CHATTERBOX CHEESE

Homemade Cheese by Janet Hurst

2011-03-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was reading the New York Times online yesterday and came across an article in the Dining and Wine section about a new DIY guide for kitchen projects, which included three on how to make cheese in the comfort of your own home.

There seems to be an ever-enlarging segment of our population that is becoming more food savvy. They want to know where their food comes from, what ingredients are included, how to get more involved, and how to become more self-reliant. The do-it-yourself food movement is looking for ways even a kitchen klutz can make their own food.

Cheese seems to be food that is being swept along with this movement. It is awesome to read about how many artisan cheesemakers are developing a following across the United States; not just cheesemakers, but GREAT cheesemakers!

So, this NY Times article seemed to be right in stride with a more personal focus on food.

A couple of months ago Voyageur Press invited me to review an advance copy of a book written by Janet Hurst. It, too, seems to be riding the crest of this self-sufficiency, DIY wave of interest.

The title of Janet's book is “Homemade Cheese: Recipes for 50 Cheeses from Artisan Cheesemakers,” but this book includes so much more than recipes. My first impression was delight. Just flipping through the pages, taking in all the gorgeous color photographs that Janet included in her book, was a visual feast!

Since becoming intrigued with artisan cheese, I’ve often used “Home Cheese Making” by Ricki Caroll as my resource. It will remain a valued book in my library. Structured more like a manual, it has excellent cheesemaking recipes and provides a lot of ways to use the cheese, and a resource section telling where to get equipment and supplies. Janet Hurst even mentions Ricki as Queen of Cheese, and honors her as an inspiration and mentor.

Janet, however, presents a different approach. She includes easy-to-follow steps for cheesemaking, but additionally provides insight into the lives and production of twenty artisan cheesemakers who work their farms, dairies, creameries and take pride in their animals, their cheese, and their accomplishment. At the back of this book is a wealth of resources and websites to reference. I’m a visual freak, so I relished the abundance of photographs of animals, farms, cheesemakers, cheese, and prepared dishes.

I responded readily to Janet’s book because it is so friendly, simple to follow, attractive to the eye, well researched and has a very personal touch. It’s like sitting down with her and, over a cup of coffee and a plate of hot out of the oven scones, having her share all of these wonderful experiences. Her passion for cheese is evident.

Janet writes from a background of 20 years of having a farm and goats and growing vegetables and making cheese. She’s still making cheese in her kitchen in Missouri, when she isn’t speaking to groups, teaching how to make cheese, freelance writing about cheese and food, and promoting her book.

Below I’ve included the link to Janet’s blog and her website. Her book is published by Voyageur Press, and is currently available for purchase for $19.95.

I wholeheartedly recommend you get your hands on a copy of “Homemade Cheese: Recipes for 50 Cheeses from Artisan Cheesemakers” and keep it within reach. It will provide you with wonderful ways you can make your own cheese in your own kitchen, and have fun doing it!

www.inpursuitofcheese.blogspot.com
www.cheesewriter.com

Got cheese? Got it made!

2011-02-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

The other evening a friend and I made arrangements to throw together for dinner whatever food we had on hand. All I had was zucchini, and of course, cheese. Voilà! Au Gratin! I halved the recipe for just the two of us, which worked out perfectly!

Zucchini Au Gratin

Makes 4 servings

4-6 medium zucchini

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped onions or shallots

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup heavy cream or crème fraiche (I only had half and half)
¾ cup gruyere cheese (grated)

1 teaspoon tarragon (better to use fresh, but all I had was dried)

1 pinch of nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Grate the zucchini into a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

3. During that time, sauté the onion in butter in a small pan until the onion softens and begins to brown (3-5 minutes). Set aside.

4. Scoop up handfuls of the sitting zucchini and squeeze out the excess moisture over the sink. Combine the squeezed zucchini with the onions and mix in the tarragon, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the veggies evenly in an 8” x 8” baking dish.

5. Pour the cream over the zucchini mix. I didn’t have heavy cream, so I substituted half and half, which tasted fine, but the cream would have given the gratin a richer taste.

6. Sprinkle the grated Gruyere over the zucchini mixture—when I halved the recipe, I still used the full amount of grated cheese. What can I say, I love cheese!

7. Place the baking dish in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese turns a lovely golden brown.

As you can see from the photo above, I left mine in the oven too long and it went past “lovely golden.” But it tasted heavenly, nonetheless! I loved the nutmeg and tarragon! When I next make this recipe, I‘ll cut the zucchini into ¼-inch slices rather than grate it. It will eliminate the 10-min sitting and squeezing step, and then I’ll just bake it another 5-10 minutes longer.

Bzzzzzz ... bees in February? How is this possible?

2011-02-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

I joined long-time friend Barbara Shepard for breakfast in Fairhaven yesterday. When we finished getting caught up on the latest in our respective lives over good food, a lot of laughter, and a goodly number of coffee refills, we parted our separate ways. I had other errands to run in Fairhaven, one of which was to check in with Beth at Quel Fromage, a friendly and helpful cheesemonger. She suggested a cheese I hadn’t tried before. I let her twist my arm, wrap up the cheese, and I headed back to Birch Bay.
I am so glad I experienced this cheese!

“Barely Buzzed” is a wonderful version of cheddar created by Tim Welsh and Pat Ford, brothers and owners of Beehive Cheese Company in Uintah, Utah. I’m not aware of many cheesemakers in Utah, maybe ten or so, but if Barely Buzzed is any indication, I’m going to try some of their other cheeses. Apparently I’m not the only one who appreciates it, as it won 1st Place, Flavored Cheddar American Cheese Society Annual Competition 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Barely Buzzed, such a catchy moniker, was aptly named by Beehive creamery fan, Andrea with Deluxe Foods in California. I say it’s aptly named because this full-bodied cheddar cheese with a smooth texture and a hint of butterscotch and caramel creaminess was hand-rubbed with a Turkish grind of Colorado Legacy Coffee Company (the cheesemakers’ brother) “Beehive Blend” blended with French Superior Lavender buds. What? Yes, I mean to tell you, that it sounds peculiar, but it tastes FAB! I could taste the lavender when I bit into the rind, and the espresso under note permeates into the paste. It just melted in my mouth!

Barely Buzzed is made with first class grade whole milk from Jersey cows at Ogden’s Wadeland South Dairy. For you vegetarians out there, a vegetarian rennet was used to make this cheese. It’s aged on Utah Blue Spruce aging racks in Beehive’s humidity controlled caves, and moved to different temperature during the 4-5 month aging process to develop texture and flavor. Check out Beehive Cheese's website for more interesting information about these brothers and their cheese making adventure.

Beth at Quel Fromage recommended pairing Barely Buzzed with beer, but I continued the “buzz” by eating the cheese with a dark roast coffee. Delicious!

One could use this cheddar in cooking, but it is such a treat to eat by itself, and the rind is part of the taste experience. Along with coffee, I also paired the cheese with Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps, wonderful cranberry and hazelnut crackers. What a lovely repast! See if you can get your hands on Barely Buzzed. Very cool!

A perfect cheese with which to sit with your sweetheart and feed each other morsels!

http://www.quelfromage.com/
http://www.beehivecheese.com/

Makin' Mac N Cheese

2011-02-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

I had some leftover chunks of Whiskey Cheddar and some Gruyere, and what better use, on a cold, rainy day in Birch Bay than to whip up some comfort food Mac N Cheese! It's also great for Super Bowl Sunday grazing. Alas, I'm not a fan of football; I know, how un-American! However, I do pledge my allegiance to this tasty dish.

Here's what it looks like, and following the photo is the recipe. Perhaps you have your own favorite recipe. Try it with these two cheeses; they impart an added taste dimension you'll enjoy. I haven't a clue who is going to win the Super Bowl, but Mac n Cheese is a sure bet!

Oh, and throughout the recipe, I've shared some personal comments, i.e., using YOUR local farms, dairies for what ingredients you can. The freshness is great tasting, it supports your local economy, and it's probably more nutritious. Win! Win! Win! Hooray! Lucky you, if you know someone who makes their own pasta! Wish I did!

Anyway, after much ado ...

Baked 2-Cheese Macaroni

Serves/Makes: 6 Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter (from your local dairy if you’re lucky enough to have one that makes butter!)

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

1-1/2 cups goat milk (recipe calls for cow milk, I just digest goat milk better/lactose intolerant)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 large egg (got free range?)

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

6 ounces Gruyere, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Note: Buy block cheese and grate or shred it when you use it in a recipe. It tastes soooo much better freshly grated than if you buy it from the store grated or shredded. Trust me on this one!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta to al dente. Important to not let the pasta cook too long because it’s going to cook some more in the oven.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and a sprinkle of paprika.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for five minutes before serving.

'Tis the Season ...

2010-12-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

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

More About Gothberg Farms ...

2010-12-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

A mountain high list of to-dos has kept me from finishing off my article about Gothberg Farms' delicious assortment of goat cheeses. However, I was online with some research, and unexpectedly came across the following recipe. It is the perfect thing to get back into the article and wrap ‘er up!

I haven’t—yet—personally made this recipe, but I have enough chevre to make it tonight for dinner. It looks like it would be delish!

Art Smith’s Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

I read that these biscuits are served to diners at Art Smith’s Chicago restaurant, Table Fifty-Two.

Makes 12 biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cold butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
Extra butter to grease pan and top biscuits
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Place one 10-inch cast iron pan into the oven while it is preheating. Place flour and salt into a medium-size bowl. Cut in the butter and goat cheese. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until the mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of milk, if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of butter into it. When the butter has melted, drop ¼ cupfuls of batter into the pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake from 14-16 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy them while they’re warm!

Doesn’t that sound tasty?

But, more specifically back to Gothberg Farms. Since first getting my hands on a sampling of Rhonda’s goat cheeses, I’ve used them in a number of recipes. There are a couple cheeses I haven’t yet sunk my teeth into, and Rhonda seems to keep coming up with new cheese delights. The latest that I’m aware of is a cheesecake they’re making right there at the farm. Who doesn’t love cheesecake?!!!

I’m including some photographs of the farm and “the LaMancha ladies” from this summer. The photo of Rhonda was taken at her booth at the Anacortes Farmers Market in September.

I paired the Gothberg Caprino Romano with salsa and chips, which I heartily recommend. Rose, one of the ladies in our office makes the salsa from scratch, which I also heartily recommend for total taste explosion. I also cut up what I had left over and dropped it into a steaming hot bowl of homemade Italian minestrone. Lovely!

I enjoyed melting the Caerphilly in a grilled cheese sandwich. I also dropped little chunks of it into some chili I made. Loved it.

The fresh chevre was heavenly with the fresh summer peaches and blueberries! And of course, it is a wonderful addition to a salad anytime. It was really helpful to find out I could freeze the chevre and thaw it out later. I’ve now done that twice and have been pleased that the cheese retains its smooth texture and taste, although I did like it best fresh.

The ricotta I tried with cantaloupe, kiwi and cherries and I loved it! I also used some of the ricotta in an Italian pasta dish I whipped up one night for dinner.

Speaking of ricotta. Here is a photograph of some cookies made specifically for Gothberg Farms by The Breadfarm, using Rhonda’s ricotta. The cookies were a very nice addition to my afternoon tea.

It just shows you can’t miss with ANY of the Gothberg Farms cheeses.

Although the farmers markets are finished for the season, you can still purchase Gothberg Farms cheese at their farm on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. They’re located at 15203 Sunset Road, Bow WA 98232 (360) 202-2436, at Terra Organica and Bargainica at 1520 Cornwall Avenue, Suite 101, Bellingham (360) 715-8020, and at Slough Food at 5766 Cains Court, Suite B, Edison 98232.

My recommendation would be to make it a road trip by dropping by Gothberg Farms, Slough Food and the Breadfarm in Bow-Edison. John, owner of Slough Food, has some lovely wine selections and an international assortment of cheese, plus other foodie goodies; and the Breadfarm is in the same building (360) 766-4065, so MUST stop in there, too! You will be ever so glad that you made the road trip!

I’ve had a wonderful time getting to know Rhonda and learning about her operation, and meeting her very personable goats. Rhonda exemplifies the attitude I’ve found among artisan cheesemakers. Cheesemaking is so much more than a livelihood; it’s a passion, a way of life, with a high regard and affection for their milk-producing animals, and an ever-prevailing ethic to provide the best quality product to their patrons.

Thank you, Rhonda and staff at Gothberg Farms!

http://www.gothbergfarms.com/
http://www.sloughfood.com/

http://www.breadfarm.com/

Comfort food and cheese save the day!

2010-10-08T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today I was working on another article about the LaMancha goats and the great cheese Rhonda Gothberg is making at Gothberg Farms in Bow, WA, but it’s not finished and I got hungry.

It was a drizzly, chilly day and I was in extreme need of comfort food. My little tomatoes are nowhere near using for cream of tomato soup, so I flung open my pantry and cast about for something feel good. I reached for a container of organic cream of tomato soup that had been awaiting this very day.

I heated it, and put it in a pretty Bettye Barclay bowl. For me, an indispensable part of the enjoyment is presentation and the bowl Bettye made was lovely to look upon and it reminded me of great times with that artist.

So, I was ready to spoon away, but I knew it was missing something.

I had already finished off a small but delicious wedge of Gothberg Raw Caprino Romano, which would have been such a nice addition to the soup. Gone. Even a dollop of her Greek Style Yogurt would have been marvelous. Gone. Her Woman of LaMancha would have been perfection! Didn’t have any.

However, I did have a little bit of Garcia Baquero winey goat cheese. I immediately grated it and tossed it into the creamy soup, topped off with a Spanish olive.

Ay Carumba! It really hit the spot! I was comforted. I was warmed. My mouth was happy. I heartily recommend grating whatever cheese you have into soup. And we are definitely entering Soup Season!

So, let me tell you the very little I know about Garcia Baquero Winey Goat Cheese. Garcia Baquero is the major producer of Manchego cheese in Spain. However, that cheese is made with sheep’s milk, and is aged anywhere from 3-9 months, or longer.

Winey Goat Cheese, made with 100% goat’s milk is very similar to Manchego in its fine salty sharpness and wonderful finish, but there is a slight taste difference … not better or worse … just different. It, too, is a semi-firm cheese that has been aged, but I couldn’t find out for how long. I did find out that part of its distinction is that it was soaked in red wine.

Garcia Baquero has been distributed in the USA since 2008 by Norseland, Inc.

So, when you’re putting together a Spanish cheese board, remember to include some Winey Goat Cheese. It pairs well with cured meats and autumn fruits and goes well with Rioja or Tawny Port.

www.gothbergfarms.com

The Market at Birch Bay

Inspiration--and more--found at Gothberg Farms ...

2010-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I acquired a copy of “Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest” by Tami Parr, and quickly browsed through the list to see what cheesemakers were in my neck of the woods. I love driving down to La Conner to wander through the galleries and see what’s what at the Museum of Northwest Art, so I was delighted to see that Gothberg Farms in Bow, about an hour’s drive from Birch Bay, was right along my route to La Conner. I didn’t make immediate contact, but I found Gothberg Farms on Facebook and have been following Rhonda’s activities.

I was intrigued not only with what Rhonda has been doing with her cheese and how she’s continually developing delicious new magic with her goats’ milk, but also with the compliments and loving that are consistently posted on her FB page. I wanted to meet this woman who I knew was going to be amazing even before I met her!

Opportunity smiled on me when this summer Rhonda had a couple of hours open up at the same time I had available, so I whipped down to Bow-Edison and we finally met. I was not disappointed. She is every bit as friendly and encouraging and amazing as I had anticipated!

She warmly greeted me with her faint Texan drawl and I was immediately shown the milking room, shown where they transform the milk into cheese, the 52-gal pasteurizer, the coolers, the “cave” (a converted refrigerator trailer) where some of the cheese is aged—everything was soooooo squeaky clean and orderly!

Then we went into the barn and I met the purebred LaMancha goats responsible for the great milk that ends up as great cheese. (Did I mention that everything was spotless and smelled sweet and fresh—in the barn, I tell ya!) Each of the does has a name and her own personality and all were curious. They were quite personable and friendly. I couldn’t help myself; I had to smile at all those cute faces.

Parr wrote in her book, “After a career as a nurse executive, Rhonda Gothberg was ready for something else. ‘I wanted a family goat for a little home milk, a few chickens, a little home cheese,’ she laughs.’ One mother-baby goat pair turned into several more and several more … and now Gothberg finds herself with a milking herd of 14 LaMancha goats, along with a thriving cheesemaking business. She’s the kind of person whose energy and enthusiasm leave little doubt that she’d be successful at whatever she put her mind to.”

Rhonda was not at all boastful of her accomplishments, and made frequent reference to her family, staff, friends and neighbors in helping her to make it all possible.

Rhonda had been a Realtor before becoming a cheesemaker, and so looked around Skagit Valley for just the right farm before she and her husband Roy found and bought the dilapidated 40-acre cow dairy farm in Bow. Over the years, with a lot of sweat equity and not a little inconvenience, they’ve rebuilt the house and the renovated the old cow barn, and have since built a new barns for the does, and bucks.

One thing quickly led to another and in 2004 Gothberg Farms became a licensed Grade A goat milk microdairy. Rhonda has been marketing her cheese for only seven years, but has made a name for herself. She has it down to a science, folks! This woman knows responsibility and accountability!

Not only has she grown her dairy and makes great cheese 3-4 days a week with the help of her staff of loyal and knowledgeable ladies, she also gets involved in her community.

She mentors other aspiring cheesemakers, answering questions, making recommendations based on what she had researched and learned firsthand.

Because it’s important to Rhonda to provide the best for her goats, she researched the best feed for her herd, and convinced Conway Feed to custom mix a grain ration to her specifications. This augments the high-quality Eastern WA alfalfa hay and Skagit Valley pea hay. Conway Feed now offers the Gothberg blend to other feed customers, as well.

Rhonda supports the efforts of 4H kids in her community. She speaks at various workshops and seminars. She gets involved with and sells at farmers markets in Everett, Anacortes, Mt. Vernon and Bellingham. She participates in community causes, dinners, and farm/cheese tours. She keeps current an informative and folksy website, frequently updates Facebook, and Twitters! She's involved in sustainability causes and is knowledgeable about animal husbandry and food industry regulations.

She collaborates with Slough Food where you can choose from Gothberg Farms finest cheeses among a global assortment, and John will recommend just the right wine to pair with your choice of cheese. Breadfarm uses Gothberg Farms cheese in one of their rustic country loaves, and Skagit Co-op is another retail source for her cheese. Gothberg cheese is featured on the menus of a number of local restaurants, including Adrift in Anacortes, The Rhododendron Café in Bow, and Nell Thorn in LaConner. Metropolitan Market in Seattle also retails her cheese.

Since Rhonda uses only the milk of her own herd of 20 or so LaManchas to make Gothberg cheese, I wondered what those restaurants did during the winter when the does are dry and fresh cheese is no longer available. Rhonda said they stock up on the chevre in the summer and freeze it.

I was quite the skeptic, but I froze some of her chevre and about a month later let it defrost to room temperature and it was creamy and tasteful and I couldn’t really discern the difference in taste or texture from fresh! Interesting tidbit to know!

In this article, I wanted to highlight Rhonda and how she got started as a cheesemaker. I’ve discovered that quite a few artisan cheesemakers had successful careers as something else, but at some point decided to take a different road.

For all of Rhonda's obvious efficiency and capability, I was moved most by her statement on her website, "It is still magic to me every time the milk turns to curd! I love the entire process, from goats, to kidding, to milking, and cheesemaking. This is a lifestyle change which is most welcome and most rewarding."

As an aside, although Rhonda's passion is artisan cheese, she still has her Realtor license and with her intimate knowledge of the Skagit Valley, she is willing to help folks buy just the right place. If she's in the midst of something and can't assist you herself, she'll put you in touch with someone she knows and trusts will serve your real estate needs; she's that kind of gal!

It amazes me how she finds time for everything!

Next time I’ll share more about Gothberg Farms goats and their wonderful cheese! Yum!

However, I can’t wait until then to share the following recipe I lifted from the Breadfarm website:

CHEF DREW’S GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

This recipe was created by our good friend Drew Jackson. After he made it for several dinner parties, we finally asked for the recipe. We love it made with Rhonda Gothberg’s fresh Chevre. Made right down the road from Breadfarm, it is quite frankly the best cheese around!

½# Gothberg Farms Fresh Chevre (or other goat cheese)
½# unsalted butter (at room temperature)
4T shallots, minced
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Puree goat cheese and butter in a food processor. Add shallots, salt and pepper and whip to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with crostini or toast points.

Enjoy!

Slough Food
5766 Cains Court Suite B, Edison, WA
http://www.sloughfood.com/

Breadfarm
5766 Cains Court, Edison, WA
http://www.breadfarm.com/

Adrift Restaurant
510 Commercial Ave., Anacortes WA 98221
http://www.adriftrestaurant.com/

Good ol' Fashioned Community ...

2010-07-18T13:46:00.001-07:00

I thoroughly relish how ideas unfold in the ripeness of time. I’m off on a tangent today, and won’t be chattering about cheese, per se.

I was channel surfing last night and happened upon a showing of the documentary “FOOD, Inc.” on the Public Television channel.

When it came out about a year or so ago, I was aware of it and the brouhaha it created. There was a lot of dialog; people were a-buzz over the revelations about corporate food industry and its unsettling impact on our way of life, on our health, on our choices, even on our perceived freedom. You know how Americans are about their freedom! But, I did not go see the documentary then.

I am grateful that I happened upon it last night. The ramifications are chilling, to say the least. I’m all for capitalism, every business should be able to be competitive and make a profit. It’s when business loses sight of ethics and makes choices that are counter to the local and global common good, in cut-throat/take no prisoners pursuance of profit to shareholders and strong-arm litigation and political leveraging, that makes me wonder what can be done by little ol’ me.

Other than my indignation over what the exposé shed light on, it started a train of thought about what’s being sold and bought in supermarkets, convenience at the expense of health, extraordinary corporate farming dependence upon petroleum products that enables the convenience in the supermarket, family farms and independents being forced out of the marketplace; the legal and political clout of behemoth food industry corporations, and why it makes a difference to me.

It’s frightening to think that a very few mega-corporations have maneuvered such control over our food sources, that if something went wrong with their engineered/cloned foods, there would not be anything else to fall back on. If they are systematically eliminating competition, we would have no other choices. This could have global consequences. We must preserve and support our local food sources. There’s a glaring and appalling imbalance.

There is more at stake than profit and convenience.

That got me thinking about local farmers, about local farmer markets, and my own interest in artisanal and farmstead cheeses.

The political buzzword these days seems to be “transparency.” I’m interested in these farms and creameries because there’s a face-to-face component that appeals to me. I know the cheesemaker. I know the area of the farm or creamery. I can talk to them. In some cases, I know their families and even the names of some the goats or cows. There’s accountability and accessibility. I know what they put in their cheese. In some places, I can even watch how they make my food.

It’s comforting and reassuring to know there are local sources for the salad greens I eat, for the yogurt and cheese and butter I eat, for the raspberries—oh baby, has there been a delicious crop of raspberries here this year at Boxx Berries—you get the picture.

But it’s more than a personal feel-good situation. If we don’t all in some way or another support our local food sources, they will continue to shrink and disappear … and then we’ll have nothing. It’s chilling to see the rapidly declining farmland in just Whatcom County alone (2007 Census of Agriculture: in 2002 there were 148,027 acres of farmland. In 2007 there were 102,584 acres of farmland. About 30% LESS!) Sustainability takes a community to make it happen. Also, when you buy locally, it benefits locally. Local farmers spent their profits at local service providers, so those revenues go to local public services and road maintenance and schools, etc., which benefit you and me.

It’s more than just supporting our local farmers. It’s also demanding accountability for the food being sold in supermarkets and mega-stores. Demand labeling so you know if your meat is shipped in from out of the country, contact your local political representatives and tell them you want to know if the food you’re eating is cloned or genetically altered. Don’t stand for the mega-producers legally preventing the consumer from making complaints or even questioning the way our food is produced. You DO have the power and the right to know what you’re eating and where it came from. Exercise that right. You don’t have to stand on a soapbox and shout expletives of anger and rage; just calmly send an e-mail or a Tweet to your congressmen and state representatives. There is strength in numbers! You plus me, plus Ann, plus Bill, plus … we count!

Educate yourselves! What is more vital than our source of food?

I came across the following web blog from Rainbeau Ridge, a farm in New York. Now, admittedly, New York is hardly local for us here in Birch Bay, but I like what Lisa Schwartz has to say in her blog. (Read her background. She was a management consultant who, in her fifties opted to change direction. In view of her passion for eating and sustainability, she bought her first pair of goats in 2003 and now has a thriving farm, supported by her community. She also has written a book. You can read more about her on her website.)

I like what she says because I feel that same local pride, a sense of community, a connectedness with the land and seriously, I think more people are feeling the same way.

RAINBEAU RIDGE WEB BLOG
http://www.rainbeauridge.com/
April 13, 2010
The Ties that Bind Us

The ties that bind us are sometimes impossible to explain. They connect us even after it seems like the ties should be broken. Some bonds defy distance and time and logic; Because some ties are simply... meant to be.

Grey’s Anatomy closing line episode 508

Much as I hate needing my car to get just about everywhere around here, I love a long, solitary drive. For me it’s think time.

Today I was thinking about ‘ties that bind us’ when I heard Neil Diamond singing Sweet Caroline at the Red Sox game, broadcast on the music station I was listening to. Not being a Diamond fan (no goats named in his honor!) nor a fan of the song, I found myself sporting a big, goofy smile as I listened to his rendition, voice scratchy with age and cigarettes(?), as the fans chimed in with the oh oh oh and “so good, so good” chants. For a few minutes, people of all persuasions came together for the silliest of songs, the connection to the game completely escapes me- but who cares—they’re having fun, all smiles and part of a community. In fact being amongst fans at a baseball game (assuming you have no interlopers from the opposing team) may be one of the few places these days where people enjoy being with others, regardless of politics, views on climate change or healthcare or anything else that matters.

Another venue that celebrates community is at Rainbeau Ridge on CAP pick up day—where our members come to shop for their weekly produce, eggs, cheese and other goodies. In this case, the ties that bind are more obvious. Some are confirmed locavores, others are just trying to find a way to connect to their food—the core of all who come to the farm share common ties of joy and interest in fresh and delicious food-- and it is palpable. The enthusiasm of each and every visitor feeds my soul—their happiness in being a part of CAP, the shopping and farm experience, meeting of neighbors and greeting new friends as connections are made, recipes traded—it’s such good ol’ fashioned community and I’m delighted and energized by what has emerged.”

So, that’s about it for today. Not too cheesy, I admit. But it’s what was on my mind. I have to go to Grace Harbor Goat Farm and buy some goat yogurt. It goes fabulously with the Boxx Berries raspberries. If my timing is right, they might even have some fresh chevre!

I’ll be back with cheese soon!

Huntsman Double Delight ...

2010-06-22T10:43:00.001-07:00

Summer has been slow out of the gate this year in Birch Bay, WA. June has been uncharacteristically overcast, with periodic showers. It was on such a gloomy morning that I found myself in the cheese department, cheered by the sunshine yellow cheeses; little suns smiling up at me.

A visually attractive cheese piqued my eye and curiosity. Huntsman is a relatively modern combining of two English classics. It’s a Double Gloucester (cheddar) combined in alternating layers with Stilton (blue cheese). It’s layered by hand in a very complex labor-intensive process. Huntsman is a trademarked name of Long Clawson Dairy in England, but I’ve learned there are many imitations in the marketplace, including Stilchester. All of them are imported from England.

Huntsman is made with whole cow’s milk. Its name supposedly touts the region’s hunting tradition. Long Clawson Dairy was founded in 1911 when twelve farmers from the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire formed a co-operative to produce Stilton cheese in the village of Long Clawson. They now make 30 cheeses, including many innovative blended cheeses.

I love blue cheese and equally love cheddar, so imagine my delight in a cheese that combines the two! This double treat has the savory cheddar-like base Double Gloucester with a layer of creamy sharp, full-flavored Blue Stilton infused through the center. Some of the products made by others have multiple layering.

Because of the layering of the cheese, I would rather use it on a cheeseboard or as a snack or appetizer. However, it would be tasty on a grilled steak or a grilled hamburger with bacon. Yum! Have you ever tried a blue cheese on steak or a burger? Superlative taste experience!

I was at a loss for something quick for an early dinner, until I remembered the humble wedge of Huntsman waiting for me in the refrigerator.

I didn’t have a steak or burger to grill, so I simply sliced the Huntsman—both cheeses are pretty easy to cut—and paired it with quince paste, on a buttery multigrain cracker. The understated sweetness of the quince was a lovely counter to the savory and sharp cheeses. Oh baby! It was heavenly.

I read that it also goes well with chutney, and is often an alternative to traditional cheddar on a Ploughman Platter:

2 slices of fresh, crusty bread
1 Tbsp of Branston pickle
Half an apple, sliced
2 sticks of sliced celery
2 picked onions
1 sliced tomato
2 slices of Huntsman

I just came across this recipe for blue cheese, but I know it would be superlative with Huntsman:

Slice a French loaf or a hoagie or po’ boy bun in half, cover with pizza sauce and top with a mixture of chopped onions, mushrooms, tomato slice and Huntsman. Place it under the grill for five minutes and enjoy a warm, melty piece of heaven. Oh, I wish I had fixed that! De-lish!

I’m a white wine gal, so I enjoyed my simple repast with a crisp sauvignon blanc. However, I read that most frequently the recommendation is to pair this cheese with a Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Port, or other red wine. I understand it also goes well with just about any kind of beer or ale.

The recommended shelf life of Huntsman cheese is about 45 days. Just make certain you tightly wrap any leftover cheese in a fresh plastic or foil wrap, and store it in the warmest area of the refrigerator. For best flavor, remember to bring it to room temperature to eat it.

My recommendation? Try it! I’ll wager you’ll find there won’t be anything left to worry yourself about a shelf life!

www.clawson.co.uk
www.dcicheeseco.com
www.gourmet-food.com/gourmet-cheese/huntsman-cheese
www.ilovecheese.co.uk

The hunt was on for cheese! Any cheese, please!

2010-06-02T10:56:00.001-07:00

Rummaging, I was, through the refrigerator searching for cheese; any cheese! I couldn’t find a single morsel. Nothing behind the half-full bottle of Sun Luck oyster sauce, nothing behind the mayo, nothing under the celery or the bok choy, nothing on the other side of the box of butter.

My anticipation was rapidly fading.

Wait! What’s that? I recognize that wrapping! Quel Fromage! What, oh what had I pushed all the way to the back of the top shelf and forgotten? More importantly, was it still edible or had it become just another moldy science project?

Lordy! Lordy! A wee bit of cave-aged Gruyère! Thanks be to the good god of all that is cheese!

I remember having used most of the originally purchased wedge in a 3-cheese sauce for macaroni, but with a shy ¼-cup of Gruyère left, there wasn’t enough for a sauce.

Gruyère is one of the firm raw cow’s milk cheeses of Switzerland that crumbles readily, but is well known for its superb melting capability. It’s the basis for any good Swiss fondue, and is preferred for au gratin onion soups. But I didn’t have enough for such.

The only recourse was to simply open my mouth and savor and enjoy each sliver and crumble. And enjoy it I did!

Because of the aging in a cave for at least 6 to 13 months to, in some cases, 3 years, and the process of washing the wheels of cheese, the taste of this Swiss cheese is more intense, more complex than some other Swiss cheeses. And especially more flavorful than most Swiss cheeses bricks and slices found in the supermarket.

I felt it stood on its own merit by eating it, rather than including it in a sauce—it was delicious! I love the words used by Sam Gugino, in the September 2008 issue of Wine Spectator magazine: “…a rich mouthfeel and a long finish.”

I didn’t eat it with crackers or apple slices because the taste was ever so slightly salty with a hint of sharp, and musty, and a complexity because of the aging, that I didn’t want to be distracted by any other taste.

In The Cheese Plate, authors McCalman and Gibbons say, “… one of the best things about Gruyère is that it’s salty on the attack but not on the finish.” I totally agree!

I did learn that a very good American Gruyère is made by the Swiss family, Wisconsin-based company Roth Kase.

Amazing the taste power in that slightly less than ¼-cup of Gruyère.

2010 Seattle Cheese Festival

2010-05-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Nataworry Photography

Should have hyped this earlier, and now that it’s almost over I feel a little sheepish even mentioning it. Nonetheless, I felt moved to bring it to your attention in case you wanted to put it on next year’s calendar of things to do.

Pike Place Market, Seattle’s destination farmers market, is once again the venue for Seattle Cheese Festival, May 15 and 16, 2010. This is the annual go-to place for cheese foodies and general folk alike to taste, learn more about, and enjoy artisanal cheese locally made, and from around the globe!

Wander along the cheese concourse sampling dozens of cheeses. It’s an excellent opportunity to taste cheeses you may have never tried before and not have to buy a whole wheel or wedge of it from your cheesemonger or cheese retailer just to see if you like it. A treasure trove of experts are on hand to learn from and to broaden your cheese palate.

This is a marvelous opportunity, too, to buy these lovely cheeses directly from the producers who have taken time away from their milking and separating curds and whey to be on hand to meet you and tell you about their pride and joy!

I’ve wanted to attend this hoopla for years, but work demands have always kept me from joining in on the celebration.

If you were one of the lucky ones to have attended this year, I invite you to share your experience with me, and I’ll include your comments and/or photographs here on my blog, or send me links to your write-ups about the Seattle Cheese Festival and I'll include links directly to your commentary.

There are several dairies and creameries from my neck o’ the woods presently represented down in Seattle right now! Let me know how it went for you!

If you want to find out more about this festival or want to attend next year, view http://seattlecheesefestival.com/ for details.

2010 Cheese Concourse participants:

Agour

Amaltheia Organic Dairy

Ambrosi

Arla

Beemster Cheese

Black Sheep Creamery

Cellars at Jasper Hill

Champignon North America, Inc. (Cambozola)

Chevre Noir

Estrella Family Creamery

Faribault Dairy Company

Ford Farms

Interval

Isigny

Jana Foods

Kauzlarich Smoked Products

KH De Jong

La Buchette

Laura Chenel's Chèvre

Le Pommier

Macrina Bakery & Café

Maximilien Restaurant

Mozzarella Fresca

Mt. Townsend Creamery

Papillon

Pike Place Market PDA

Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods

Silver Springs Creamery

Specialties

Terre Des Volcans

The New York Times

Tournevent

WSU Creamery

Willamette Valley Cheese

Willapa Hills Farmstead Cheese

Willis Marketing

Yancey's Fancy

Let’s all try to make it to this event next year, shall we?

Postscript
It’s a silliness on my part, but I've been told to go to Montana, a place I’ve never been before and really had little motivation to consider. Admittedly times and motivations change. But, Montana?

In putting together this entry about the Seattle Cheese Festival, I clicked randomly—was it really random—on the link of one of the participants at the Festival—Amaltheia Organic Dairy—only to find that it’s a goat cheese dairy in MONTANA! I love goat cheese!

Maybe I need to take a roadtrip to Montana, and learn a wee bit more about Melvyn’s and Sue’s operation in Belgrade, just outside of Bozeman.

Oops! Major faux pas!

2010-05-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

In my last entry I went on and on about this wonderful cheese blogger I came across. I mean, I waxed to the max ...

However, I totally did a switcheroo on the name of Jeanne's blog. I've corrected it on my previous entry, but wanted to bring my error to the fore, just to make certain you get to the right blog!

Please visit Jeanne Carpenter's blog Cheese Underground! You'll correctly find her at http://www.cheeseunderground.blogspot.com/. It will be worth the effort!

My apology, Jeanne!

"Cheese is food, not a status symbol."

2010-05-14T14:18:00.000-07:00

Since this interest in cheese has come over me, I’ve been following and learning from various cheese blogs. One that I particularly enjoy is Cheese Underground, written by Jeanne Carpenter in Madison, Wisconsin. She blogs mostly about up and coming artisan cheesemakers in Wisconsin, but she travels around to the many competitions and artisan cheese events nationwide and then reports on the latest.

Back in January, she wrote about a book she had just finished reading. I’ve included her entire blog entry here. On the basis of her recommendation, I went to Village Books in Fairhaven and purchased a copy. I have to agree 100% with Jeanne’s assessment! I found it to be so much more than just a book about artisan cheese and a cheesemonger.

The reason I’m bringing this up now is that Village Books, co-sponsored by Bellingham’s Community Food Co-op, is scheduled to have Gordon Edgar, the cheesemonger himself, at Village Books at 7:00 pm on Monday, May 17, 2010. I’ll be there just to see and hear this good fellow in person.

Here is what Jeanne wrote about Gordon in The Antithesis of a Cheese Snob, posted 18 Jan 2010 to Cheese Underground:

“’Cheese is food, not a status symbol.’

And with that simple sentence, Gordon Edgar won me over in his new book, ‘Cheesemonger, A Life on the Wedge’ (Chelsea Green Publishing, January 2010, $17.95). As the cheese buyer for Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in San Francisco, Gordon was a cheesemonger before cheesemongering was cool. He's the Barbara Mandrel of the cheese counter.

Fifteen years ago, this former punk rocker bluffed his way into being hired at Rainbow by proclaiming his favorite cheese was ‘anything raw and rennetless.’ Today, he's considered to be one of the hippest, most knowledgeable cheese buyers in the country.

I bought and sped read his book last week as a writing assignment for a magazine and have to admit I was not looking forward to it, as I've really started dreading reading cheese books. Most of the cheese guides hitting the book stores these days are full of pretentious verbiage written by people who assume that by reputation alone, they are THE authority on cheese.

Not Gordon. While several parts of his book caught me off guard - as in spew coffee through my nose surprised - the preface alone was enduring. Here's how Gordon starts:

‘There are plenty of great cheese guidebooks out there. This is not one of them.’ Alrighty then. Well, Cheese Underground readers, I guarantee that by the end of Gordon's book, you'll disagree. While ‘Cheesemonger is billed as the story of one guy's memoir of his journey into the cheese business, it's also an inspiring, introspective read for people like me who have always struggled with being cool enough to fit into the hip cheese crowd.

Not that I really fit into any hip crowd - evidenced by the episode this morning at the doctor's office with my daughter. After speed reading Gordon's book for the assignment last week, this week I've been carrying it with me everywhere, taking my time, re-reading it word for word and highlighting passages that especially speak to me. My daughter, who is almost always embarrassed by the fact that she has a mother who eats and writes about cheese for a living, was literally mortified when I pulled the book out of my bag and started talking it up to a complete stranger this morning who, like us, was waiting for his throat culture results (strep throat is making the rounds). Avery immediately ditched me and sprinted across the room, not wanting to be seen sitting with the resident cheese geek.

But now, thanks to Gordon, I fully and whole-heartedly am embracing my inner cheese geekness. I am proud to join Gordon as a fearless leader of non-snobs o' cheese everywhere, keeping in mind that ‘in the end, the cheese always does the talking.’

Amazing cheese doesn't need people like me describing it as a frou frou piece of art. It also doesn't need pretentious authors talking up its "artisan" characteristics or its ‘terroir.’ One of my favorite parts of Gordon's book is actually the ‘Cheese Buying for Beginners’ appendix, with helpful hints such as to spend your money on real Parmigiano Reggiano. He states: ‘Some Reggianos are better than others, but all are top quality. For the sake of Sweet Cheesus, don't buy it pre-grated unless you doing a large event.’

Gordon reminds the reader that after all, cheese is just food. Eat it. Enjoy it. Don't be afraid of it, and don't let other people tell you what you like or dislike. And by all means, ‘buy the cheese that makes you happy.’ Well said.”

And with that well said by Gordon and Jeanne, if you’re in the area, I encourage you to go see Gordon Edgar at Village Books on Monday, May 17th! I’ll definitely be there and look forward to seeing a full house of cheese geeks!

Village Books, 1200 Eleventh Street, Bellingham WA 98225
(360) 671-2626
http://www.villagebooks.com/

Jeanne Carpenter, author of Cheese Underground
http://www.cheeseunderground.blogspot.com/

"Gordon Edgar, Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge"
$17.95 ISBN-13: 9781603582377
Chelsea Green, Publishing Company

Thank Goodness for Mommy!

2010-05-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Mother’s Day advertising is blossoming all over the television, the newspapers, magazines, walking through the mall, et cetera, as the countdown to May 9th continues. Remember good ol’ Mom! May comes along and we inevitably think of mothers and Mother’s Day, yes?

It struck me, as I was eating some fresh goat chevre, that I wouldn’t be enjoying that delectable treat if it weren’t for a mother, or lots of mothers; goat mothers, sheep mothers, cow mothers, buffalo mothers.

Bless those mothers!

I enjoy this time of the year when babies are being born; they are so adorable. Who isn't emotionally moved by cuddly young babies? I love, too, that milk is starting to flow and cheeses are being created. Some cheeses are enjoyed fresh, others need to age before they’re at the point of enjoyability—is there such a term?

As I talk with folks throughout my day-to-day activities, there sometimes seems still to be a disconnect about how food is made before it is delivered to our supermarkets and placed on the market shelf or in the refrigerated cooler. Not only are some children clueless about where milk and cheese come from—or French fries, bread, or hot dogs, or catsup and mustard—but some adults also aren’t cognizant that the “mother” has to be lactating in order for there to be milk, and therefore, cheese.

Cow’s milk is a major industry here in the United States and the availability is managed so that cow's milk is combined from many different sources so that it’s in the store refrigerator year around.

But, if you’re an artisan creamery, and you have a finite number of cows, or sheep, or goats, then the lactation cycle is much more obvious; some cheeses are only available during a specific time of the year.

Although some artisan cheese dairies and creameries practice extended lactation management, the following appear to be the norm:

Ewe (sheep) lactation

is about 180 days.
Doe (goat) lactation

is about 300 days
Cow lactation

is about 305 days

I’m not sophisticated enough to understand the animal husbandry whys and wherefores, but I know that during certain months I can’t get some of the cheeses I enjoy. However, that makes those cheeses that more appealing and cherished when they are available at my cheesemonger’s counter!

Therefore, I want to applaud mothers everywhere and in every realm!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Postscript

On Fox News a few weeks ago, there was a mention of a NY restaurant owner, Daniel Angerer, who made cheese from his fiancee’s milk. Public reactions were mixed, which seems a little silly to me. If I had been interested in artisan cheese when I was lactating with my two sons, I think I would have been curious enough to try to make some cheese from my own milk.

Does it creep you out that patrons were eating cheese made from human mommy’s milk?

All the Irish angels were smiling upon me ...

2010-04-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

I’m a little behind the times, so bear with me as I catch up with some cheese experiences I’ve had this spring.

St. Patrick's Day … you’re right, that was March 17th, over a month and a half ago. At the time I was swamped with too many other distractions to even think of green … or partying … or cheese … or even about writing a blog entry. But the day after I had time to think, and I wondered what kind of Irish cheese I could have set out on a festive platter.

On March 18th, I was in Fairhaven on business, so while there I headed to Quel Fromage to see what lovelies Rachel had in her cheese emporium. She kidded me about being a day late, but good cheese is good cheese. And an excellent Irish cheese is exactly what I found.

Whiskey Cheddar from County Limerick (I ought to have a limerick to go with this. There was a man from Nantucket, who … Oh dear, can’t share that one!) Rachel cut a sample taste and I was sold! It was so yummy!

Dave and Marion Cahill, of Cahill Farm, create this one. They’ve been offering cheese since the early 1980s in County Limerick, Ireland, and Marion makes flavored cheddars from vintage Limerick recipes. Some of their creations aren’t available in the United States, but we’re lucky to be able to purchase their Kilbeggan single-malt Irish Whiskey infused cheddar here.

Their semi-hard cheese is made from pasteurized Friesian cow’s milk, and Marion uses vegetable rennet to separate the curds and whey, making Cahill’s a vegetarian choice. They also make their farmstead cheddar with Irish Porter they brew themselves (like Guinness Stout) and another cheddar flavored with elderberry wine.

I am interested in why people decide to make cheese. The typical thought is that the skill has been honed through generations of farmers and cheesemakers, and sometimes that is the case. However, Marion Cahill was once a bank clerk, but decided to become a cheesemaker in 1966 when she and Dave married. Years later and with the help of a small dedicated staff, they are an established gourmet cheese legend!

How does it taste? Faith & Begorra!!!! It is wonderfully mellow and a little tangy, but not sharp, and there’s also a delightful “breath” to it, I suppose because of the whiskey infusion. The alcohol disappears during the aging process, but a pleasant residual complexity remains. Delightful!

Somewhere I read that a traditional country ploughman’s lunch consisted of cheddar and pickles. There is a Country Ploughman’s served at The Honor Oak in London that consists of honey roast ham, Dorset cheddar, pickles, Braeburn apple and bread. Sounds great to me!

One cool service that I appreciate at Quel Fromage is that on their sales receipt is a little history of the cheese you’re buying, the price, suggested beverage pairings and what to serve with the cheese.

Quel Fromage suggested serving this cheese with pickles and sweet onions, and with whiskey, pale ale, Riesling, or Gewurztraminer.

I tried it with a bread-n-butter type of pickle I had in the frig and sweet onions. It was okay. I also ate it with braeburn apple slices, which was excellent, and I used some of it, with 2 other cheeses, in a mac-n-cheese, washed down with some Riesling, that was marvelous!

There’s also a Kerrygold Aged Cheddar with Irish Whiskey, that has a similar robust flavor, with distinctive undertones of smooth, nutty taste. There could be others that I’m just not aware of. If interested, check out the selections and taste for yourself how they differ in taste slightly or greatly!

I may have been a day late for St. Patrick’s Day 2010, but I can now enjoy a wee bit o’ the Irish any ol’ time I want throughout the year!

I hope you’ll enjoy this Whiskey Cheddar from County Limerick, too!

PS I just read on Wikipedia that the shortest St Patrick's Day parade in the world takes place in Dripsey, Cork. The parade lasts just 100 yards and travels between the village's two pubs.

It's a matter of personal preference ...

2010-03-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went into our little beach market on the corner and handed the cashier a couple of heads of garlic I wanted to buy. As she rang up the purchase, she said she had never used fresh garlic; she just sprinkled on what she wanted from a little jar of dried garlic powder. I told her how simple it is to use garlic cloves and how it makes whatever one is cooking so much tastier. She said she would have to try it one of these days. I knew she was just being polite and I didn’t belabor the issue … to each their own …

But, the conversation got me to thinking about the Parmesan article I just uploaded and the vast taste difference between Kraft grated Parmesan and grating my own imported Parmesan.

Cooking with the freshest ingredients results in better tasting food. It may take a little more time and it may cost a little more for your groceries, but it’s better for you and tastes better--a good value in my estimation!

Speaking of good tastin’ stuff, try out this appetizer recipe that combines Parmesan AND garlic:

Hot Garlic-Parmesan Soufflé

15 cloves garlic peeled

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

(Dare I suggest substituting Mascarpone—Italian style cream cheese—for cream cheese??? It IS more $$$ Maybe we’ll save Mascarpone for another day. Or, perhaps you have a local creamery that makes its own cream cheese! Yay!)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of low-sodium mushroom soup, undiluted

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 loaf baguette bread, thinly sliced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine garlic cloves and chicken broth; bring to a boil and poach 15 minutes or until garlic is soft. Remove garlic cloves to a small bowl and allow them to cool. When cool, mash with a fork; set aside.

Cook and reduce chicken broth to a glaze; remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mushroom soup, garlic-chicken glaze, mashed garlic, and egg yolks; stir until well blended. Transfer into a shallow ungreased 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish.

Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve with bread.

Serves many!

Enjoy!

PS ... of course you could go the extra kilometer, and make your own chicken broth with less sodium, and your own mushroom soup without all the preservatives, and use those in the above recipe. Wouldn't it be fun to see how much it actually DOES taste better making your own than using canned broth/soup?

Isn't it wonderful to have a choice?

Advantages of an 800-year old Italian Tradition ...

2010-03-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

Pasta al dente, sauce bubbling ready, I had tossed in a bit of smoked salmon given to me by a friend. It all smelled heavenly! I had a small wedge of Reggiano Grassi Parmesan and grated enough for my spaghetti and I was soon in gastronome heaven!

Wait a minute now … gastronome seems a bit pretentious, so I looked it up: “Gastronome – a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink) bon vivant, epicure, epicurean, foodie, gourmet sensualist—a person who … “ I got the picture.

Food is a sensuous experience for me, but let’s get real! I hate being labeled, so let’s ditch the gastronome label. I digress …

When I reached into the frig for the cheese, I noticed my roomie had a readily identified green Kraft container of 100% Real Grated Parmesan Cheese. I’ve used this brand of grated parmesan cheese my whole life. If there was spaghetti or ravioli or whatever Italian dish on my dinner table, there was Kraft Real Grated Parmesan Cheese right next to it. I must admit, in all that time I consumed it, I had never read the label. Container said it was real cheese, it was parmesan, it went onto my pasta.

But now that I’m educating myself about cheese, I read labels:

Kraft
100% Real Grated Parmesan Cheese
No Fillers
Ingredients: Parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, less than 2% of enzymes, cheese culture, cellulose powder to prevent caking, potassium sorbate to protect flavor) aged 6 months.

Well now, powder to prevent caking and a preservative. They're not cheese.

A little investigation and I found that commercial parmesan cheeses common in North America typically differ from Parmigiano-Reggiano in several ways:

The cheese is aged for a shorter time, i.e., Kraft cheese is aged 6 months, whereas Grassi Parmigiano-Reggiano is aged a minimum of 18 months, Zanetti UCI Parmiagiano-Reggiano is aged 2-3 years. The longer the cheese ages, the more complex and desirable the taste.

The curds for Parmigiano-Reggiano are cut into fragments the size of wheat grains, which is much finer than the fragments created in the manufacture of the American version of Parmesan. The smaller curds drain more effectively.

American Parmesan is mechanically pressed to expel excess moisture.

Parmesan wheels in the United States average 24 pounds. The size difference can affect their salt saturation during the brining process; a typical 75 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano wheel contains two-thirds less salt than the average Parmesan.

It is often sold grated. Cheese will lose much of its flavor if it is grated, then stored. Better taste if you grate only as much as you’ll need for the meal.

There is no outside body regulating or supervising the quality of the raw ingredients or of the production process in the United States. In Italy, Parmigiano-Reggiano is completely regulated. No additives are permitted and cows must be fed a special diet—no silage—the milk is considered “grass-fed.” To produce the cheese, morning and evening milk are combined, skimmed, then heated in copper vats under the watchful eye of a master cheesemaker who knows just when the curd has set. The concave wheels are cured in brine for about 24 days and then placed on racks where they are turned and brushed continuously throughout curing. The regulating body comes in and tests throughout maturation of the cheese and does not add the coveted export stamp to the wheel unless it adheres to all production stipulations.

I’ve not researched … yet … who in the United States makes and sells a domestic Parmesan. But I did find a recipe for making Parmesan cheese in “Home Cheese Making” which includes recipes for 75 cheeses you can make at home and then recipes for cooking with cheese. Author Ricki Carroll writes her book in an easy to follow manner, and throws in all sorts of cheese lore. She’s also the owner of New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, which provides information and cheesemaking equipment and supplies.

Jumped around a bit this time, but the end result was spaghetti that was a totally satisfying taste sensation. Why go to all the time and effort of preparing good spaghetti and then cut it off at the knees by shaking on Kraft Parmesan, when you can quickly and easily grate your own and make the meal Benissimo!

Home Cheese Making, Ricki Carroll
Culture, the word on cheese, Spring 2009
The Cheese Plate, Max McCalman and David Gibbons
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cheeses of the World, Steve Ehlers and Jeanette Hurt

Taking good health to heart ...

2010-03-05T15:40:00.000-08:00

I had another article in mind to upload today, but it will wait. Instead I wanted to share something I read today as I wandered through the wonderful articles and descriptions and photographs in the current issue of "Culture." This is a delightful periodical ... "the word on cheese."

I'm repeatedly hearing about the sustainability purposing of the dairy folk I'm meeting. It's more than just the cheese; it's the whole package mentality. Taking care of the land, in turn, takes care of the milk stock, making better cheese ... ah ha! BUT, as I read an article by nutrition expert and author Dr. Marion Nestle, I learned yet another good effect of land taken care of takes care of me!

I've also had acquaintances comment that they don't eat cheese because of the "bad fat." I wondered about that. I keep eating cheese, but I wondered. The following is what Dr. Nestle had to say about both good fat/bad fat and the land ...

CULTURE:

"There's a lot of talk these days about "good" fat versus "bad" fat. Where does cheese fit into that discussion?

Dr. Nestle:

In a word: moderation! Saturated fat--the kind found in dairy products--is so-called bad fat, the kind that raises blood cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease. Cheese is right up there as a leading source of saturated fat in the diet, along with other dairy products and beef. How worried should you be about this? It depends on what the rest of your diet looks like, how active you are, your weight, your genetic inheritance, and whether or not you smoke cigarettes. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle and if heart disease doesn't run in your family, the amount of cheese you eat eat isn't nearly as critical as it might be for someone in the opposite health situation.

Cheese lovers can also take heart (pun intended) in the hopeful results of newly emerging research about CLA--conjugated linoleic acid--a natural trans fat found in cheese and other dairy products made from the milk of cows that have fed on grass. CLAs appear to behave more like good fats, helping to improve cholesterol and triglyceride profiles in the body and maybe doing all sorts of other positive things such as preventing cancer, enhancing immunity, and strengthening bones. When one nutritional component is said to do so much, however, I'm usually skeptical. But the research on CLA is promising--stay tuned for more of it."

Dr. Nestle goes on to endorse moderation in cheese consumption for most people. Treat yourself to a moderate helping of a really excellent cheese, instead of a less than satisfying reduced fat cheese. Even a small portion of cheese grated on steamed veggies or in a hearty soup, or shavings included in a crisp spring greens salad, etc., are soooooo taste incredible! It isn't necessary to eat a whole wedge of cheese.

But, let's back up a bit. "... cheese and other dairy products made from the milk of cows that have fed on grass." Why, that sounds to me like exactly what the smaller local dairy folk I'm meeting are advocating and putting into practice. They pasture feed their milking stock, and while their fields aren't producing during the dead of winter, they have special feed to replicate those same nutrients their stock gain from being grass fed--no silage. You want cheese from grass fed milk!

I like the sound of CLAs behaving like good fat and providing all those marvelous advantages, don't you?

I encourage you to pick up a copy of "Culture" and finish reading the rest of Dr. Marion Nestle's article for other info about milk from different animals, and about vegetarianism.

I also encourage you to learn a little about the makers of the cheese you eat. A little self-education could add up to better health ... and a healthy appreciation for the artisan cheesemaker!

Who you callin' sophisticated?

2010-02-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

I enjoy that friends are so gracious in sharing information they come across because they know I'm fascinated by artisan cheese and writing a blog about my encounters with cheesemakers and mongers. Janet McCall at The Northern Light in Blaine brought this quote to my attention:

"The increasingly sophisticated American palate for the 300 varieties of natural and specialty blended cheeses sold in the U.S. will pace future growth in a $14 billion retail market that is projected to be on fire by 2020, according to 'Natural and Specialty Cheese: The U.S. Market and a Global Perspective,' a first-of-its-kind report by market research publisher Packaged Facts. The retail natural and specialty blended cheese market showed healthy growth from 2005 to 2009, posting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7%. Packaged Facts projects the market will approach $17 billion by 2014."

That's a lot of cheese, folks! I found it interesting and encouraging seeing the volume of natural and specialty blended cheese being made here and/or imported. However, one aspect of that quote didn't feel right, "a sophisticated palate." I would have been more comfortable with the term "educated" rather than "sophisticated."

I'm definitely not sophisticated.

In meeting and talking with local creamery owners and cheesemakers, I've been impressed by their knowledge and talents, and moved by their hardships and victories, their passions and dreams. They are, for the most part, humble protectors and advocates for soil conservation, passionate about their livestock and their cheese, and taking pride in making the best product they can for their clients. Sophisticated is not generally a term I would use to describe them.

Then there are everyman, ordinary consumers, like me, who aren't interested in the elitist, social snobbery, of eating cheese deemed high-brow.

I hope to encourage more consumers to re-connect with their food sources. I'm not climbing up on my soapbox ... but ... I think it valuable for the health and welfare of our communities that local cottage industries be supported and sustained by folks who live right next door, particularly when they are providing a healthy, incredibly good tasting product!

Wow! Little did I realize that phrasing would tweak a nerve. If you want to be sophisticated, I promise I won't hold it against you! I'm simply trying to promote the benefit of educating myself (and maybe others) about artisan cheese and cheesemakers.

Fantastico!

2010-02-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

Anneke Pearse, a dear friend and mighty proud mama, wrote to tell me that her son Erin and his wife Michelle sent a recipe to http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Crusty-Jalapeno-Cheese-Bread-Fantastico-354609 and she thought I might want to include it on Chatterbox Cheese. Wasn’t that nice of her? I do, indeed want to pass along this delectable bread recipe.

Check out the link for the m-a-n-y wonderful comments about this yummy bread! I also wanted to give credit to Brenda for the photograph that was included with the recipe on Recipezaar.

Although the recipe calls for a 15-oz package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, I recommend you buy a locally produced sharp cheddar cheese and shred or grate it yourself. It DOES taste different!

Thanks, Anneke, for contributing to Chatterbox Cheese!

And thank you, too, Erin and Michelle!

MichelleAndErinFeb 8, 2009
Extremely simple yeast bread with cheddar & jalapeño ribbons; crusty exterior. A gorgeous artisan bread derived from "Jim Lahey's No-Knead Bread" method.

SERVES 12 , 1 round loaf

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (not regular yeast)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 (15 ounce) jar sliced jalapeño peppers
1 (15 ounce) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Important: you will need a heavy pot with a lid. A Dutch oven is ideal; I just use a heavy stew pot with thick sides. I start the dough at 9pm if I want it for dinner the next day.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

3. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and flop dough onto it. Fold it over on itself once or twice. Put some flour on your hands if the dough sticks to them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

4. Divide the bag of cheese into 1/4s, and divide the jar of peppers into 4 portions, too, taking care to remove any stems or woody bits.

5. Remove plastic and press the dough flat. Sprinkle it with a portion of peppers and cheese. Fold in half, press flat, sprinkle again. I usually use only 3 of the 4 portions of cheese/peppers. Mash it into a ball, pressing firmly to seal the seam.

6. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

7. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Drop dough into pot, taking care not to burn your fingers. It may look like a mess, but that is okay. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.

8. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 or longer, until loaf is beautifully browned. This may take as long as 60 minutes total bake time, but mine is usually done by 45 min total.

9. Cool on a rack. Listen to it crackle as it cools.

Silver Springs Creamery

2010-02-15T14:15:00.001-08:00

Responding to an excellent article I read on Facebook about goat milk, a “comment” from Silver Springs Creamery popped onto my screen. I hadn’t before come across this creamery, so was intrigued to find out more about it.

I looked in my copy of Tami Parr’s “Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest,” and there it was on E. Hemmi Road in Lynden, near Bellingham, WA. Nice surprise; only 30 minutes away from where I live!

I called and talked with Cara Flora, recently hired for product sales and marketing.

Eric Sundstrom is the owner/cheesemaker, who along with his daughter and son, keep the family farm running. Away I went to find out more about this local cheesemaker.

After many years working for others, Eric decided he could do better for his family and purchased his own farm in 2004, and in 2006 was licensed to make cheese from the milk of his herd of Jersey cows. The family had a devastating setback in 2007, but through sheer determination and hard work, they are back stronger than ever. It was evident while talking with Eric that aside from the fact that he’s a man of few words, he is firmly committed to and loves his farm, and is making the most of what he has. I could feel his resolve. I asked him what he loved best about his farm and he said, “Waking up early every morning and making it happen.”

When Tami’s book was published, Silver Springs Creamery had only Jersey cows and made Gouda and Jeddar (cheddar made with Jersey cows’ milk), yogurt, ice cream and sorbet.

Eric has since added to his 8 Jersey cows, some 20 Lamancha goats (an American breed with cute little nub ears close to their head) and is now offering goat milk, yogurt and gouda. He noted the increase in the demand for goat dairy products, and so moved forward to supply that demand. Silver Springs is a member of the PNW Cheese Project and a member of Sustainable Connections in Whatcom County. Respecting the land is Eric's priority, as that is what makes good milk and sustains his animals. He planted a specific blend of grains and grasses in his pastures and doesn't spray chemicals and uses organic fertilizers, which enable his animals to produce a better quality of milk.

I was provided with a sampling of just about all of their creations, and everything made my taste buds cheer with pleasure!

I was given Jersey cow milk ice cream (Vanilla and Coffee w/Heath Bar) and I ate them right away because I didn’t have good enough refrigeration at the office; several others helped me try out the ice cream. Both were so creamy and flavorful, and both get my thumbs up, although I especially enjoyed the Coffee w/Heath Bar!

I also enjoyed the fresh goat milk, and the goat milk yogurt. Oh my! The yogurt was a lot creamier than I anticipated. Had that great fresh yogurt taste, but loved the creamy consistency! Eric doesn’t include stabilizers. It’s all goat milk and live culture. Yum!

Ah … but now we get to the cheese!!!!!

You’ll find them listed and described on the Silver Springs website. So I’ll just add my own few comments.

La Jersey is a semi-hard cheese made from a blending of goat and cow milk. The two flavors I had—they offer plain, dill and onion, cumin, herb and black pepper—were both very smooth, velvety. I absolutely adored the Black Pepper! I ate it sliced on some crisp peppery crackers, and it was perfect! Definitely not too much pepper! I also had the Plain La Jersey, which was delicious both for snacking and grated onto my spaghetti last night.

Goat Gouda was a beautifully fresh tasting pale yellow cheese. Made in the traditional Dutch manner, but using goat milk instead of cow milk. This was excellent in sandwiches and as a snack by itself. I think Eric ages this cheese 4-6 months.

I also had a sample of The Big D, which is a crumbly, sharp Lamancha goat milk cheese. As the cheese ages, at least 6 months, it evolves in flavor. You’ll enjoy this robust, salty cheese.

I didn’t have a sample of Jeddar, which is Eric’s Jersey cow milk cheese aged at least 9 months. This sharp cheddar cheese should be available this summer. They also produce a classic cow milk Gouda, and Classic, goat milk aged hard cheese which is more mild than the sharp Big D.

Hard-working Eric seems to do it all! He does the milking and handling of the cows and does, AND he makes all the cheese. He creates all of his cheeses in 10-pound wheels, except for The Big D, which is made in 2-lb wheels. As you can guess, not all cheeses are available at all times. Call the farm store or check the website to find out what is ready for your enjoyment. However, Eric doesn’t quite do it all. His daughter and son, when not in school, also spend a lot of time helping with the 38-acre family farm. Eric’s son is quite proud of his free-range chickens and plans to add more to his flock. And, Cara Flora seems to be proving herself an excellent addition to the operation.

Silver Springs is a work in progress. A building houses the cheesemaking room, and the cheese aging room, with large viewing windows so visitors can see what it’s all about. Also in this building is the store and although you can now buy directly from the farm, soon the store will be enlarged to also offer free-range chicken eggs, and produce harvested from the 2 acres that will be planted with fava, spring greens, bok choy, lettuce mixes, onions, radishes and this summer Cara said they’ll have tomatillos, corn, tomatoes, hot peppers.

My photographs are rather winter dreary; everything looks better in the spring and summer months!

But there’s nothing dreary about the Silver Springs Creamery products! Although you can go out to the farm and buy the dairy products, it might be easier for you to purchase them at either of the Bellingham Co-ops,

the Skagit Co-op,

or Terra Organica.

You can also call the farm store or e-mail to have Cara ship an order of the available hard cheeses to you.

Eric plans to eventually provide a destination farm tour for visitors. I think it will be worth the wait!

In the meantime, do try all of the superior dairy products of Silver Springs Creamery. I heartily recommend them to you!

Silver Springs Creamery

Store Hours M-F 11 am - 4 pm
256 E. Hemmi Road
Lynden, WA 98264

(360) 820-1384

http://www.silverspringscreamery.com/

Thank you, Cara, for the photograph of Mt. Baker as seen from the farm!

And thank you, Eric, for taking the time to answer my questions and providing me with way more information than I could fit in this article!

Gustos Maravillosos!

2010-02-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

Every time I pass any cheese counter, I catch sight of the Manchego cheese and I think of Spain. España! I mean, just the sound of it conjures romantic, exotic visuals! Sí?

From my one and only visit—so far—to Spain way, way back in 1972, I only remember a couple of places. Oh my! That’s 38 years ago; amazing that I remember anything about Spain! But, I do remember the feel of the city of Madrid in May, and the totally European tourist/non-Spanish feel of Torremolinos, along the Costa del Sol—what I remember most about Torremolinos were the Germans and Swedes frolicking on the beach and partying all night! I remember Toledo and El Greco’s paintings, and who could forget Barcelona!

So, how does Manchego fit into this quixotic imagery? First of all, it’s an aged whole milk cheese (at bottom of the platter shown above) made of the milk of manchega sheep in La Mancha. The climate in that region of Spain is harsh, favoring the growth of very tough plants that comprise the diet for an ancestral breed of sheep. This very specific combination produces a very specific tasting cheese. There are recorded attempts to make Manchego cheese elsewhere in and outside of Spain, but the results do not compare to the regional taste of the cheese made in the La Mancha region.

La Mancha was named by the Arabs, who termed it Al Mansha, or waterless land, a perfect description of this rocky, high plateau (2,000’) region of Spain. It forms an ecosystem of vegetation—mainly grains and legumes—that survives the extreme summer heat and the deep frosts of the La Mancha winter, and the breed of sheep that adapted and thrives in those conditions. (Doesn’t it remind you of the extreme, elongated forms painted by El Greco? I know. I know. That has nothing to do with cheese!)

Manchego cheese is probably one the most important and well-known sheep’s milk cheeses in Spain. The rich, semi-firm cheese is aged in natural caves for three to six months. It has a characteristic shape and definition, due to the traditional use of grass molds, which imprinted a zigzag pattern along the side of the cheese wheel. A wooden board was used for pressing the cheese, which also imprinted a typical wheat pattern on the top and bottom. Now modern manufacturers use molds that replicate that traditional patterning.

It’s a protected regional cheese and is labeled “Denominación de Origen Protegida” (D.O.P.) If it doesn’t have that labeling, the cheese is known commonly as a “Manchego style” cheese. Aside from the milk having to come from regional sheep, the labeling also attests to the fact that the aging period is a minimum of 60 days. The cheese is pressed and uncooked, the color is ivory to pale yellow, and you do not eat the rind.

The taste? I’ve seen it described as “Delicious-slightly piquant and nutty” on www.cheesefromspain.com/Manchego. I think it has a distinct, complex taste, but not too strong, slightly buttery, and a little salty, but not unpleasantly so. Some say it has a sheep milk after taste, but I don’t think my taste buds are that sophisticated as to discern that, or maybe I do and I just don't know the lingo. It’s semi-firm and slices or grates easily.

I ate it with Spanish olives, which are very salty, and it made a pleasant combination. I also put a little slice of quince paste, or a teaspoon of fig spread on a slice of Manchego and it was heavenly! The slightly sweet was excellent with the slightly salty.

“Cheese From Spain” recommends a pairing with a robust red wine (Rioja) or a dry sherry (Fino). It’s said, “The aromatic intensity of a Manzanilla wine makes it an excellent foil for this cheese.” If you’re not a wine person, try this cheese with Pilsener or medium-bodied beer.

A traditional way to enjoy it in Spain is having it served on toasted bread that has been rubbed with garlic and tomato, then drizzled with olive oil.

We can thank “Food & Wine” and Jose Garces for the following recipe. Talk about comfort food!

Herbed Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego

Ingredients
3 heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 qt half and half
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1 tsp chopped rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper
5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
9 oz aged Manchego cheese, coarsely shredded (2 C)
5 oz San Simon or smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (1 C)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375º. In 9-in cake pan, drizzle garlic with oil. Cover with foil and roast 40 min., until tender. Let cool, then squeeze out the cloves.

Mash the garlic to a paste and transfer to a saucepan. Add hald and half, thyme and rosemary and bring to boil. Simmer over very low heat until reduced to 3 cups, 20 min., season with salt and pepper.

Arrange ¼ of the potatoes in the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. Top with ¼ of the shredded cheeses and drizzle lightly with the garlic cream. Repeat the layering with the remaining potatoes, cheese and cream. Pour any remaining cream on top and press the top layer of potatoes to submerge it.

Bake the gratin for about 1-1/2 hrs, until golden and bubbling. Let cool for 20 min. before cutting into squares and serving.

Aside from the recipe above and the simple cheese slices with quince or fig, I also tried Manchego cheese quesadillas (see photos). It was good tasting, but I got my fruit mixed up and my photos show cranberries in the cheese. The recipe actually called for quince paste cut up and included in the melted cheese … oops … the cranberries weren’t bad, I ate the whole thing, but I later tried the quesadillas with quince paste and they do taste better. Another way I enjoyed eating the Manchego quesadillas was without any fruit in the melted cheese, but eaten along with a sweet, delicious tangerine. Oh! And another time I threw some seasoned cooked chicken chunks into the quesadillas and that was yummy! Let your imagination be your guide.

I found a number of other great recipes like Cheese-stuffed Risotto Cakes and an absolutely mouth-watering Black Pepper-Manchego Cheese Puffs! You can find them at http://www.chow.com/

I did a sampling of five different Spanish cheese, and Manchego was only one of the five, but it seems to have dominated this entry. So, I’ll talk about the other Spanish cheeses in the next blog entry.

Buying and cooking with this cheese didn't improve my high school Spanish, nor did I immediately break into thrilling and accomplished Flamenco dance steps. But my good ol' American tastebuds did absolutely delight in the experience! I must admit that I did a little shoe stomping and syncopated clapping as I prepared my quesadillas! Olé!

References
http://www.foodandwine.com/
http://www.chow.com/
www.quesomanchego.es/ingles/

Let's Banish Intolerance ...

2010-01-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

I think I’ve touched on the subject of lactose intolerance before, but it warrants additional discussion. I’m lactose intolerant, so it’s been determined by my physician, but there are some cheeses I seem to tolerate better than others. So, curious one that I am, I went Online to see what I could find.

There seems to be consensus that the age of the cheese has direct bearing on tolerance. Generally, the older the cheese, the less lactose it has.

Why? Let’s back up a bit and consider the cheese-making process. Most of the lactose found in cheese is removed with the whey during the processing. Aged cheeses contain almost no lactose.

As the major sugar in milk, lactose is the main food source for the various species of Lactobacillus used in making most cheese. These bacteria, which are also responsible for sourdough bread, yogurt, kimchee and dozens of other fermented foods, turn lactose into lactic acid, which is easily digested by humans, even those who are lactose intolerant.

The longer a cheese is aged, the more its lactose is consumed by the bacteria. I found this information in an article written by Jason Horn, a former editorial intern at CHOW. Horn reported a finding by food science professor Scott Rankin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that most of the lactose is gone from cheese after it has aged 90 days.

Processed cheese, Horn reports, has the most lactose. Christine Gerbstadt, a dietitian for the American Dietetic Association, points out that Velveeta has 9.3 percent lactose, which is almost as much as in whole milk. Not only is Velveeta not an aged cheese, but it also contains added lactose-laden milk solids.

Fresh and/or cheese that has not been aged, such as queso fresco, farmer’s cheese, some mozzarella, paneer, cottage cheese and cream cheese, contain the second greatest quantities of lactose. These are almost certain to cause an intolerance.

As a general guide, the harder the cheese, the more likely it is to be aged, and the lower the lactose. So, an 8-month aged, hard Parmesan will contain less lactose than would a softer, younger Parmesan.

When shopping for cheese, take a peek at the nutritional facts on the label. If the amount of sugars listed is 0 grams, it does not contain lactose. If you’re still in doubt, simply contact the manufacturer.

If you just can’t wait to go through all of that, try a hard cheese like Parmesan, which has virtually no residual lactose, or a sharp, aged Cheddar. If no reaction, then enjoy! If you do have a reaction then perhaps you have a MILK allergy and in that case, best to stay away from cheese of any age.

I urge you to take the time to figure it out, or consult with your local cheesemonger. Being able to include nutritious and good tasting cheese in your diet is worth the experimentation.

Thanks to the following for their informative articles:

Nora Singley, www.ilovecheese.com
Jason Horn, www.CHOW.com

Photo credits: Carr Valley Cheese, Cheddar Gorge Cheese, Wikipedia

What's a Christmas without a cookie ...

2009-12-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

What with holiday baking on everyone’s mind—isn’t it on yours?—I wondered about CHEESE COOKIES … lo and behold … I found a whole batch of delicious sounding recipes already offered up on:

“Just For Fun: Benji and Petey’s Cheese Cookies Page”
http://the-office.com/bedtime-story/cheesecookiesrecipes.htm

I also found another recipe that makes my mouth water just looking at it (see photo above) I got this photograph and the recipe--at the tail end of the recipes below--from http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/SavoryCheddarCookies.htm

The Apple Cheddar Cheese Cookie recipe sounds particularly yummy, so why not try something a little different, no?

There's even a recipe here for cookies for your dogs! Suki is going to be a happy Shih Tzu!

If you end up trying any of these recipes, let me know how they turn out!

Here they are. Happy Holiday cookie making!!!!!

Cheese Cookies

Ingredients (1 serving)

1/4 lb Butter

1/4 lb Margarine

2 c Plain flour

1/2 lb Sharp cheese, grated

1/2 ts Salt

2 c Rice Krispies

Instructions Mix thoroughly; form into small balls. Place on greased cookie sheet, mash flat with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cheesecake Cookies (16 servings)

5 tb Butter, softened

1 c Flour

1 pk 8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 tb Milk

1/2 ts Vanilla

1/3 c Brown sugar, packed

1/2 c Sugar

1 ea Egg

1 tb Lemon juice

Instructions Heat over to 350. In a medium bowl blend thoroughly butter, brown sugar and flour with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Put 1 cup of the mixture aside for topping. Press remaining mixture into an 8x8x2 inch baking dish; bake for 15 minutes. In another bowl combine sugar and cream cheese, mixing until smooth. Thoroughly beat in egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Spread over the baked crust and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares; serve.

Cream Cheese Cookies

Preheat oven to 350.

2 pkgs. refrigerator chocolate chip cookies

2- 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

Soften cream cheese. Cut 1 roll of cookies into 1/8 inch slices. Place in bottom of 9x9 pan. Pinch together. In a small bowl blend cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Blend in remaining ingredients. Pour over cookie dough in pan. Slice second row of cookies. Place in rows over cream cheese. Bake 35-40 mn. at 350.

Ricotta Cheese Cookies II
Delicate Italian ricotta cookies with an almond flavored glaze.
Ingredients:

1/2 pound butter or margarine

1 3/4 cups white sugar

2 eggs

15 ounces ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

nonpareil sprinkles

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. Blend the butter, sugar, eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla together until creamy.3. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Blend flour mixture into thecreamed mixture (you may need to add a little more flour to make the doughworkable but don't add too much or the cookies won't taste right). Scoop upabout a teaspoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place onto an ungreasedcookie sheet. Repeat until all the batter is used. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon icing overwarm cookies and top with nonpareil sprinkles. 5. To Make Almond Icing: Mix together the milk, confectioners' sugar and almondextract until smooth. Use immediately to spoon over warm cookies. Variation:use anise extract in place of the almond extract.

Apple Cheddar Cheese Cookies
Ingredients (6 servings)
1/2 c Butter

1/2 c Sugar

1 ea Egg; Lg

1 ts Vanilla

1 1/2 c Unbleached Flour

1/2 ts Baking Soda

1/2 ts Cinnamon; Ground

1/2 ts Salt

6 oz Cheddar; Sharp, Shredded

1 1/2 c Apples; Cored,Peeled,Chopped

1/4 c Nuts; Chopped
Instructions:

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then stir in the egg and vanilla. Add the combined dry ingredients, blending well. Stir in the cheese, apples and nuts. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack or plate.

CHEESE BONE DOG COOKIES Categories: Pets

Yield: 12 cookies

2 c Unsifted all-purpose flour

1 1/4 c Shredded cheddar cheese

2 cl Garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c Vegetable oil

4 1/2 tb Water (up to 5 tbs.)

1. Preheat oven to hot (400 degrees) 2. Make a cardboard pattern of a dog bone, 4 inches long or use a dog-bone cookie cutter. 3. Combine flour, cheese, garlic and vegetable oil in container of food processor. Cover, whirl until mixture is consistency of coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add water until mixture forms a ball. 4. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to 1/2" thickness. Cut out bones. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet. Do not reroll scraps. 5. Bake in preheated hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until bottom of cookies are lightly browned. Carefully transfer bones to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight container.

Savory Cheddar Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup (4 ounces) finely chopped pecans, unblanched almonds, or hazelnuts

1 cup water

1 cup hot pepper jelly (red and/or green pepper jelly may be used)
NOTE: When measuring cheese and nuts, it is best to use the weight measurements.
In a food processor, combine cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and butter; process until creamy. Add egg yolk and pepper; process until well blended. Add flour and pulse just until soft dough forms. Dough will be sticky at this point.
Using your hands, roll approximately 1 tablespoon of dough into 1-inch balls; place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes to firm the dough up.
Place finely chopped nuts on a plate. Place 1 cup water in a bowl.
Roll all the balls first, then dip refrigerated balls in water, and then roll the balls in nuts to coat (pressing nuts lightly into dough balls). Place balls on an ungreased baking sheet. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie ball. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake cookies in center of your oven for approximately 15 minutes or lightly golden. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a cooling rack, allowing the cookies to cool directly on the baking sheet.
After cookies have cooled, they may be stored in airtight containers at room temperate or freeze. If you have stored the cookies for a long time before serving them, you can re-crisp them by baking them at 350 degrees F. for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and allow them to cool fully before adding the hot pepper jelly.
Before serving, fill the indentations with hot pepper jelly.
Makes approximately 3 dozen appetizer cookies.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Appetizers/SavoryCheddarCookies.htm

American Cheese ...

2009-12-07T18:01:00.000-08:00

I watched a Kraft Cheese commercial on television last night touting themselves as THE American cheese. I knew a little about Kraft cheese, but thought I would look into the history a bit more.

Why?

Because that American entrepreneurial spirit and sense of discovery is resulting in American artisan cheesemakers creating incredible advances in the world of artisan cheese and claiming more competition prizes from other countries who have reigned superior for a very long time.

But back to Kraft American Cheese.

James Lewis Kraft, a Canadian born on a farm near Ontario in 1874, was the founding father of Kraft Cheese.

At age 18, he worked at Ferguson’s grocery in Fort Erie, and later invested in a cheese company in Buffalo.

While in Chicago, Illinois attending to the company branch there, he found his partners had eased him out of the partnership.

Although he found himself lacking funds and stranded in Chicago in 1903, he put his knowledge of merchandising to good use. He bought a horse and wagon, and went every day to the wholesale warehouse district where he bought cheeses wholesale and resold them to small stores.

Kraft proved his retailing determination and was so successful that several of his brothers joined his efforts and the cheese business was incorporated in 1909.

Kraft was driven to improve, or change, certain qualities in cheese to give it a longer shelf life and more uniform flavor. Until that time cheddar cheese, which was the favored cheese in the United States, either molded or dried quickly, so there was excessive waste. It also varied greatly in taste.

As a result of years of experimentation to give cheese longer lasting qualities, Kraft’s major contribution to the cheese industry in America was processed cheese. He experimented with mixtures of cheeses and found that if he heated and stirred the cheese and placed it in sterile containers, it would cool to a solid state and stay fresh longer. He was granted a patent for the “Process of Sterilizing Cheese and an Improved Product Produced by Such Process” in 1916.

Since then, Kraft has diversified into many industries and last night I saw the most recent example of that company’s claim as the American Cheese.

I bring this up because Kraft tried to eliminate the very aspects of cheese that artisan cheesemakers are offering to appreciative cheese consumers today. Where Kraft wanted conformity and consistency, there are cheese connoisseurs the world over who delight in the taste differences between a spring cheese and a winter cheese, who appreciate that the cows (or sheep or goats or buffalo) grazed on alpine slopes or limestone valleys or wherever in the world they grazed because it affects the taste of the milk and thereby the cheese. Artisan cheese aficionados tout the exquisite taste experience of a fresh cheese versus the developed flavors, complexities and textures of an aged cheese.

There’s room for all cheese in this big, wide world of ours! But in this big, wide world of ours, American artisan cheesemakers are starting to reign innovative and influential!

It’s been interesting to read how “American Cheese” has grown from a simple dairy craft to world authority.

Move over, Kraft!

www.kraft.com.au/Products/KRAFTHistory/
www.cookingdeliciousfood.com/kraft-cheese/

Cheese Saver Tips ala Beecher's Handmade Cheese ...

2009-11-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

I was browsing Beecher's Handmade Cheese website and came across some interesting cheesemonger tidbits. This is a really good site for their line of really great artisan cheeses, recipes, etc. I took the above photograph at The Market at Birch Bay cheese department, which carries some of Beecher's but check out the Beecher's website for a full array of their cheeses.

Since there will be Thanksgiving leftovers, I thought this article from their website particularly helpful:

"Purchase only as much cheese at one time as you can eat in 2 or 3 sittings to avoid having to store cheese for too long.

Store cheese in the warmer parts of your refrigerator, such as a produce drawer or the top shelf, away from the fan.

Always rewrap cheese after it has been opened using a fresh wrapping.

Plastic wrap is acceptable for wrapping cheese. Some purists believe that plastic wrap does not allow the cheese to breathe. They will only use wrappings such as waxed paper, parchment paper, butcher paper or aluminum foil.

Some feel that plastic wrap imparts a flavor to the cheese, but new improvements in the quality of plastic wrap now make that less likely.

If cheese is wrapped in plastic, the wrapping should be changed every few days to allow the cheese to breathe, and to keep the cheese from becoming slimy or discolored.

Different types of cheese require different methods of storage. Follow these simple guidelines:

Hard cheeses with little moisture (such as Parmesan, Dry Jack) should be wrapped to avoid further moisture loss using plastic wrap.

Semi-hard cheeses (such as Cheddar, Jack, Swiss) can be wrapped in either plastic or waxed paper or parchment paper.

Semi-soft cheese (such as Brie, Gorgonzola) should be wrapped in parchment or waxed paper, or may be kept in a plastic container

Soft or fresh cheeses (such as Ricotta, Feta) should be kept in a plastic container.

Double wrap strong, pungent cheese like Blue Cheese or Limberger to avoid having these aromas permeate the refrigerator. It is best to place these cheeses in an airtight container for extra assurance against aroma leakage.

If a cheese develops a mold, slice the cheese about ½ below the mold to insure that it has been entirely removed, the rest of the cheese will still be fine. The exception to this rule is soft cheese or semi-soft cheese where the mold can more easily spread. Soft or semi-soft cheeses that develop a mold should be discarded.

Cheese may be frozen but the texture may become crumbly after it is defrosted, and the flavor is frequently diminished. Frozen cheese is best used for cooking. Goat and sheep milk cheeses tend to hold up better when frozen than cow milk cheeses. Defrost all cheeses slowly in the refrigerator instead of bringing them to room temperature right away. Do not freeze cheese longer than one or two months. Cheese that is already cooked and then frozen, such as cheese in a frozen macaroni and cheese, does not suffer in flavor or texture. "

Find many more interesting articles on their website:

http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/

Happy Thanksgiving

Correction, if you please ...

2009-11-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

By-the-by, I heard from Terry about the grilled Havarti sandwich I previously mentioned that we enjoyed at that restaurant in Redlands, and she graciously reminded me that the sandwich wasn't veggie, it had bacon in it. How could I forget bacon?????

The name of the restaurant is Briskets and is located on Orange in Redlands, CA.

Crusty Country Special

Crispy bacon, fresh oregano leaves, Havarti on a crusty French bread, grilled. With a fresh--and I mean fresh--fruit garnish. Heavenly!

Merci beaucoup, Terry!

Cranberry Caper ...

2009-11-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

I was wandering around the cheese deli at Haggens in Fairhaven, WA and came across a little package of cheese and read that it was a Gorgonzola blended with pear and finely chopped cranberries and hazelnut. I’ve enjoyed cheese/fruit blends before but I hadn’t eaten any with cranberries.

Because we’re so close to Thanksgiving, I wondered if cranberries could be found in other cheeses, as well. I was excited about the prospect and started looking around at cheese deli counters in other shops.

Lo and behold … I quickly came across three other cheese selections that blended cranberries. So, let’s get to it.

The first one I came across was Rising Sun Farms Gorgonzola Cheese Tortette™ It’s a velvety Gorgonzola with cream cheese and pears; then crowned with cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. All natural ingredients are the mantra of Elizabeth and Richard Fujas, owners of Rising Sun Farms—free of trans fats, genetically modified organisms, growth hormones, preservatives, sulfites or other chemicals. Gluten free.

Their convenient 3 oz size and plastic container, is great for eating on the go. However, you can also refrigerate it for 6 weeks, or freeze it for up to 18 months. I don’t personally see it lasting 18 months, though. Once you experience the taste, you’ll want another one!

They also offer it in a Torta size (9.5 oz) and I came across this recipe on their website

http://www.risingsunfarms.com/ . Mmmmmmm

CHICKEN BREAST WITH GORGONZOLA TORTA - 5/30/2007

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces mushrooms, finely diced

¾ cup Gorgonzola Cheese Torta1/2 cup green onion tops
6 chicken breast halves

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450°F. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. In bowl, mix Torta with green onions. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Loosen skin of each chicken breast gently with fingers. Spread 1/6 of Torta mixture between skin and meat of each breast. Place on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard over each breast. Bake until golden brown and thoroughly cooked, about 45 minutes.

Serves 6.

Is your mouth starting to water?

Next on my list is Real Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese with Cranberries. This is a registered cheese of the Wensleydale Creamery in North Yorkshire UK. The creamery has been in the business of making cheese for over 100 years.

White Real Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese has a mild, fresh flavor and a crumbly, flaky texture. I must admit that this was my least favorite of the cranberry cheeses. It seemed a little dry to my taste, and a little sour in the nicest context of the term.

However, I came across a cross-reference to Wallace and Gromit animated shorts—I absolutely LUV Wallace and Gromit, as obviously many others do, too.

I read that in the 1990s, Wensleydale cheese sales had fallen so low that production was at risk of being suspended. However, the popular Wallace and Gromit animated shorts A Grand Day Out and A Close Shave had the main character Wallace, a cheese connoisseur, mention Wensleydale as a particularly favorite cheese. Animator Nick Park chose it solely because it had a good name that would be interesting to animate, unaware of the company's financial difficulties. The company contacted Aardman Animations about a license for a special brand of "Wallace and Gromit Wensleydale", which proved to be an enormous success. When the 2005 full-length Wallace and Gromit film, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, was released, sales of Wensleydale cheeses jumped by 23%.

Third on my list is another product of England, White Stilton® with Cranberries. White Stilton is made in the same way as blue Stilton except that the blue mould is not added to the vat at the making stage and the cheese will be sold at about 3 weeks of age. White Stilton has a fresh, milky flavor with a beautiful creamy background. Ideal with fruit or crumbled onto salads or melted onto toast.

One of my favorites is a blend of Mango and Ginger, but when I saw the Cranberry version, I figured it to be worth the purchase. It was!

This is way more creamy consistency than Wensleydale. I thought it interesting that one reviewer observed that “…even though it is extra creamy and deliciously tangy, it was somehow unfinished by itself—much like a plain yogurt.” They liked the introduction of the fruit, and reports the fruity blends are among the best selling blended cheeses in the UK.

Especially in light of Thanksgiving, I came across a Turkey and Cranberry Ciabatta Sandwich and figured it would come in handy for leftovers:

Cut freshly baked Ciabatta bread in half and then slice it in two horizontally. Spread one side of each half with cranberry sauce. Place some sliced turkey on top. Add stuffing if desired. Crumble White Stilton with Cranberries over the top and serve.

The final cranberry selection is Carr Valley Chipolte and Cranberry Cheese created at Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle, Wisconsin.

I came across this blog by James Beebe and he sums up this cheese so nicely that I’m just printing his words.

http://corksandcurds.blogspot.com/2008/08/carr-valley-chipotle-cranberry-chedar.html

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Corks and Curds
Reflections on Wine and Cheese

Carr Valley Chipoltle Cranberry Cheddar
Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook at Carr Valley Cheese has done it again. He has created another unique and interesting variety of flavored American cheddar: Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar.

One of Sid's newest creations, it has already won a Bronze Award at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar uses a robustly flavored white cheddar. The sweetness of the cranberries contrasts nicely with the spicy, smoky flavor of the chipotle peppers. Carr Valley's website describes the cheese as having the flavor of Texas barbecue sauce. One writer described the cheese as a "mouth party." It is at the very least a good cheese to bring to a party.

As a general rule, I do not buy cheese-with-stuff-in-it because of the inferior quality of most such products. The "stuff" is typically added because the cheese-without-the-stuff would be exceedingly uninteresting.

On the way to a party last week, however, I took a chance with Carr Valley's Chipotle Cranberry Cheddar because I knew Sid Cook was behind it. I was not disappointed. I recommend this fun variation on ordinary cheddar."

And I found it to taste every bit as spicy delish as James Beebe describes.

To wrap up this cranberry caper … I took a platter of the four cheeses, along with Fuji apples slices and buttery crisp crackers, to the office for the gang to sample and enjoy. It was a total success. There wasn’t a crumb of cheese, a cracker or an apple slice left on the platter!

It seemed most favored the chipotle and cranberry cheese, but the Gorgonzola was a close second. I thought it was interesting that one of the guys wouldn’t even try the gorgonzola because he was informed beforehand that it was a kind of blue cheese. His loss! The gorgonzola was soooooooo creamy and mild and an excellent complement to the finely chopped dried cranberries and hazelnut. So, I didn’t tell him that the White Stilton was also a mild sister of the Blue Stilton cheese or he wouldn’t have tried that either.

Because I so enjoyed the Gorgonzola cranberry combination, I Googled and came across the following recipe. I think I’ll be whipping it up for Thanksgiving. And I really mean whipping it up because it takes almost no time at all! Give it a gander:

Phyllo Cups with Gorgonzola, Fruit and Nuts

Tiny phyllo shells are filled with a mixture of Gorgonzola cheese, dried cranberries, apple and walnuts, then baked.

Ingredients:

36 mini-phyllo cups (3 packs of 12)
6 ounces of Gorgonzola cheese
½ tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
¼ tsp seasoning salt
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup of sweet apple, finely diced
½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees and place phyllo cups on baking sheets. In a bowl mix together remaining ingredients. Divide filling equally between phyllo cups; bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Servings: 36

Note: phyllo cups are available at most larger grocery stores in the frozen food section.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

http://www.risingsunfarms.com/
http://www.wensleydale.co.uk/
http://www.stiltoncheese.com/
http://www.carrvalleycheese.com/
http://www.corksandcurds.blogspot.com/

What? More Havarti?

2009-11-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

Well, as a matter of fact, yes, more Havarti.

Good friend, Terry, reminded me that we used to enjoy a very rustic veggie grilled Havarti sandwich at a little restuarant on Citrus Avenue in Redlands, CA. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the restuarant, but that is neither here nor there.

Both of us started salivating at the memory of THE Havarti sandwich.

As soon as I could, I ran to the kitchen, slathered butter on a couple of thick slices of very hearty wheat bread I got from Avenue Breads in Bellingham, sliced some dill Havarti, tossed it onto the skillet! A little sizzle, sizzle and it was browned and melted and ready to savor and enjoy! I had it with some jalapeno Dorito chips. It wasn't THE Havarti sandwich Terry and I had in Redlands, but it was the hot and melting one I had in hand.

Delicious with an icy cold beer!

A little more Havarti, please ...

2009-11-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

I came across a couple of YouTube offerings about Havarti! I know, I know, you're thinking, "Havarti cheese videos? Ya gotta be kiddin' me!"

Not the case, I assure you. The first is an ad for Havarti ... kinda cute. The second is about the cheesemaking process (gouda) made at Smith's Farmstead Cheese, but they also make and sell a Havarti.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR1Vc9G2F8m

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpfEB7_EMDw

There was another YouTube video made by some young men, a bit high or inebriated--perhaps, about the moon being made of Havarti cheese and they video-ed a guy "appearing" to eat the Havarti moon. It made me laugh, but ... it got a little off the subject ... especially when they discovered the light they thought was the moon was really a distant street light. Ohhhh yes, they were having a lot of fun and unless Havarti has some properties unbeknownst to me, they must have been eating brownies and not cheese. Hmmm

Enjoy!

Those Danes and Their Havarti ...

2009-11-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

This article about Havarti was prompted by a comment made by my friend Jon Blanc in Kampala, Uganda, who wished he could have some Havarti, dry salame, with a hearty, seeded baguette he used to buy at La Vie en Rose French Bakery and Cafe in Bellingham. It’s difficult for him to get good cheese in Uganda.

Well, let me tell you what I’ve learned about one of Jon’s favorite cheeses.

Havarti or Cream Havarti (Fløde Havarti in Danish) is a semi-soft Danish cow’s milk cheese. It is a table cheese that can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It is a traditional creamery cheese with a deliciously mild taste. Supposedly with age, the buttery aroma and flavor turns sharper and saltier, displaying hints of hazel nut. But I haven’t personally experienced this taste change.

Havarti History

I came across two stories on the Internet and I’m not sure how they correlate. So, I’ll throw both versions at you and if you’re really interested you can pursue your own research.

One version from http://www.ilovecheese.co.uk/ purports Hanna Nielsen as the enterprising cheesemaker credited with inventing Havarti in the mid-1800s. The wife of a New Zealand farmer, Nielsen became interested in the art of cheesemaking and traveled throughout Europe to learn techniques.

Upon her return to Denmark, Nielsen experimented with her newly acquired knowledge at her farm called Havarthigaard, in Øverød, north of Copenhagen, in the mid-19th century. Havarti, named after her farm, was one of her most successful cheeses.

On the other hand, according to http://www.gourmet-foods.com/, this cheese was partly inspired by Tilsit cheese, developed in 1870’s in Tilsit, East Prussia. In 1890 it was imported into Denmark. The product was a great export success.

Production

Havarti like most cheeses, is made by introducing rennet to milk to cause curdling. The curds are pressed into cheese molds, which are drained, and then the cheese is aged. Havarti is a washed curd cheese, which contributes to the subtle flavor of the cheese.

Havarti is an interior-ripened cheese, so after the curdling process, the cheese is pressed, cooked, divided and drained. Typically aged for three months, the ripening begins at the center of the cheese and progresses outward to the surface.

Havarti is smooth and slightly bright-surfaced with a cream to yellow color depending on type. It has very small and irregular openings ("eyes") distributed in the mass.

Today's Havarti is produced on a large scale and widely distributed throughout the world. Quality versions are also produced in the UK, Canada, and in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and New York, and by artisan cheesemakers in California.

I also found there’s a version of Havarti made in Chile. Chilarti is a Havarti-type cheese from the Los Lagos region of Chile. It’s often referred to as Queso Chango or quesomantecoso.

But they all derive from Hanne’s efforts in Denmark, ja?

Varieties

Havarti varieties range from plain to mildly sharp to aromatic. One of the most popular types is Cream Havarti, an enriched version made with extra cream. The exquisite result is a softer, more luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth feel.

More savory selections of Havarti include varieties studded with herbs, fruits, and spices such as caraway, dill, garlic, cranberry, chive, pepper, horseradish, and mustard.

I purchased three types of Denmark’s Finest®: Cream Havarti, with Dill, and one with Wild Garlic. The Cream Havarti is very subtle, mild, but not bland. I liked the dill version, which was not strong. The dill was more a pleasant aftertaste. I really enjoyed the wild garlic. It was stronger, but not at all overpowering.

Buying and Storage Tips

Havarti is widely available at most supermarkets and easy to store. As with most semi-soft cheeses, it will keep for at least two weeks stored in the least cold section of the refrigerator (usually the vegetable drawer). Once opened, carefully re-wrap Havarti with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Cut what you’re going to use and then tightly re-wrap and refrigerate the rest. Let the cheese come to room temperature before you eat it for optimum taste.

Serving Ideas

I had another busy day yesterday and needed an INSTANT dinner. I opened a can of Progresso Chicken pasta soup and tossed it into a sauce pan to heat, along with a pinch of dried tarragon, rosemary and a few grinds of the black pepper mill. While the soup heated, I cut the wild garlic Havarti into roughly ½” cubes and put about 6-8 cubes in the bottom of my soup bowl. I then ladled the hot soup onto the cubes in the bowl.

Instead of the cheese becoming part of the soup, like it would if I had melted it into the soup in the pan, I could eat the semi-melted cubes along with the chunks of chicken and vegetables. It was delicious! I had some leftover Italian foccacia, which I unabashedly dipped into the soup!

Havarti is simple enough to enjoy every day, especially with sandwiches, or with snacks of fruits and vegetables. It melts quite nicely and can be included in omelets, pasta and on vegetables for a pleasant change of pace. The wild garlic Havarti melted on a hot baked potato is yummiosso!

Another way to serve Havarti is to slice French bread, put a slice of Havarti on the bread slice with a little tapanade and place them under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Havarti also serves well as a dessert cheese, served with fruit and wine. On a cheese board, surround Creamy Havarti with pears, apples, figs, raisins and walnuts.

When paired with Sauvignon Blanc, less oak-y Chardonnay, or light-bodied Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, a smooth, mild Havarti displays enough character to please even the most distinctive of palates.

I saw a great photograph of a Ham and Havarti Scone, and another photograph of a bowl of Havarti and Broccoli Soup … I’ll have to experiment to come up with recipes. They both looked delicious, but alas, no recipe accompanied the photographs.

Martha’s recipe (see photograph to right) looks fabulous … take a peek:

www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-salad-and-havarti-cheese-wraps

My point is that you may have some family favorites that you may want to try including Havarti cheese.

Vielen dank, Jon, for your comment about Havarti. I hope if you’re back in U.S. with your family this Christmas, you’ll have an opportunity to sink your teeth into some of your beloved Havarti!

Check out Jon Blanc’s African experiences and Uganda safari information at http://www.kabiza.com/ or visit him on Facebook.

http://www.laviebakery.com/ for more information about La Vie en Rose Bakery in Bellingham, WA bakery and café.

Grace Harbor Farms in Custer, WA

2009-10-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to meeting Tim and Grace Lukens at their Grace Harbor Farms on Birch Bay Lynden Road in Custer, WA. I had been to their farm store before to buy their wonderful goat milk lotion. I have Rosacea that prevents me from using most moisturizing lotions. Grace Harbor’s unscented goat milk lotion works perfectly for me!

However, this time I wanted to learn more about their goat milk yogurt and chevre.

The day I arrived Tim and his helper Sandy were processing Guernsey cow milk yogurt. I had hoped to see the goat milk cheese being made, but I couldn’t work a time in my schedule that would match when they had to make their goat cheese, so I was happy to see what I did and be able to tell you a little about it.

Tim and Grace Lukens started with two goats in 1999 for their own personal consumption of the milk and dairy products. They started making goat milk soap to sell to help defray the cost of keeping the goats. In 2003 they became a Grade A Dairy and Milk Processor.

They now have about 18 Saanan (Swiss dairy) goats and three Guernsey cows on their farm. Although they could use the cow milk from neighborhood dairies, Tim maintains the animals on site for the benefit of his clientele who appreciate the traceability of their food source. Tim claims his regular “organic-istas” like to see the animals and how they’re raised. They chose Saanen goats because of their gentle nature and good milk production.

They also raise and sell free-range fresh eggs, fryer chickens, and turkeys. They seem to have little chicks hatching all the time. If I had little tykes still at home, it would be a fun place to take them to see the chicks, cows, horses, goats, and Sunny, the resident collie, in a family farm setting.

This summer Grace Harbor Farms was included on the self-directed tour of Whatcom County farms. The Lukens welcome young visitors, but to avoid disappointment, call the farm before you bring your family, just to make certain the timing is right.

Although Grace Harbor Farms isn’t certified “organic,” Tim claims they are “beyond organic.” They don’t vaccinate their animals, don’t use growth hormones, nor use chemical pesticides. Their animals are provided a natural lifestyle, with plenty of love and attention.

Tim prefers making his bottled cow’s milk and yogurt with pasteurized, but not homogenized, Guernsey milk because of the nutritional advantages. He claims it’s easier for humans to metabolize, and and he likes the appealing golden color (higher fat content and natural carotene). Guernsey cows, Tim informed me, produce naturally sweeter tasting milk, and they also produce milk with a different protein.

I invite you to go onto www.graceharborfarms.com/Guernseys.html for more details about the benefits of A2 versus A1 milk. He said Grace Harbor Farms produces a natural milk product with no thickeners or preservatives.

Tim has learned that cow milk yogurt has a broader appeal than the goat milk yogurt and their current marketing is focused in that profit-generating direction.

The first two Guernsey cows they had were Sara and Rainbow. Their current Guernsey “girls” are Irene, Emily and Jolay.

It was immediately evident during my visit that Tim is a people-person and it was fun and interesting to hear him talk about his and Grace’s little family farm. There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s a passion and a labor of love. Both Grace and Tim are actively involved, assisted by their son, David, Grandma Becky and Sandy.

Tim stepped me through the processing he and Sandy were in the middle of, explaining how the pasteurization is a heat treatment (145-degrees for 30 minutes) that kills organisms and pathogens. A live probiotic (culture) is added to the milk. They process 23-gallons at a time. Because of the fat content cow yogurt sets up, whereas goat yogurt is more liquid. They do their packaging by hand. They supply quart and half gallon sizes. All-in-all, it’s a lengthy process.

Because I have lactose intolerance, I can’t consume cow milk without problems, but drinking goat milk doesn’t seem to have the same disagreeable consequences. Goat milk has a delicious taste. However, I had no prior experience with goat milk yogurt, which is a little thicker than buttermilk.

Rebecca (Grandma Becky) Terry, who waited on me in the farm store, said their money-maker is the Guernsey yogurt and bottled milk, which they supply to ten outlets in Seattle and at the three Community Food Co-op Stores in Bellingham, and The Market at Birch Bay Square.

I bought a bottle of the goat milk yogurt and drank it each morning as a breakfast drink. It has an unflavored yogurt taste, a little sour, but not at all unpleasant. After drinking it for about a week, I appreciated its simple freshness. I didn’t mix anything else in with it, but I’ll bet it would be a good base for blending in berries or other fruit. Very nutritious!

They also make their own fresh goat cheese (chevre). They sell it classic European style, plus they also offer it with dill and chive, basil and garlic, and sweet pepper jalapeño.

In addition to the milk, yogurt and cheese, Grace Harbor Farms also makes a full line of goat milk soaps and lotions. Look at their website to see all that they make and sell in their farm store and online.

Tim admitted to me that it’s a lot of hard work, but he said they sure feel good when their regular customers keep coming back with their healthy kids, and being told how their products have made such a difference. Read the testimonials on the Grace Harbor Farms' website.

They're incredible!

There's something personally satisfying about being able to buy my food from local producers who I can call by their first names.

Grace Harbor Farms
2347 Birch Bay Lynden Road
Custer, WA 98240
(360) 366-4151
Email: infor@graceharborfarms.com

Cypress Grove Chevre ... Goat Milk Cheese

2009-10-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

I had been tussling with a cold/flu/cough … whatever … for the last couple of weeks, but I have to admit that it was great to be able to take off a couple of days from work and not do anything but sleep and try to rid my body of that crud.

I could still taste, but when considering what to fix for my breakfast, my appetite fled. I knew I had to eat to fuel fighting the cold. One morning in particular I remember fussing over needing to eat, but not finding anything of interest, until I spied the chevre I had purchased when out to pick up groceries the day before.

I cut up chunks of Tuscany melon and some fresh strawberries, crumbled the chevre over the top and enjoyed. Yes, I shoved aside my headache, cough and fatigue of the cold and focused on the bowl of nutrition--just think of all the Vitamin C in the strawberries and cantaloupe and a wee bit of Protein, Vitamin A and Calcium--in front of me.

Oh my! The over-the-top sweetness of the melon was a most delectable partnership with the smooth consistency and fresh taste of the chevre. I think most people might mistakenly associate goat milk cheese with feta cheese. That’s a whole different process and taste. Chevre isn’t sweet, but it isn’t bitter or salty either. It’s just fresh and very creamy.

When I have the option, I order goat cheese on my leafy greens salad tossed with dried cranberries. Now that I think about it, I like all sorts of fruit bits tossed with my green salads, and the chevre tastes good included with apple and/or pear.

No cure for the common cold, but a decidedly delicious cheese!

Cypress Grove Chevre
Pasteurized cultured goat milk, salt, enzymes
4-oz round (4 servings)
Calories: 70
Protein: 4g
Vitamin A: 4%
Calcium: 2%
Sodium: 90mg
Cholesterol 15 mg
Total Fat 6g

Located in Arcata, CA
http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/

Let's try the blue ... as in Stilton blue ...

2009-08-24T16:13:00.000-07:00

3:56 p.m. and I just finished a late lunch—or early dinner—as the case may be. I remembered the Stilton blue cheese waiting in the refrigerator for me, and that I hadn’t continued with the comparison testing of blues I had purchased.

No time like the present!

I didn’t have time to cook anything, so threw together a plate of what I had. I love this about cheese; one can just eat it any time with so many other things one has on hand.

I will admit though, that I had a disaster the other night. I made some red beans and rice—yum—and thought to toss on some blue cheese just to see how it tasted. DON’T DO THIS! I repeat … BLUE CHEESE AND RED BEANS AND RICE ARE NOT A GOOD MATCH!

Well, I learn from my mistakes as well as from successes, don’t you?

Today I happened to have fresh blueberries I purchased from the farmers market in Blaine, had a chilled delicious apple from the Bay Center Market in Birch Bay, a handful of unsalted roasted almonds, and a little bit of leftover sauvignon blanc … AND … a marvelous Stilton blue!

So simple! So delicious! The Stilton was crumbly, but very creamy. It had more of a salty presence than the smokey blue of last week. It is a strong taste, but not offensive. It went quite well with the sweet freshness of the blueberries and the nutty crunch of the almonds, and what doesn’t go with a crisp apple? I happen to enjoy white wine but sauvignon blanc isn’t a typical match for Stilton. Who cares? I could tell that Stilton would go well with a cabernet. I had read it also pairs well with a sweet red, like a port, when Stilton is presented as a dessert cheese.

I was reading in “The Cheese Plate” by Max McCalman and David Gibbons, that Stilton, probably the most celebrated cheese in England, went through a lot of historical hoops, some of which just about caused its demise. Farmstead cheeses were made by dairies, but when the railroad came through, the dairies could ship their milk to other areas where the cheese was made. This was a good and bad development. Good because it enabled more options for dairy farmers. Bad because it was easier and more cost effective to ship off the milk rather than make the distinctive farmstead cheeses, which weren’t protected, and were in danger of being lost to mass production cheese. Also, during the great wars there was rationing and many of the farmhouse cheese makers went out of business. There was also a health scare that erroneously tied in ANY unpasteurized cheese in the Listeria crisis of 1980s. In 1989, the British minister of agriculture proposed to ban the sale of unpasteurized cheeses—the traditional farmhouse ones. A double whammy was that the British supermarkets took the position that they would only stock pasteurized cheese. All these difficulties notwithstanding, traditional farmhouse cheeses survived and thrive in Britain.

Knowing a little of the history of a cheese enhances my enjoyment. This doesn’t stop at historical or political notes, but also the nature of the land itself.

Here’s an excerpt from Julie Harbutt from her “Guide to the Finest Cheeses of Britain and Ireland”:

“Watching cows munching their way through the grasses of an English pasture, one can see why our British cheeses have a reputation for their sweet, creamy, rich and complex scents and flavours. The characteristic sea spray freshness of Cheshire can only be obtained from the rich salt deposits lying just below the surface of the pastures while the distinct herby, slightly metallic blue taste of Stilton is surely influenced by the mineral rich seams of coal and iron running through the rolling fields of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. These are the great territorials of Britain.”

Artisan cheese provides an enjoyable experience. It’s more than a food source. It’s travel to distant lands, history, politics, tradition, all wrapped up in a wheel of cheese! One doesn't have to pack a bag, make sure the passport is current, or sit on a plane for hours and hours and hours. Just walk or drive to your local cheesemonger or a supermarket with an artisan cheese department ... and enjoy the journey!

Blue ... my new favorite color ...

2009-08-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve not extensive experience with the blue cheese category. I pre-supposed it would be too sharp, or I didn’t know what to make of the blue mold, or too elitist, or it was simply outside of my naïve and prior conservative artisan cheese experience. I mean, come on! My mom fixed mac-n-cheese with Velveeta and grilled cheese sandwiches on Wonder bread with pre-sliced American cheese. It has taken me awhile to overcome that programming and seek new cheese horizons!

But here I am! I bought four different blues a couple of days ago. One is Smokey Blue made by Rogue Creamery in Oregon, another is an English/Irish Stilton, the third is a Maytag Dairy Farm blue cheese from Newton, Iowa, and a Danablu or Danish Blue.

I’ll follow up on the other three, but I was so taken with the Rogue Smokey Blue that I couldn’t wait to tell you about it.

Rogue Creamery offered the first blue cheese—Oregon Blue—made on the West Coast. They make five blues: Crater Lake Blue, Oregon Blue Vein, Oregonzola, Rogue River Blue, and Smokey Blue, the latter was also the first blue ever smoked. Smokey Blue is handmade from 100% natural full cream sustainable milk from Bonanza View Dairy. The Creamery uses raw cow's milk (the cheese is aged 90 days or more), salt, enzymes, cultures and Penicillium roqueforti.

Then they cold smoke it for 16 hours over hazelnut shells from the Pacific Northwest. The smoking provides a delightful balance of blue sharpness with very slight caramel and hazelnut flavors, although I didn’t detect a specifically hazelnut presence. What I did detect was a very enjoyable cheese that was heavenly when I popped a crumble of it into my mouth, and it was much creamier than I expected.

Since this cheese was first presented to the public in 2004, it garnered honors, including 2005 Best New Product at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. That was quite a coup since there were 1,200 new products introduced that year.

When I went to the Rogue Creamery website (see below), one of their recommendations was to crumble it onto grilled hamburgers.

What luck! Our CENTURY 21 Bay Properties office staff was having our annual summer BBQ and the timing was perfect for taking some of this cheese with me. No sooner was the sizzling hamburger off the grill and placed on a bun, then the crumbled Smokey Blue was spooned onto the meat and it started to soften. I also put a tomato slice and romaine lettuce on the other side of the meat patty and I took my first bite.

Yum! I mean … really … YUMIOSSO!!!!

Everyone who tried it raved! It had the sharpness of blue, but mellowed by the smoke process. It was a perfect taste match on the grilled burger.

I encourage you to go to their website to get more blue cheese recipes and to learn more about this American artisan cheese.

I learned that in 2002 David Gremmels and Cary Bryant—neither of whom had any prior cheese making experience—bought the creamery where artisan cheese had been hand crafted since 1935. Since their purchase, they have won dozens of medals and trophies, including having Rogue River Blue proclaimed as the overall best blue cheese in 2003, nudging aside blue cheeses from all over Europe.

I heartily recommend the Smokey Blue. You’ll not be disappointed!

The photograph used with this article was compliments of www.roguecreamery.com

Another fan of Applewood Smoked Cheddar ...

2009-07-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Betty Glassman just got back to me with her review:

"I finally have a moment to give you my take on the Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar. Our house has been like Grand Central Station, and thus I just now have taken a moment to let you know my impression of this cheese.

The cheese has a smooth, elegant texture with a perfect blend of cheddar and smoked applewood flavor. Neither flavor dominates the other and the result is a smoked cheddar with an absoutely delicious blend of flavors. I tried this cheese with an apple wedge, grapes, and a thin, delicate whole wheat cracker,. and the cheese paired beautifully with all three."

Thank you, Betty!

Hmmm, it was delicious ... I think I need to make another visit to my local cheese department! Maybe I'll see you there!

Pecorino ...

2009-07-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Another sojourn to Quel Fromage in Fairhaven. This time to explore a different classification of cheese: Pecorino

In Italian, the word for sheep is pecora. Pecorino is a form of the word commonly used to designate a family of sheep’s milk artisan cheese.

During my childhood, Mom always kept a tall, green cylinder of powdered Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese in the frig, which I liberally shook out on my spaghetti or pizza or pasta … even cooked veggies, et cetera. I still have one of those in my own refrigerator.

So, I wanted to see how a real grated Romano would taste. This trip I bought a bit of Fulvi Pecorino Romano and Pecorino Ginepro.

I also bought some Salumi Salami, a dry salami made in Seattle.

Fulvi Pecorino Romano

Made with raw sheep’s milk—no additives, no hormones—in Rome, Italy and aged one year.

Although Pecorino Romano originated in the countryside outside of Rome, all are made in Sardinia today, except one: Fulvi. This is why it is referred to as "genuine" Pecorino Romano (see protected designation of origin—PDO). Sheep milk from the Lazio region goes to dairies in the village of Nepi, where, according to a traditional, time-honored recipe, it is handmade into giant, 65-pound wheels.

I found its strong, salty presence over-powering to eat by itself, but it is excellent and well matched grated on pasta with a hearty tomato sauce, or a rustic stew or soup. For my taste, a little goes a l-o-n-g way. When grated onto hot food, the slivers blend well, but don’t totally melt. It also had a crunchiness, like a crystallization to the texture. If you want to add an intense salty “kick” then this cheese is made for YOU!

The printed information on the Quel Fromage sales receipt suggested eating it with drizzled honey as a dessert. So, why not? This is an adventure, right? Sorry, drizzled honey didn’t work for me. BUT, I also tried a clover honey on the Pecorino Ginepro and I loved it! More about that later in this article.

Quel Fromage wine pairing: Merlot or Sangiovese.

Pecorino Ginepro

Made with raw sheep’s milk. Washed in balsamic and juniper seeds and aged 4-5 months in 6-lb wheels. I found this semi-hard cheese to have a woodsy, understated sweet taste rather than the sharp, salty finish of the Romano. Much more subtle than the Romano, but it also grated well and it was a tasty addition to my fresh greens salad with sliced tomato.

It was also recommended with crudités or with dry salami and sopressata.

I also had it with the Salumi Salami, and a Tuscany flatbread (sweet tomato with asiago and cheddar) I had picked up at Haggen’s just down the street from Quel Fromage. I didn’t drink it with wine, but with a cup of hot, black French roast coffee … where was my Italian roast when I needed it!

Suggested wine pairing: Nebbiolo, Fiano di Avellino, Piemontese red, or Malvirà Trinità.

A bit about PDO …

It’s my understanding that some Italian cheeses have a PDO status (Protected Designation of Origin) under European Union regulations. A cheese can only use the “Romano” in their name if made in Lazio, Sardinia, and Tuscany regions in the provinces of Rome, Grosetto, Cagliari, Nuoro, Oristano and Sassari. I think it was because so many cheeses claimed to be or called themselves a Romano, that the term lost its credibility or its definition. Hence, the PDO status. I think other designation cheeses have comparable protection, but I haven’t learned that much about the matter.

Oh, yes ... Honey. So, I tried drizzling honey on the Pecorino Ginepro and it was a pleasant surprise! The sweet and the salty complemented well. So, I pulled out some apricot preserves and some raspberry preserves and tried the Ginepro with both of them. Not bad! I liked it better with the apricot preserves perhaps because there were larger chunks of the fruit in that preserve. But, the honey was the best complement.

There are a great many other Pecorino cheeses, but this was a nice entry experience. I want to try Pecorino Toscano, which according to Max McCalman and David Gibbons in “The Cheese Plate,” has a “deep, warm, fruity flavor that pairs well with fruits such as plums and peaches.” It certainly sounds like an Italian sheep cheese of a different flavor!

Oh, and another thing I learned was to grate only what you need, leaving the rest of the cheese stored intact. Flavor is lost in grated form.

I’ll never look at my tall, green container of Romano and Parmesan cheese the same again!

Aged Gouda: Sheep versus Goat ...

2009-07-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

I had attended a staff meeting in Bellingham and since I was in the general area anyway, I dropped into Quel Fromage in Fairhaven just to see what there was to see before I drove back to Birch Bay. Yeah right! Like I needed a reason to stop in!

Esme, one of the friendly, very cheese-saavy assistants, was still turning on the lights and getting the shop ready for business. However, she was quick to wait on me and provided ready answers to all my questions, and provided taste samples of whatever caught my eye.

One splendid benefit of buying from a cheese shop like Quel Fromage is that you can taste any of their cheeses, thus taking the guesswork out of how the cheese will taste and whether or not you’ll like it.

Another benefit is that Esme counsels you to let it age a little bit more for a fuller taste experience, or to eat it right away when it’s at its peak. You don’t find that knowledge and customer service interaction in a supermarket.

I wanted to compare a sheep’s milk gouda with a goat’s milk gouda.

I had read about Ewephoria, so knew that would be one of my choices and I had enjoyed other Cypress Grove cheeses, so Esme recommended the Midnight Moon.

EWEPHORIA

Ewephoria is a relatively new gouda-style cheese from the Friesland region of Holland. Unlike standard cow’s milk gouda, Ewephoria is made from pasteurized sheep's milk—Ewephoria—clever play on the name, yes? It is, however, made using the same carefully-guarded starter cultures that give goudas their distinctive flavor.

Here in the United States we often think of European cheeses as established, traditional, having stood the test of time, but new ones continually find their way to the public attention.

Ewephoria was developed by Seattle-based Dutch cheese importer CheeseLand, Inc. specifically for American consumers who reputedly have a sweet tooth. Do we? The idea, so it seems, was that traditional aged gouda was too harsh for American tastes and a softer, sweeter aged gouda was sought.

Ewephoria is aged 10 months, has a butterscotch color and a rather sweet, nutty, buttery flavor.

Janet Fletcher writing for SFGate, August 3, 2006, claimed, "Ewephoria is possibly as close as cheese gets to candy. The texture is firm, becoming drier toward the rind, and the flavor intense and sweet, with enough acidity to keep the cheese from being cloying."

In my opinion that “candy” description goes too far. To my tastebuds Ewephoria is not as sweet as many other more traditional cheeses. In fact, even some goudas--e.g., Saenkanter--are considerably sweeter. Then there are flavored cheeses like Chocolate Fudge Cheese, which although technically cheese, could be considered candy or a dessert.

Regardless of the perceived degree of sweetness, I found it to be a very enjoyable eating cheese, especially when paired with a cabernet sauvignon. I’m not a red wine person, but both Ewephoria and Midnight Moon tasted worlds better with the wine, versus without.

However, another reviewer stated, "With its butterscotch-colored interior with pronounced butterscotch and whiskey aromas, this cheese belongs at the end of a meal with a glass of nutty amontillado or oloroso sherry. A beer drinker would find it compatible with brews that have rich, roasted, nutty and malty flavors, such as porter and stout."

CYPRESS GROVE MIDNIGHT MOON

This is another relatively new Dutch gouda recipe cheese created for Cypress Grove Chevre of Arcata, California. This one, however, is made with pasteurized goat’s milk.

It’s aged for at least twelve months, developing a semi-firm density with a butter flavor with distinct caramel undertone. The descriptions are so similar, but there is a definite taste difference. I thought the texture of the Ewephoria was a little firmer than the Midnight Moon. My preference is for the latter. I went absolutely bonkers over this cheese! You just have to try them for yourself.

It’s encased in black wax in 10-pound wheels. It makes a great presentation.

Cypress Grove Creamery cheesemaker Mary Keehn traveled to Europe to locate cheesemakers to make classic cheeses to her specifications, to augment their production. Another winner here!

The description from their website claims: “Midnight Moon has a warm, nutty flavor with hints of caramel. This cheese won the NASFT award in 2002 for ‘Outstanding New Product.’”

Their recommended wine pairing was with Syrah or Zinfandel … but it tasted great with my Cabernet Sauvignon.

I sliced both cheeses on a plate of fresh grapes, kiwi, strawberries, cherries and mango and it was heavenly!

Applewood Smoked Cheddar ...

2009-07-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

I was poking around The Market at Birch Bay artisan cheese counter, looking for something a little different. I came across a wheel of Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar and wondered what I could experiment with using a smoked cheddar. While loitering a bit longer looking at other cheese options, Birch Bay friend Betty Glassman came around the corner. It’s always fun to see Betty and I filled her in on this new artisan cheese I was going to try and she eagerly picked up a chunk and we agreed to both try it and share our results.

I immediately went home and looked in my pantry to see what might pair well with the cheese. I was so hungry I just wanted to inhale it on the spot, but with great discipline—yeah, right—I sliced a Fuji apple. The crisp, juicy freshness of the Fuji went well with the very creamy consistency and delightfully smoky taste. There’s a very pleasant balance of mild cheddar and smoke flavoring. I had an ice-cold Beck’s in the refrig and found it went well with this cheese.

In addition to apple slices, I also made a hale and hearty grilled cheese sandwich with buttered 9-grain whole wheat bread. I apologize, only half of the sandwich lasted long enough to be photographed. I could NOT resist sinking my teeth into the smoky grilled cheese. Good eats.

Later in the evening I went socializing and the hostess had two types of Yancey’s Fancy she served with an assortment of fresh grapes, cherries and crackers. One was a Bergenost (buttery triple cream, Norwegian style cheese: decadent!) The other was a smoked gouda. What fortunate timing! I could compare the Applewood smoked cheese with the Yancey’s Fancy smoked cheese. Where the cheddar was smooth and the smoke taste was mellow, the gouda was a different consistency, a little more …uhm … rubbery, rather than creamy, and the smoke flavoring reminded me of mesquite … a totally different taste sensation! I much preferred the mellow quality of the Applewood cheddar. Thank you, Julie.

I found that neither of these smoked cheeses are firm enough to grate, and I wouldn't say either crumbled well, the way most cheddars do anyway. The cheddar melted in a most delightful way. I'll definitely make more grilled cheese sandwiches using that cheese, but I'll also try other breads.

I learned that applewood smoked cheddar originally was a mild cheddar smoked at a low temperature using apple wood, and then hand-rubbed with a mild paprika. Now, however, most cheesemakers add smoke flavoring to the cheese instead of actually smoking it. I did find that Carr Valley Cheese in Wisconsin still smokes their mild cheddar. Sid Cook is the master cheesemaker at Carr Valley, and the latest in four generations of Cooks to build their business using innovative measures based on old world craftsmanship. Check out their website at http://www.carrvalleycheese.com/

I couldn’t reach Betty for her feedback, but I’ll share that shortly! I am delighted that others will be contributing to this artisan cheese adventure; the more the merrier!

Ilchester Applewood Smoked Cheddar/pasteurized cow’s milk/Somerset, Great Britain

Yancey’s Fancy Smoked Gouda/pasteurized cow’s milk/Corfu, NY, USA

"Cheese Bites" ... A Fab Five ...

2009-06-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with Anneke, a gal-buddy of mine up along the Sunshine Coast; a good Dutch girl who loves her cheese. She was bemoaning the cost, and the too large size of the pre-packaged artisan cheeses up where she is in BC, Canada, and she can't seem to use it all up before it becomes a “science project.”

It reminded me again, what a benefit it is to seek out a cheesemonger who cuts their own cheese and can provide you with a smaller portion—usually a minimum of ¼-oz—to suit your individual need. But, we all aren’t so fortunate to have one close at hand.

However, I was just at Haggens in Fairhaven (Bellingham, WA) this morning and while in the cheese section of the supermarket was delighted to see a basket of single portion .06-lb cheese, called “Cheese Bites” available for purchase. I found a Tintern, a Cotswold, Beecher's "No Woman," Irish Whiskey Cheddar and Chipotle Cheddar.

I commented to the cashier how pleased I was with their Cheese Bites and she said they are very popular. Their client base includes a lot of students and retired folks. If your store doesn’t already do so, ask the store manager if they will package and sell these solo servings. They want your business, so why not ask?

Ah, but now let’s get down to the fun stuff … All five cheeses are made with pasteurized cow’s milk.

Tintern is a mature, very creamy cheddar, blended with chives and shallots. I really enjoyed the taste of the chives, but it didn’t overpower the cheese. Tintern has a distinctive bright green wax covering. It’s named after the Abby of the White Monks of Tintern in Wales. Shelf life is around 4 months and you can find out more about it at www.somerdale.co.uk/abergavenny.htm .

Cotswold is an English double Glouster w/chives. Very tasty, much like a mild cheddar with the added taste of the chives, but more creamy, not as crumbly. It would be super with crackers and grapes, or melt it in an omelet or a casserole.

I could well understand how Cotswold and Tintern are called “pub cheese” and would taste good with beer, unless you must have wine with your cheese and then would recommend a full-flavor red.

No Woman is by Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. Wow! I liked this one! Jamaican Jerk spices are added, which gives the cheese a warm, smoky, spicy flavor. It left a really enjoyable aftertaste on my tongue. If you go to their website: http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/ you’ll see they recommend serving it with dried mango and roasted almonds. I had it with a crisp apple and almonds … perfection! They also recommend pairing with beer or wine: a Hefeweizen or Red Ale, or a chardonnay.

Irish Whiskey Cheddar is a rich and creamy aged cheddar with unique undertones of the smooth, woody and robust taste of pure Irish whiskey. Entrenched in the history and traditions of Ireland, cheddar and whiskey are a dynamic duo. One thing I didn’t care for was that it seemed to coat the inside of my mouth. A good taste, but these other cheeses didn’t have that lingering feel.

I left the Chipotle Cheddar from Rogue Creamery for last because I thought it would have the strongest taste and I didn’t want it to overwhelm the taste of a more mild cheese. This is a tangy cheddar base, marbled with ground chipotle peppers. It’s briefly aged to infuse the cheddar with the KA-POW of chipotle. When I first bit into this cheese, I was surprised it didn’t have more of an immediate chipotle taste, but then the flavor literally unfolded in my mouth. This would be yummy on quesadillas or in chicken mole. Check out more on this cheese at http://www.roguecreamery.com/.

... a delectible cheese with which to end the taste of the Fab Five Cheese Bites!

Coming soon: my visit to Grace Harbor Goat Farm in Custer, WA.

Friends bearing gifts ...

2009-06-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was to meet some friends for happy hour at Packers Oyster Bar at Semiahmoo Resort. Julie Viereck was waiting for us when I arrived. She came bearing gift. She unwrapped a wedge of something green and said, “taste this cheese.” One does not tell Julie, “No.” So, taste, I did. A rush of wasabi horseradish overwhelmed my mouth. Whoa there, Nellie-san!

I like flavor infused cheese, but I had never had anything like this. It’s handcrafted by Yancey’s Fancy out of Corfu, New York. They offer among other cheeses, a line of six flavored cheddar cheeses, this Wasabi being one of the six. Their Jalapeño/Peppadew™ Cheddar is a consistent award winner, and I’ll have to try that one at another time.

Although my prior experience with wasabi had always been in conjunction with sashimi or in a California roll, I can well imagine this cheese melted on a piping hot baked potato accompanying a T-bone steak. I understand it doesn’t stand up to cooking, but would be interesting to pair up with some other dish. We ate it with sharp cheddar crackers and pretzel-like crackers. I found it went better with the cheddar crackers.

Yancey’s Fancy uses local pastuerized cow milk in their traditional Euro-style cheeses, which is then cured on Canadian hardwood shelves. They employ hands-0n techniques and pride themselves on the "unique 'mouth feel' and taste sensation." They can be reached directly at http://www.yanceysfancy.com/ or (585) 599-4448 857 Main Road, Corfu, NY 14036. Check out their website for the rest of their cheese line.

Or go to your local Costco. Julie said a recipe card was included with the Wasabi Cheddar that she bought there. I think it cost around $5.49/lb at Costco. Yancey’s Fancy offers a 100% money back guarantee.

Sayonara!

A little bit of this, a bit of that, add up to WOW!

2009-06-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening Antje and her sister, Nel, invited me over to share a bottle of wine. It was a last minute gathering and we threw together an impromptu platter of leftovers. I brought along what I had left of a really great Humboldt Fog® aged goat cheese, sliced kielbasa, and some raspberry jam. Antje cut some spinach naan she had purchased at Trader Joe’s, and had some black olive tapenade she had made, leftover from some other gathering.

We spread the creamy Humboldt Fog on the naan with the tapenade … a trio made in heaven! The raspberry jam was a wild-hair choice, but the sweet complemented the goat cheese when combined on the naan flat bread.

Oh baby, it was a feast! A nice, crisp Sauvignon Blanc. WOW. No fuss, no muss; all great tasting! Only topped by the great conversation enjoyed that evening.

Thanks, Antje!

I purchased the Humboldt Fog at The Market at Birch Bay here in Washington. Check out your local supermarket or cheesemonger. The taste sensation will be well-worth the search.

While on the subject of goat cheese, I just visited Tim and Grace Lukens at their Grace Harbor Goat Farm in Custer, WA. Look for upcoming article and photographs.

Humboldt Fog®
Our signature offering, Humboldt Fog® is an elegant, soft, surface ripened cheese. The texture is creamy and luscious with a subtle tangy flavor. Each handcrafted wheel features a ribbon of edible vegetable ash along its center and a coating of ash under its exterior to give it a distinctive, cake-like appearance. An American Original.

Cypress Grove Chevre
www.cypressgrovechevre.com
1330 Q Street, Arcata, CA 95521 (707) 825-1100
info@cypressgrovechevre.com

Keepin' it simple ...

2009-05-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

I don’t think it’s necessary to be snobby about artisan cheese. Admittedly, there are cheeses that are held in very high esteem—cheese royalty; sought after because of their extraordinary flavor or provenance. It’s awesome to consider that Americans have access to a broad and delicious diversity of cheese from the world over (Look for an upcoming article about local neighborhood grocery stores carrying artisan cheese.) And, true, there are people so well attuned and trained that they can taste a cheese and identify in the taste alone the specific dairy the cheese came from and whether it was a spring cheese or winter. But, I’m a simple woman, and I’m on a simple journey to experience artisan cheese.

Here’s a perfect example of what I mean.

After getting home late from work last night I didn’t really want to fix an all-out meal. I looked through my pantry and came across a can of Progresso Traditional Hearty Chicken and Rotini soup. Good enough. A can of soup is a great leaping off point.

I cut up a little chicken I had leftover from the night before, tossed it into the soup heating in a pan, sprinkled in a little Oregano, a pinch or two or three of Chicken Seasoning (garlic, salt, onion, lemon and orange peel, red pepper) and I was ready to dine; 10 minutes flat. It was fast, filling, and tasty, but was missing that yummy-factor.

I went through the refrigerator to see what else I could add to the soup, and came across a little bit of Comté. It’s firm enough to grate, so why not? I dished up the hot soup, grated a couple of tablespoons or so of the Comté on top of the soup and dug in with gusto. It MADE the simple soup a delightful experience! Amazing how a little grated artisan cheese transformed my canned soup from ho hum to Mama mia!

KISS

Comté or Gruyère de Comté
Alpine, hard, natural-rind cheese made from cow’s milk. Fat (45%). Has a taste that is only slightly fruity and a little stronger than its mild-tasting cousin, Emmenthal. The paste is ivory yellow and firm, and the crust is a bit rough. Comes in convex-walled wheel of about 75-lbs. This cheese has been made since the 13th century. Enjoyed with a red Burgundy, a Côtes-duRhône, a Muscadet or even with Beer. (A Basic Guide to Cheese by Pascale Maby)

Care for a little honey with that?

2009-05-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

While my friend Susan and I were indulging in a bagel-n-cream cheese and coffee at the Bellingham Barnes and Noble, I chanced upon a copy of a new cheese periodical, culture magazine. This baby is published four times a year and I had the Spring issue in hand.

Lovely presentation of information and photography; articles about artisan cheese things of interest here and abroad. I'm going to learn a lot flipping through these pages! I also think I put on 5-lbs just reading about Gorwyld Caerphilly from Wales, and the honey drizzled Picolo made at Andante Dairy in Petaluma, CA, or boar sausage with an Italian Pecorino.

So many cheeses, so little time! I'll do the best I can.

Culture is published Winter-Spring-Summer-Autumn by Cheese Toast, Inc., in Lynnefield, MA, for a mere pittance of $30 per year.

You can subscribe at www.culturecheesemag.com

Check with your local library to see if they carry this magazine. Maybe you can even ask if they would consider offering it! Do your part for cheeselovers everywhere!

Treasures in our own backyard ...

2009-05-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it often the case that a treasure trove in one’s own neighborhood is often overlooked? That would do such a disservice to Pleasant Valley Dairy in Ferndale, WA. I drive by this family-owned and operated dairy frequently during the course of a month. It just makes sense to start my cheese sojourn close to home.

Ownership of the dairy just recently passed to the third generation of Snook: Seth and Jenny. Joyce Snook is the cheesemaker, and they create raw whole milk Gouda, Farmstead and Mutschli (Moo’shlee).

All of their cheese is from fresh raw whole cow’s milk. Their “ladies” have consistently won top quality milk awards. They look peaceful and well cared for as they wander about the fields. Several came up to me and let me scratch their foreheads. Soft brown Poppy was particularly sweet.

Because the Pleasant Valley cheese is made with raw milk, they age the cheese for at least 60 days. They also offer a longer aged Farmstead, which imparts an agreeable sharpness.

Joyce makes the Pleasant Valley Gouda in the tradition of a Dutch culturing process, with the European style red wax covering. It has a creamy texture, mellow with a nut-like flavor.

Their Farmstead is created using a French process. Compared to the Gouda, it is a little dryer and the texture is firmer, and the flavor isn’t quite as sweet as the Gouda.

The third type of cheese they offer is Mutschli, made with a process from the mountains of Switzerland. It’s a smooth, firm cheese; sweet with a nut-like flavor.

If that weren’t enough, Joyce hand blends their Gouda with caraway, cumin, jalapeño, Fines Herbes, and/or peppercorn. They also offer a natural, wood smoked Gouda. And during the Christmas season they offer a clove blended Gouda.

I particularly enjoy the Fines Herbes and the smoked Gouda.

I threw together a bacon salad for dinner a couple of nights ago and decided to include thinly sliced farmstead, aged 90 days. I dressed the salad with a mango juice/orange juice/olive oil. What a lovely contrast in tastes!

Pleasant Valley shapes their cheese into 2 or 6-pound wheels, after which they are placed in a salt brine for a short time and then age them naturally in their curing room. If you don’t want a whole wheel, Jenny will cut your order to your specification.

Check them out for yourself!

Pleasant Valley Dairy is at 6804 Kickerville Road, Ferndale, WA 98248. You can e-mail them at cheese98248@yahoo.com. Credit cards are not accepted. Open 10am-6pm Closed Sundays. Their website is undergoing revamp and they hope to be shipping their delightful cheeses.