The Cheese Board by Cheese Board Collective Staff

with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Add the butter and cut it in on low speed for about 4 minutes, or until it is the size of small peas. Mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
    If making by hand, add the salt, brown sugar, and oats to the bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or 2 dinnerknives until it is the size of small peas. Using the spoon, mix in the currants. Make a well in the center and add the cream and buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the ingredients come together. Add a bit more buttermilk or cream if the dough seems too dry. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
    Place the dough on a generously floured surface. Pat it into a 2-inch-thick rectangle and dust the top with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Fold the rectangle in half, short ends together, and roll it out again until it is 1 inch thick. Repeat this process a second time. Fold a third time and roll out into a rectangle with a final size of 6 by 12 by 1¼ inches thick.
    Dip a 3-inch circular biscuit cutter or drinking glass into flour and cut out scones from the dough. Place the scones on the prepared pan about 2 inches apart. The scraps can be rolled out again and the process repeated until all the dough is used.
    Brush the tops and sides of the scones with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a rich, golden brown. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.
     
    LIFE AS A WHOLE
    I had gone to work right out of college for General Electric, in the jet engine department. I realized in a relatively short amount of time that I wasn’t a good fit for a corporation because they really wanted to mold you into a certain type of person. I was in management, and they wanted me to wear a dark coat and dark pants and a dark tie. You were a company man there; you weren’t really an individual. I wasn’t drafted right off because I had a deferment as I was working on jet engines that were going to Vietnam. During the day I was working on these engines, and in the evening and on weekends I was involved in the movement protesting the Vietnam War. One of the things that I hated about that work was that duality: living two lives, not really being one person. It didn’t make any sense to me.
    Joining the Cheese Board allowed me to bring my life together into one circle, one whole. My political philosophies coincided more naturally with the Cheese Board and the politics of the collective movement it embodied. I was finally able to express, through my work, my philosophy about life, politics, society, and the relationship between myself, my friends, and my workmates, and it has been that way ever since.
    —Michael

    Cheese Scones
    Out of the twelve different kinds of Cheddar we stock, we selected a three-year-old Wisconsin Cheddar for this recipe. This cheese was the perfect choice because of its sharp flavor and beautiful orange color. The scones are spiked with a dash of cayenne, then gently patted out and cut into triangles. Many of us love this scone for lunch with a side of cottage cheese and homemade salsa .
    MAKES 10 TO 12 SCONES
    Preparation time including baking: 50 minutes
    3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    1½ teaspoons baking powder
    Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    2 tablespoons finely ground yellow cornmeal
    ½ cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
    ½ pound sharp orange Cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
    ½ cup heavy cream
    1 cup buttermilk
    1 egg, beaten
    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and sprinkle it lightly with cornmeal.
    Sift the flour, baking