Freeeee cheeeese!

We were driving to Middlesex on Thursday night when I got a text from Alan, who was already there.

"Free cheese!"

"We're on our way," I wrote back, assuming our favorite waitress had comped him a couple of pieces that would be history by the time we arrived.

Thirty seconds later, a second txt: "Freeeeeeee cheeeeeeeeese!!!"

Turns out his excitement was warranted: Middlesex was launching a new seasonal cheese plate, and had brought in fromager Robert, formerly of Formaggio Kitchen, and now of Farmstead in Providence, to give the dairy delights a formal introduction to Middlesex society.



We stopped by to pay our respects, and were presented with a good Montrachet; a bold Brebis Pardou; and a rich, buttery Gratte Paille that, at room temperature, practically required a spoon.



The accompaniment was an imported German apple mustard, which was a good foil for the cheese; we also got a glass of prosecco that paired perfectly with the Gratte Paille.

As I chatted with Robert, I noticed he had a clipboard with a sign-up sheet titled Bueno Queso Social Club.

"It's a monthly get-together," he explained. "We try different cheeses, and pair them with wine or beer."

Sounds good, I thought, reaching for a pen to add my name to the list.

"Oh yeah, and in January we're going out to a farm! We'll bale hay and help with the cows. It'll be great!"

Regular readers know we're not cold-weather people at the best of times. We don't "do" the outdoors: our idea of roughing it is when you have to leave the hotel to find a martini. And while I love animals, and would happily get down with the cows, I've also read enough James Herriot to know farms in winter are grim places.

So therein lies a dilemma.

Still ... cheeeeese ...