Artisanal Provisions Summer Pairings

Here, at the height of fresh fruits and vegetables, these pairings from Colorado Product Specialist, Jim Arnold, are bound to bring out the best of the summer. 

The cheese that “began it all”. Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company is a family owned, woman-led, artisan cheese maker nestled in the beautiful California coastline of Tomales Bay. Beginning its humble roots in 1959 as a milk dairy farm, Point Reyes has flourished into one of America’s most revered farmstead cheese makers and their flagship Original Blue cheese is a cherished classic. This raw milk cheese is all-natural, gluten-free, and presents an addictive bold flavor with hints of sweet milk and a complex, peppery finish perfect for summer.  

Deeply savory, delightfully sweet, and a true labor saver to boot. Each tin contains up to 27 onions, all sliced and caramelized to perfection. Given the labor hours to cut and caramelize onions manually in a kitchen is quite daunting, and this item is great quality, and ready to use!  

Made with pure cane sugar (NO HFCS here!) and all natural ingredients, this Caramelized Onion Jam can be slathered on grilled cheese, roasted meats and veggies, and that ultimate of summer goodness, freshly grilled hamburgers. It can also be a great addition to bolster your French Onion soup broth. 

Fresh and delicious Gravenstein apples from Sebastopol are one of North America’s earliest apples available, thought to have arrived in California in the early 1800’s. These apples give Sparrow Lane’s Gravenstein Apple Vinegar a rich golden color and crisp zing.  

Whisk with walnut oil and serve over a bed of baby spinach leaves and cucumber topped with crumbled bacon and blue cheese. It is also wonderful in an apple and cabbage or Waldorf salad.  Make a healthy ginger switchel with 4 parts water, 1 part apple cider vinegar, dash of sweetener and grated fresh ginger. Great for fast and fancy pork and beans or in slow-cooked pulled pork. 

Summer is rife with garden ripe tomatoes and heady plumes of basil, so why not include a great Caprese salad on your menu? The Belgioioso Fresh Mozzarella logs are pre-sliced into 3/8” discs and placed in vacuum sealed packaging to retain all the flavor and goodness. All you need to do is open the package and arrange the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on the plate, drizzle some Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as a nice finish with a beautiful balsamic glaze.

Balsamic vinegar was born in Italy nearly ten centuries ago. The Roland Balsamic Glaze utilizes the authentic ‘Acteo balsamico di Modena’ which is reduced to a beautifully dark, richly flavored glaze. Delicious on not only Caprese Salad, but also grilled vegetables, pizzas, and chicken and steaks. Try it on top of fresh berries or grilled peaches, or perhaps even your favorite ice cream! 

There has been a tradition of pastries with alternating layers of pastry and pastry cream since the Roman Empire, specifically in Naples, Italy. Because of this tradition, this style of pastry was in the past called "Neapolitan" (adjectival form meaning "from Naples"). 

This delicious offering from Bindi has crisp layers of puff pastry filled with pastry cream and adorned with powdered sugar. Elegant yet light, it makes for a great summer dessert, especially when accompanied by fresh berries and perhaps a decadent drizzle of chocolate sauce