Guernsey Girl finds her true love

What’s great about the world of food is, more often than not, people turn their passions into their jobs.

Sometimes it happens quite by accident, and before they realize what has happened, the individual is knee deep in requests for the product that was once their hobby.

That is the story I heard when I went to the Cheese Boutique on Monday, and listened to founder of Upper Canada Cheese Company, Wayne Philbrick,  talk about how he had started his business. Making cheese was something he did for friends, and the “wine club” that this foodie belonged to, wouldn’t let him show up to their monthly tastings without a sample of his home-made cheeses.Lauren Arsenault, original Guernsey Girl

Now, I’ve had a soft spot for Upper Canada Cheese Company before I heard this story, since I drove by it many a time as I planned my wedding just down the street from their storefront at Inn on the Twenty last May.

In fact, seeing the local cheese store inspired me to add Artisanal cheese stations to our cocktail hour which was a huge hit with our guests, and I do believe their Niagara Gold was featured in the lineup.

So as this burgeoning cheese company grew, it needed to expand. Enter Lauren Arsenault—cheesemaker extraordinaire. She’s the lady or the “girl” (it’s OK, she told me she doesn’t mind being called so) behind Guernsey girl Cheese. A Scandinavian-style cheese, Guernsey stays firm on the outside and even crisps with heat, and the inside gets soft and gooey.

Lauren, who is part Norwegian said she was excited to bring this "bread-style cheese" to the masses. The cheese is versatile enough to grill on the barbecue, so she's hoping that the current excitement about Guernsey Girl is just the beginning as the weather warms up.

Now there was more to the event than just talk. There was a live cook-off happening, featuring Guernsey Girl and let me tell you that I gladly sampled all the offerings.

Lora Kirk wooed me with her Slow Braised Ribs and Guernsey Girl Poutine, Andrea Damon Gibson The winning entry(founder of Fred’s Bread) made me pause with her interpretation titled Guernsey Girl Goes Mediterranean—an olive and chipotle bread smothered in melty cheese, but it was Jason Bangerter (Auberge du Pommier) who I fell hard for with his Artichoke and Guernsey Girl Terrine. The terrine featured all Niagara ingredients (including the prosciutto). It was baked, but just before serving fried up in a pan and drizzled with a Muscat vinegar reduction, a garlic infused oil and some micro greens. 

Bangerter confessed that he didn’t dream up the recipe for the cook off, but rather re-interpreted an old favourite he had created while working in Switzerland where he used cave-aged Gruyere, instead of the Halloumi style cheese. However, this reincarnation has won him over. “I think it’s better than the Gruyere,” he said. “The cheese has a buttery finish that blends well with the other ingredients. You have to cook it to get it's full flavour."

It seems I'm not the only one who thought so, since when the votes were finally tallied, Chef Bangerter's dish emerged victorious.