Got cheese? Got it made!

   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.

    

Good ol' Fashioned Community ...

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 ...

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!

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.

It's a matter of personal preference ...

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 ...

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

Grace Harbor Farms in Custer, WA

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

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/