Comfort food and cheese save the day!

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

Keepin' it simple ...

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)