The delicious and stinky world of washed rind cheeses

I am very much a rule follower. In the world of cooking, this has translated to being very much a recipe follower. I’m not one to take creative liberties with a recipe, but I did this week, and the result was sublime. “A 10!” “WOW!” my husband (and also my biggest cooking fan) exclaimed as he took his first bites.

As you’ll read below, one of my substitutions was for Taleggio in place of the specified Gruyère, cheddar, or Parmigiano. So it feels only right that we take a moment to talk about the weird, funky, and quite frankly a little gross, world of washed rind cheeses.

Washed rind cheeses usually have an orange hue to their sticky rind and are characteristically stinky. They are called washed rind cheeses because they are washed in a brine, which creates a hospitable environment for the bacteria to grow and create its signature rind. The “old wives tale” about the origin of washed rind cheeses is that people touched their dirty feet, then their cheeses, and thus washed rind cheeses entered the world.

Despite having a stinky reputation, washed rind cheeses are fun and interesting, tend to be meaty in flavor, have a lot of depth of flavor, and melt well. If you haven’t had a washed rind cheese, I encourage you to pick any of these favorites from the cheese counter and make yourself a Creamy Cauliflower Galette: Oma (Jasper Hill Farm), Grayson (Meadow Creek Dairy), or Taleggio.

Creamy Cauliflower Galette

The 411: I love a savory galette. They’re like if pizza and veggies and a flaky pastry dough had a baby—what’s not to love?! As Alison Roman points out in the opener to this galette, cauliflower is the perfect candidate for a galette, since it’s not a water-heavy vegetable. The galette is made further delicious by a 1/2 cup of heavy cream that’s poured over the galette filling just before baking.

Zoe’s Tips: This is the aforementioned recipe where I took creative liberties galore. This week was the first time when the farmer’s market started to feel a little springy, so I substituted ramps for leeks. Any allium (think: onion family) will do. I also substituted the Gruyère/cheddar/Parmigiano for Taleggio, which is not very grate-able. If you, too, choose to leverage the deliciousness that is Taleggio, I’d recommend you pluck off small pieces and scatter them about instead of dirtying your grater.

Taste-to-Time Ratio¹: 9:5

Nachos with Spiced Cauliflower

The 411: ‘Tis the week to stock up on cauliflower! Though Chris Morocco’s recipe is labeled as “lunch nachos”, they became a family favorite for dinners during the early days of the pandemic. Every time we were feeling a bit down about the world, I’d bake a sheet tray of these, and we’d plop down on the couch to watch a Disney movie. The world instantly became a bit brighter. What I love about this recipe is that, through the spiced cauliflower, refried beans, and ample veg toppings, it’s a complete meal.

Zoe’s Tips: In lieu of the pickled vegetables in this recipe, I prefer to make a big batch of pickled red onions. To do so, thinly cut a red onion into evenly sized slices (if you have a mandolin, put it to use here), put them in a mason jar, and cover with apple cider vinegar. Within a few hours, you’ll have a jar of vibrantly pink and deliciously pickly onions. Store in the fridge for up to a few weeks.

Taste-to-Time Ratio: 8:8

1. The Taste-to-Time Ratio is a ratio that evaluates flavor on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest) with time on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the fastest). For example, our family favorite mac and cheese that requires 2 types of cheese, toasted baguette breadcrumbs, approximately all your kitchen pans, and 2 hours of baking is a 10:3 - insanely delicious, but not a quick weeknight meal.