Cheese Cave customer John Lewer, right, picks up his eponymous sandwich for lunch. Below, owner Stephen Catania. (Photo by Jim Willis. Click to enlarge)

By JIM WILLIS

October is American Cheese Month. And no: despite the name, it’s not a time to celebrate the dayglow orange plastic-wrapped square that we center onto a buttered Wonder Bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

Rather, it’s intended to promote artisan cheeses that are made here in America,  Stephen Catania of Red Bank’s Cheese Cave tells redbankgreen‘s PieHole.

With specialty cheese shops promoting  a different cheese every day of the month at a discount, “it’s a way for local merchants to spread the word of curd,” Catania said.

Customers can buy a passport for $10 that will allow them to purchase up to two pounds of cheese a day at a discount, said Catania. The $10 goes toward a fund that promotes education of the artisinal cheese industry.

Tuesday’s cheese is Prairie Breeze Cheddar, made in Iowa by Mennonite Farmers.”

And as for that “John Lewer” sandwich that Catania was assembling during his  conversation with PieHole…

“It’s roast turkey with a pepper relish – made locally in Fair Haven – called ‘Fourth Creek.’ If you’re familiar with the [Navesink] river, there’s a tributary called Fourth Creek. It’s named after that,” Catania said. “It’s also got a young Pecorino cheese with red pepper in it, some avocado and a little romaine on toasted bread.”