On Board BY LINDA GARSON I PHOTOGRAPHY BY DONG KIM
C
ameron Fraser, of Calgary’s Fraser & Fig, has relocated to Marda Loop this month. His goal is for you to choose grazing as an alternative to quick take-away options. Don't eat pizza - eat this! Fraser’s #1 rule is that there is no rule – it’s an opportunity to try new flavour and texture combinations. “We like to cover the four primary characters of cheese: Hard, Salty and Crumbly; Squeaky or Semi-firm; Creamy or Oozy; and Blue or Veiny,” he says. “And four meats, including two salamis - one mild and one more adventurous.” Fraser’s Pro Tip: Keep the cheeses to be sliced or scooped to the edge of the board for easy access. His board is bold-flavoured for Father's Day. “We think of dad standing over the BBQ with his ‘World's Greatest Dad’ apron on and flipping burgers and hot dogs,” he says. “This is our take, complete with nuts, mustard and pretzels.”
Fraser's charcuterie board includes: CHEESE: Sylvan Star Grizzly Gouda: (Red Deer) this sharp beast has tyrosine crystals little crunchy salt nuggets in the cheese. Morbier: a silky and squeaky, mediumfirm, washed rind cheese from Burgundy. We call it a cheese CHEESE. Do eat the rind! Comox (Double Cream) Brie: (Natural Pastures, Vancouver Island) a creamy bloomy-rind cheese. Bleu d’Élizabeth: (Fromagerie du Presbytère Québec), punchy but balanced - sweet, salty, tangy, and sharp. CHARCUTERIE: VDG Spicy Calabrese: (Calgary) Calabrian peppers with a touch of fennel. Valbella Chimney Sticks: (Canmore) cold smoked - like fresh off the BBQ! Speck: smoked prosciutto-like ham from
northern Italy for a little more smoke! Pepper Mortadella: (Italy), a silky, fatty complement to the smoky notes of the Speck and Chimney Sticks. ACCOMPANIMENTS: Gone Crackers: (Surrey, BC) "undressed" crisps, hardy and rustic. 34 Degree Original Flavour Crisps: a thin, non-filling food vehicle. Twigz: (Calgary), garlic, spices, lemon, and buttery flavoured pretzels. Brassica Whole Grain Mustard (Calgary) Brassica Wild Leek and Maple Whole Grain Mustard ZinterBrown Red Pepper Jelly (Edmonton) Imported Golden Fig Jelly Blue Kettle Ginger Dip (St. Albert) HandFuel: (Vancouver), Spanish Marcona Almonds with lemon. Wild Coast Dried Cranberries: (Lower Mainland, BC).
