Gouda & Edam Protected!

Gouda has been my favorite cheese ever since my first taste (that I remember) in Junior High School. I was doing one of my projects on how my Dutch grandfather immigrated here. I named the project Holland to America. I collected many Dutch things to include in the project - even some Gouda cheese! Even the cheese has made it from Holland to America! It is usually found at stores with a high price tag. Although, in my previous post, A Very Filling Dinner..., I mentioned that Costco carries Gouda for a very good price. Some of the Gouda's they carry are imported from Holland and others are made in New York. Out of curiosity, I always look at the package to see if it is made in Holland (though this doesn't always dictate whether I buy it or not). While many of the imitation Gouda's are very tasty, they are not made of Dutch cow's milk. Dutch cheese farmers have been fighting for a seal of authenticity to protect unsuspecting consumers from buying those imitation cheeses by mistake. Gouda and Edam cheeses will now have that seal and protected name.

Cheeses in Holland are traditionally named after the "mother-cities" where they are made from the cows that live there. However, until now, there has always been a chance of buying an "imitation Gouda" because there is no secret ingredient or recipe to make it. The Gouda's process has been followed in the US, Germany, and Poland to make imitation Gouda. Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports "the European Commission has awarded both of the cheesemaking cities [of Edam and Gouda] a Protected Geographical Indication." This special seal will ensure the cheese you have bought was made in the Dutch city of Gouda. "Dutch cheese farmers are happy with the European seal. Their age-old tradition has now finally been acknowledged in a victory over prefab supermarket cheese" RNW news desk.

Here is the Pick of the Day from RNW - Gouda and Edam cheeses protected

A Very Filling Dinner...

 I tried all of these recipes a few nights ago. It was a very filling dinner. All named dishes are from Let's Go Dutch by Johanna (van der Zeijst) Bates.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what an endive looked like and I forgot to look it up before I went to the store. The grocery store didn't have them labeled clearly, so I guessed (the cashier didn't know what they were either) - and I was right! The grocery store only had half the endive's I needed for the recipe. I made a lot of extra sauce which I used in a thrown together side-dish. This Gebakken Witlof Met Kaas was very tasty. It's nice to have a new vegetable recipe to add to my favorites.

Gebakken Witlof Met Kaas (Creamy Baked Belgium Endive)

I will never buy a boxed-scalloped-potato mix again. This Aardappelen Met Gouda Kaas En Room recipe was scrumptious! *Tip: If you are in search of a less expensive Gouda, I've found 3-4 different imported Gouda's for very good prices at the Costco store near us.

Aardappelen Met Gouda Kaas En Room (Scalloped Gouda Potatoes)

Aardappelen Met Suiker (Sugared Potatoes). This did not turn out the way I think it should have so I will try again another time. The cooking process did not go as planned - I got distracted. I used them in something else the next day.

Aardappelen Met Suiker (Sugared Potatoes)

Here is everything together (except Aardapplen Met Suiker). The Bare Little Bums in The Grass are in the "distance".
I did not get an individual shot of Blote Billetjes In Het Groen (Bare Little Bums In The Grass) because I was hungry, forgot and ate it. It was good. It is white beans mixed with french style green beans... so they look like their namesake!
I made too many white beans, so I contributed them to the other bean dish.  This side-dish was made with the other half of the endive sauce, the rest of the white beans and some ham chunks.

Clockwise from top:
Blote Billetjes In Het Groen (Bare Little Bums In The Grass),
the dish I made up (not yet named),
Aardappelen Met Gouda Kaas En Room (Scalloped Gouda Potatoes),
Gebakken Witlof Met Kaas (Creamy Baked Belgium Endive)