Photo by ENRIQUE HERNANDEZ

You might not think of cheese as summer fare, but it can be – with the right cheeses,” says Lara Hardwick, owner of Petite Fromage, a local company specializing in handcrafted cheeses and charcuterie.
 
Hardwick is the go-to cheese girl for several Valley chefs through her wholesale specialty foods company, Fromage A Trois Fine Foods. We especially like her affinity for small, regional cheese makers.

For home gatherings, Hardwick recommends serving cheeses with a range of flavors and textures, from mild to full flavor and from soft to hard. Offer three to four different cheeses and count on an ounce per cheese, per person.
 
These Petite Fromage cheeses are summer-approved as a first course or even as a replacement for dessert – just add wine and friends.

Feta: Crow’s Dairy (Arizona). Goat’s milk cheese that is fresh and creamy yet tangy and salty ($16 per pound).

Colorouge: MouCo (Colorado). Consistency of Brie but more full-flavored. Be forewarned, the pungent smell is much stronger than the taste, but it’s worth it ($10 for a 5.3-ounce round).

Promontory Rosemary Cheddar: Beehive Cheese Company (Utah). Mild white cheddar studded with organic chopped rosemary ($18 per pound).

 Barely Buzz: Beehive Cheese Company. Coffee- and lavender-rubbed cheddar with a slight butterscotch flavor, especially close to the edible rind ($22 per pound).

Petite Fromage
602-363-1433 • fatcheese.com