Did you know?

“It is said that everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day and Carlino’s agrees. Irish cheesemaking, influenced and fueled by the Roman invasion, flourished after the Romans departed so that the Italian/Irish connection is not far fetched.

For over one thousand years, the Irish have observed the life and death of their patron saint, St. Patrick, on the date of his death, March 17^th. The Irish Catholic Church allowed celebrations with dancing, drinking and feasting for this one day during the Lenten fasting season…Understandably, St. Patrick’s Day was looked forward to then, as it is now.

Celebrate the Irish in you at Carlino’s. Jig on in and try Irish Tipperary and Cahill with Porter, two wonderful cheddar cheeses just in from the Emerald Isle, both cause for celebration…and that’s no blarney.”

Patty Church
Executive Cheese Specialist

Featured Cheese: Cahill with Porter

Cahill Irish Cheddar with Porter is a delicious and beautiful cheese. Its paste is a marbleized mixture of yellow creamy cheddar and brown tones of Irish Porter beer. The resultant flavor is as pleasing as it looks, making this cheese a wonderful addition to any cheese plate.

Just Arrived – Double Cream Cremont

This double cream, pasteurized goat and cow’s milk cheese is handmade in Vermont. It has a smooth and creamy texture, a complex and nutty taste and notes of cooked bread, hazelnuts and yeast.

Cheese Goes With: Basketball

Go mad for pizza during March Madness! Carlino’s Pizza Margherita will really score your taste buds with excitement and its vibrant colors. We start with a chunky tomato base and add fresh mozzarella and basil to give it those true Italian colors. In 1889, Queen Margherita of Italy noticed that the peasants in her kingdom were eating this large, flat bread. Curious, she ordered one of her guards to fetch her a piece and fell in love. In honor of her passion for peasant bread, they created flat bread topped with tomato, mozzarella, and basil to show its true Italian colors, thus creating the famous Pizza Margherita. Score big with your guests and serve this historical pizza during March Madness!

Recipe: Pasta with Pesto

It’s Italian and it’s Irish green…it’s fast and delicious…it’s classic Pesto.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 bunch of basil

1 clove of garlic

2 Tbsp. Pine nuts

Coarse salt

1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2-3 Tbsp. Carlino’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lb. Carlino’s Fresh Linguine

Basil Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Wash the basil carefully and allow to drain. Chop in a blender, together with the garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of coarse salt. Gradually add the grated cheese and work into an even paste. Finally, slowly mix in the olive oil until a creamy consistency is achieved.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain but save a little of the cooking water. Add pesto to the saved hot water and mix. Pour over the pasta…serve immediately. For added flavor drizzle Basil Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil over pasta. Your friends will be green with envy.

All of the above ingredients are available at Carlino’s Specialty Markets as well as Carlino’s own Pesto…perfect for that planned-ahead or last minute dinner.