'Tis the Season ...

December 6th started out with a sense of adventure. My friend, Antje, invited me to go up to New Westminster BC (Canada) to the Holland Shopping Center. Antje, born and raised in Holland until her early teens, wanted to pick up some traditional Dutch holiday things for her family. I had no particular interest in things Dutch, but I’m always up for a roadtrip!

We soon found the shop, teeming with customers! Little did I know that December 5th and 6th was Sinterklaas, which honors the life of St. Nicholas, and people were busily purchasing chocolate letters, marzipan confections, speculaas, kruidnoten, bischopswijn, gingerbread, sausages AND DUTCH CHEESE!

A little side note about St. Nicholas. He was born to wealthy parents in Patara (now part of Turkey) in the third century. He spent his life giving away his money to the poor and doing good deeds. He reportedly had a soft spot for children. Although St. Nicholas is always shown wearing his bishop’s attire, i understand the Dutch tend to see him as a kindly old man rather than a Catholic saint. The result is that Sinterklaas is celebrated by Dutch people of all ages and beliefs, without any real religious connotation. His feast day is observed by exchanging gifts and cookie or chocolate letters (recipient’s initial), making good-natured fun of loved ones with humorous poetry and homemade gag gifts that hide another present inside.

Of course, I was drawn to the cheese cooler, which was abundant with all manner of Dutch cheesiness! Holland is the largest exporter of cheese in the world, with the majority being semi-hard or hard cheeses. Famous Dutch cheeses include Gouda and Edam. A typically Dutch way of making cheese is to blend herbs and spices during the first stages of the production process.

Gouda is a semi-hard cheese with a 48% milk fat content and a mild taste. Aging intensifies the flavor and the hardness. Gouda is usually made in wheels, with a red or yellow paraffin coating, unless it has been aged for 12 – 18 months, in which case, it will have a black wax coating.

Edam is also a semi-hard cheese with a fat content of 28-40% and a very mellow, salty or nutty taste. As it ages, its flavor sharpens and it becomes firmer. This cheese is usually spherical with a red wax coating. Mild Edam pairs well with fruit such as peaches, melons, apricots and cherries. Aged Edam is often served with pears and apples. Because of the season, dried fruits also pair well with this cheese.

There are other Dutch cheeses such as Maasdammer, farmstead, goat’s cheese, smoked cheese, Leidse, Dutch blue cheese, herb cheese; and all were represented at Holland Shopping Center. It was very tempting, but I remembered that Pleasant Valley Dairy in Ferndale, just 6 miles from my home, made their own Dutch-style Gouda.

Whenever possible I buy locally to contribute to my local economy and support my local businesses, so I decided to forego buying any Dutch cheese that trip.

Antje and I paid for our purchases—mine were Dutch chocolates and cookies for Christmas gift to Anneke, another Dutch friend—and after Antje had fun gibberjabbering in Dutch with the clerk, we bid 'Doei!' to the little Dutch shop in New Westminster.

Within a week, I was pulling up to the cheese store at Pleasant Valley Dairy. I spoke with Mattie Snook, who along with her mother Joyce, now operate the cheesemaking and selling. Joyce is the cheesemaker. The farm has been in the family for three generations making raw cow’s milk cheeses.

I asked her specifically about Nokkelost, which is a Gouda cheese they started making about ten years ago exclusively for Everybody’s Store in Van Zandt, WA. They have an agreement enabling them to sell Nokkelost through the dairy store, too.
Imagine my surprise, when Mattie said Nokkelost wasn’t a Dutch Gouda, but a Norwegian Gouda with cumin, caraway and cloves. Oops! My background is Norwegian, so it worked out even better from my perspective!
Other than Mutschli, which is a Swiss style cheese, their Gouda is crafted after the Dutch way of cheesemaking and I’ve enjoyed many of their variations:
Farmstead

Mutschli (great for fondue!)

Raw Milk Applewood Smoked Cheese (I think they have their own on-site smoker)

Gouda with Fine Herbs

Gouda with Peppercorn

Gouda with Cumin

Gouda with jalapeno

A new one they’re just offering now is basil Gouda. If you like basil, this is the cheese for you!

All of their cheese is made from whole raw milk, bacterial culture, salt and natural rennet and is aged over 60 days, with older, sharper Gouda available. Joyce makes their cheese in 2-lb and 6-lb wheels. They sell by the wheel, or sliced! They also will ship wheels of cheese for you—great for gift giving!

Other than their farm store and Everybody’s, some of their cheeses are also sold at Quel Fromage in Fairhaven, and I think Beecher’s in Seattle still carries Pleasant Valley Farm cheeses.

Pleasant Valley Farms is on Facebook, so get on their list and you’ll find out about new cheese, and what is available when, and all sorts of good stuff!

A little generally about Gouda:

Exported Gouda is typically a young variety aged from 1-6 months, with a red or yellow wax coating. Old Gouda, aged 12-18 months is denoted by a black paraffin coating. If you specifically want Dutch Gouda, look for Noord-Hollandse Gouda, the cheese registered in the EU as a Protected Designation of Origin.

Unopened Gouda in wax could remain stable in a refrigerator for up to one year. Once opened, take out only what you’re going to use and wrap the rest in an airtight plastic bag or foil. Refrigerate and eat within one month.

Semi-soft Gouda is delicious served as a table cheese or a dessert cheese. In Europe, Gouda is a popular breakfast served along with fresh fruit. Later in the day, Gouda is paired well with dark-grained breads and beer, or full-bodied wines such as Chardonnay or Syrah. Gouda is also ideal for grating and melting. Swap it for Cheddar in your usual macaroni and cheese. For an authentic Gouda dish, make a Dutch fondue (kaasdoop). Melt grated Gouda with milk and a touch of brandy and nutmeg, and serve with roasted potatoes and chunks of rye bread.

I really enjoy the taste of the herbs in the Nokkelost! And the Mutschli is very smooth in taste and texture.

With Mattie wrapping up of some delicious local cheese for me to take home and enjoy, so wrapped up my Sinterklaas roadtrip.

Vrolijk kerstfeest (Dutch)

God Jul (Norwegian)

Merry Christmas!

Pleasant Valley Dairy (Joyce and Mattie Snook)

6804 Kickerville Road, Ferndale, WA 98248

360-366-5398

Everybody’s Store

5465 Potter Road, Deming, WA 98244

360-592-2297

www.everybodys.com

Quel Fromage

1200 Old Fairhaven Parkway Suite 101

Bellingham, WA 98225

(360) 671-0203

www.quelfromage.com