A Local Cheese Company

There is a local company called Willamette Valley Cheese Company here in Salem, Oregon who make such delicious cheeses. I am a big proponent of supporting local companies and buying local when possible. These cheese products are a great example of what excellent things one can find locally.Today while at the fish market I was inspired by the beautiful Dungeness crab and seeing the Willamette Valley Cheese Company aged cheddar on the shelf right above the crab, I thought of crab melts to serve for dinner tonight. Though it may seem deceptively simple, it turned out to be a rather rich and extravagant supper. I perused the Internet and made up a recipe using components of a number of recipes I found.

I used the aged cheddar cheese in the base of the recipe but in order for the crab melts to have the traditional look, I topped them with a bit of orange cheddar and broiled until melted and bubbling hot. I was able to make these using my toaster oven, another plus. This recipe will be in my "keeper" file!

Crab Melts

(makes 2)

1/3 lb. crab meat

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. chopped chives

2 Tbsp. finely chopped celery

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

A pinch of garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

A pinch of black pepper

Extra grated cheese for the tops

2 English muffins, split

Mix the first 7 ingredients together well. Divide equally on top of each of the English muffin halves. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes until heated completely through. Take out of oven and turn to Broil. Top each muffin with some grated cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.