Quark, quark, quark.*  Say it out loud.  It’s a fun word to say, isn’t it?  Luckily for me, I get to say “quark” all day when chatting with curious customers.

There’s been a lot of great press about our quark cheese, but I’d like to delve deeper into the history of this tasty cheese.  Let’s review what we know so far.

Quark is a European style, fresh, mild cheese with great versatility.  It spreads nicely with a texture similar to whipped butter.  It can be used in recipes that call for cream cheese, sour cream, or ricotta.  It’s popular in regions of central Europe and used very much the way that American use cream cheese (cake, pastries, a base for dips, etc).  It’s pretty darn delicious too.

But why on earth is it called “Quark”?  Before Clock Shadow Creamery opened, I was only familiar with two quarks: the subatomic particles (which are, oddly enough, classified by flavors**), and the computer program QuarkExpress.  Naturally, since the cheese has been around a lot longer than computer programs and particle physics, I had to do some research to learn the origin of the name.

“Quark” is the German word for curd.  It should be noted at this point that Germans obviously view their cheese curds very differently than we do (because I’d bet anything that you thought of squeaky cheddar cheese as soon as you read “cheese curds”).   In Germany, you can find several varieties of quark:  Magerquark (lean quark, virtually fat-free), “regular” quark (20% fat) and Sahnequark (creamy quark, 40% fat) with added cream.  The quark that we make here at Clock Shadow Creamery is closest to “regular” quark.

While we here at Clock Shadow use the German word for curd, Quark is known by many other names across Europe.  The Dutch use the word kwark, Denmark prefers kvark, and Norway & Sweden refer to it as kvarg.  In Eastern European countries where Slavic languages are spoken, they refer to it as twaróg (or a variation of that word, such as twaroh).  But no matter the name, this cheese is a staple food in these regions in Europe.  Quark is a staple food in European households the same way that cream cheese or butter is a staple in American homes.

Considering how popular Quark is in Europe, we at Clock Shadow Creamery hope to introduce it to a whole new audience who is ready to embrace this versatile and delicious cheese. Swing by the shop, taste some samples, and then take some home and let the creativity flow. For inspiration, check out our page of Quark Recipes . More will be coming soon, I promise!

-Sarah
*Recently, Head Cheese Bob had the pleasure of giving a tour to a group of kids from a local elementary school.  While on our rooftop garden, he told me that he wished that he had brought his camera so that he could get video of the group of kids “quarking” like ducks. I am beyond disappointed that this didn’t happen. 🙁

**Now knowing that subatomic quarks are classified by flavor, I am not so secretly hoping that someone coordinating a physics conference will request that we provide quark cheese and that I can re-label all our flavors as “up”, “down”, “strange”, “charm”, “bottom”, and “top”.  I would also like to be invited to this physics conference so I can see if anyone gets the joke. /end nerdiness.

What do you think of when you hear the words “American Cheese Month”?  As someone with a background in more cultured (if you’ll excuse the pun) cheeses, I shuddered when I first heard the phrase.  Would we really be celebrating processed cheese slices?  Was this some sort of clever marketing ploy by “Big Cheese” to tempt consumers away from natural cheeses?

Then I thought about things a little bit more, and realized that it was not a celebration of processed cheese singles, but a celebration of cheese made in America, processed or not.  Yet still, when Head Cheese Bob approached me about joining in this promotion, I hesitated.  I had concerns about how the public would perceive the campaign.  I assumed that they would react the same way I did and flock to the shop looking for processed American cheese.  Why not call it “United States Cheese Month” instead?

Bob then explained to me that the title, while a bit controversial among the cheese community, was completely intentional.  Using the title American Cheese Month is a step towards reclaiming the phrase American Cheese and using it as a term that every cheesemaker in the United States can be proud to apply to their cheese.  American cheese is so much more than what you can find at your local grocery store – it’s small batches of handmade artisan cheese, large scale production cheeses, and absolutely everything in between.

Now knowing this, what is your favorite American cheese?  How do you plan on celebrating American Cheese Month?

-Sarah

From the American Cheese Month website:

What?
American Cheese Month is a celebration of North America’s delicious and diverse cheeses, and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers, and chefs who bring them to your table.

When?
October 1- 31, 2012.

Where?
Wherever there is cheese and wherever there are cheese lovers. American Cheese Month is your chance to spread the word, experience great American cheeses, and help support and promote great cheese, local communities, and passionate producers.

Who?
Everyone who loves cheese!

Why?
To recognize and raise awareness of the quality and diversity of American cheeses
To support and promote great cheese, local foods, family farms, traditional methods, and sustainable production models

It’s been a while since our blog has been updated, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to let everyone know how we’ve been doing.

To start, I will introduce myself. I am Sarah M., Clock Shadow Creamery’s Retail Operations, Sales, & Outreach Manager. I’ve been with the company since the end of August, and I love it! The world of Wisconsin cheese is an exciting place to be right now, and I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to work at one of the most unique creameries in the US.

Last time we checked in, we were giving everyone some details on one of our most popular products, cheese curds. Hopefully since then you’ve had a chance to try them! Naturally, I’m biased towards CSC products, but after working in the cheese industry for a number of years I can honestly say that these are the best curds ever. I mean it. I have yet to figure out what makes them so darned good, but once I do, I’ll let you know.

This past week we were finally able to taste some of the end results of all that curd making. While we sell a lot of curds fresh in our store, a good percentage of them have also been flavored, pressed into forms, and sitting our cooler for a couple of months. We’ve been patient, and this week we were finally able to cut into some of those wheels.

Our reward was delicious mild yellow Cheddar, white Cheddar, and tomato & basil Cheddar. We now have it for sale and sampling in our shop, so swing by and pick up a piece today. It’s perfect for fall comfort food, like my favorite recipe for delicious homemade macaroni & cheese.

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni (about 2 cups uncooked macaroni)
2 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon onion salt
2 (10-ounce) pieces Clock Shadow Creamery Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 4 1/2 cups) and divided
1 cup soft breadcrumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Preparation
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well. Set aside.
Place milk, flour, and onion salt in a quart jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously 1 minute.
Stir together flour mixture, 3 1/2 cups cheese, and macaroni.
Pour macaroni mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish or 2 (11-inch) oval baking dishes. Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese; drizzle evenly with melted butter.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!
Sarah