the fish that used to lurk in the waters of the Delaware River. Now the Delaware is mostly populated by floating beer cans, but the neighborhood has revived its connection to the water, and Shadfest has become our mini Woodstock, drawing live bands, dog lovers, Frisbee players, and bike nuts (who appreciate the valet bike-parking service). Oui, c’est vrai.

I had a lot of triple crème cheeses in the house, so I called up Aimee, a.k.a. the Triple-Crème Freak. 

I also phoned Louise, because she wears fabulous shoes. She’s a veg-head, and I had some vegetarian cheeses in the crisper, namely Andante Dairy’s Rondo, a gorgeous mixed-milk puck speckled with tarragon and pink peppercorn. “Louise,” I said, “I have a cheese that will make your Australian heart melt.” Louise, who is from Brisbane, said, “Ooo, I quite fancy that.”

Along the way, we ran into Joe and Roddy, my local connection to cheese markets of the Northeast passage, i.e. Datillo's. 

And then my buddy Mike and his fire-haired boy appeared, and so our little picnic became an impromptu cheese party. 

We nibbled on Minuet, Largo, Rondo, and Acapella – to the backdrop of Birdie Busch and the Strapping Field Hands. Music to the ears and mouth.