A cheesy love story

Like any perfect Saturday, I started this past one with a trip to La Boulange for my favorite coffee (trying desperately not to be tempted by their fabulous selection of pastries, breads, and other treats - stay tuned for a future blog post on my obsession with this divine San Francisco bakery)...

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...and then another journey to the San Francisco Farmers Market.  My boyfriend - who adores all things decadent and cheese-laden and yet is still impressively svelte and can run a 3:19 marathon with next to no training - had never been.  I've been trying to convince him to join me for a trip since we first started dating, but he never saw the allure - wasn't buying groceries at the grocery store a whole lot more efficient and a hell of a lot cheaper?  Yes and yes, but still - I like paying up for the experience (and free samples).  Since we were planning a trip down to Paso Robles for some wine tasting, I finally tempted him to the market with the promise of purchasing a selection of goodies for a picnic pit-stop on our ride down South.

(View of the Bay Bridge from Farmers Market) 

As soon as we arrived and he saw the deluge of samplings available to his taste buds free of charge, he began salivating and panting like a young pup just released from its kennel.  He leaped from stand to stand eagerly trying each goodie each farmer had to offer.

While I do not discriminate and love all stands at the market, we spent not so much time at stands like this:

And a whole lot of time at stands like this:

After we'd done our full rounds of the market hitting each cheese stand at least twice (did I mention my boyfriend has a serious addiction to cheese - especially the stinky, smelly kind?), we cataloged our picnic purchases:

• A tub of Aubergine from Affi's Marin Gourmet (the spread displayed top center in picture above)
• A half wheel of Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk cheese
• 9 slices of the "Guest Ham" - an Iberico-like Proscuitto - from Boccalone - Tasty Salted Pig Parts
• A fresh baguette from Acme Bread Company
• A half pound of fresh jujubes (see a picture of this delicious and nutty-like fruit below)
• Two extra sweet green fuji apples
• And of course, no less than 8 persimmons

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We were all set to hit the road for Paso Robles, but then my boyfriend fell in love with a man named Fredrico:

Fredrico was set up outside of Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick (the cheese shop's cheese-centric carry-away cafe) with a raclette oven and extra large wheel of, you guessed it, cheese.  If there's anything my boyfriend loves more than cheese, it's LOTS of cheese melted over, well, just about anything.  Raclette - a traditional Swiss dish - is exactly that: strong stinky cheese melted over potatoes and/or bread.  And yes, that's an actual meal Swiss people eat.  It's a good thing they have a few mountains to climb to keep them in shape. 

As Fredrico wheeled out servings of the cheesy creation, the two of them bonded over their adoration for this smelly goodness.

(Virgin Raclette Diner Betsy eyes the prepping of her plate topped with mushiness.)

(A normal patron's serving of the Swiss delicacy.)

(My boyfriend's serving of the stuff - a double serving, no extra charge.  I think Fredrico had mutual feelings.  It's okay - I am handling it.)

(The final product!  Gone within seconds!)

When the two of them finally completed their cheese-filled love affair, my boyfriend and I headed back to my car and hit the road for Paso Robles.  More on that adventure to come tomorrow! 

xoxo

KK

PS. If you're still hungry for more cheesy goodness (and can't wait until tomorrow), check out this cheesy blog written by the pun-ishably brilliant Mitra Lohrasbpour.