Several months ago, Tim Bucciarelli from Formaggio Kitchen recommended that I try their new Belgian cheeses. This past weekend, to celebrate my birthday my friends and I tasted their incredibly rich and smooth Saint Maure-style goat's milk cheese with a glass of champagne. My taste buds were pleasantly aroused by the dense creamy texture and the floral and grassy aroma emanating from the paste.
In many ways, this Belgian style Saint Maure tastes closer to an authentic French Saint Maure de Touraine that you might find in France. The French Saint Maure de Touraine that are imported into the U.S. are produced more industrially - this means that it's almost impossible to find a raw milk one being imported. This Belgian Saint Maure is produced with an incredible amount of craftsmanship by Daniel Cloots at the Cooperative Gros Chêne in Maffe Belgium. Besides handcrafting this luscious goat's milk cheese, they produce a variety of sheep and cow's milk cheeses.
Saint Maure Belgique exudes a subtle yet complex flavor of fresh milk, almonds, and bright pastures. I suggest savoring it on toasted whole wheat bread with drizzled olive oil and pepper. It's also worth trying with a light vegetable preserve or mostarda, such as green tomato mostarda. Since Formaggio Kitchen is the exclusive importer of this artisanal cheese, you can only find it being sold in their locations in Cambridge, Boston, and NY. I purchased mine from Ayse Gurdal at their NY location - $25 for a 14 ounce log. It's worth every penny!
What Can I Get You Folks? - Eating Out for Thanksgiving
In Defense of Guy Fieri
'Top Chef Vegas' - And Then There Were Five
