Club Pimento

Since Asheville’s Tupelo Honey Café first opened its doors in 2000, its house-made pimento cheese has earned a loyal local following. So it seemed only natural for Tupelo to spread the pimento love outside the café. Newly launched, its Pimento Cheese of the Month Club does just that by sending subscribers an edible care package from the Blue Ridge Mountains every other month for a year. Each shipment comes with a 16-ounce container of pimento cheese, paired with locally made charcuterie from neighboring Hickory Nut Gap Farm and artisan crackers from Asheville’s own Roots and Branches.

But here’s where it gets interesting. The pimento cheese flavors and pairings vary each shipment—from the more classic Appalachian Gold paired with sweet sopressata and rosemary and olive oil crackers (through June) to a gruyere and herb pimento with hot salami and olive oil black pepper crackers (July/August), followed by such variations as pickled jalapeño and smoked cheddar pimento. “I think the combinations are a way to have fun with the classic,” says Tupelo’s chef, Brian Sonoskus. “Folks who like to experiment a little will love them, and while they may be different from your grandmother’s, they aren’t radical.”  We’ve sampled our first arrival, and if the scraped-clean container of Appalachian Gold is any indication, Grandma would approve.

Can’t wait for your first shipment?  Click here to get the recipe for Tupelo Honey Café’s house pimento cheese.