The days when only Maytag Blue represented American blue cheese are long gone. From sweet and peppery Bayley Hazen Blue to the mineral-like taste of Tilston Point and the fruity pear flavor of Rogue River Blue, the options for American blue cheeses have dramatically increased. And, now, there's a new distinctly rustic blue cheese to add to this growing list -- Vaquero from Willow Hill Farm in Vermont.
Unlike other American blue cheeses, Vaquero has a creamy taste with a fascinating and delicious crispy dark chocolate flavor. "I would have to say it's the milk combination," explains Willow Smart, who co-owns the farm along with her husband, Dave Phinney. "We milk both sheep and cows, hence the yellow-ness from the cow's milk. We milk Brown Swiss and Dutch Belted cows, which always have very yellow milk as the beta-Carotene [red-orange pigment] from the pastures comes through in their rich milk."
Vaquero's rustic-looking rind, pale-yellow paste, and thick buttery consistency also make it stand apart from other blues. The natural exterior of the wheel appears similar to that of a Tomme de Savoie. Indeed, the cheese has the same brown Tomme de Savoie mold. Aged for three to five months, the molds, flavor and spreadable texture develop in caves that Willow and Dave built back in 1999.
Hand wrapped in grape leaves, Rogue River Blue has a smooth complex flavor that ranges from sweet and fruity to nutty. Its texture is intensely rich, reminiscent of a Roquefort Baragnaudes. However, unlike Roquefort -- which is produced from raw sheep's milk -- this blue is made from raw cow's milk. And in contrast to many blues, like Gorgonzola Piccante, this one is more sweet than spicy. So, for those of you whose palates have been traumatized by overly-pungent blues, this one is sure to win you over.
Like most delicious artisanal cheeses, the craftsmanship (and local collaboration) involved in producing Rogue River Blue is directly responsible for its brilliant taste and consistency. The cheese comes from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Ore. There, in the Rogue River Valley, the wheels are covered in grape leaves that are harvested from nearby Carpenter Hill Vineyard. But these aren't just any grape leaves: They're all macerated in Clear Creek's Pear Brandy and then tied to the cheese with strands of raffia.
Turkey, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart. Photo: Sarah LeTrent.
Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."
Despite appearances, tarts are quite rudimentary to assemble. Plus they are a simple and elegant way to use up your leftovers. When I found my refrigerator stocked with a lone baked turkey breast, blue cheese and an onion, the endless versatility of tarts struck a cord of culinary inspiration.
Seems like caramelized onions and pungent cheese -- be it blue, Roquefort or gorgonzola -- have an affinity for one another in many recipes. This savory tart is no exception: The sweetness of the onions is absolutely ambrosial with tangy fromage bleu. And while turkey tends to be overlooked in months that don't end in "ember," it is used here as a protein-packed topping.
In this weekly series, home cook Bruce Watson works his way through a decades-old family cookbook, adapting the best recipes exclusively for Slashfood.
Going through my old family cookbook, I came across my Aunt Renie's recipe for blue cheese meatloaf. Like many of Renie's recipes, this one has a long pedigree and an old school gourmet touch. However, the original had a heavy touch of sage, which made the loaf fairly bland.
Experimenting with various sauces in my kitchen, I found that the meatloaf tasted amazing when served with a hearty dollop of barbecue sauce. My modified version, featured below, integrates the barbecue sauce into the meatloaf, along with a huge amount of blue cheese. This, combined with a shorter cooking time, yields a finished product that narrows the distance between meatloaf and paté. With that in mind, you might consider serving this dish with sliced pickles, mustard or other paté accompaniments!
Get the recipe for barbecue blue cheese meatloaf after the jump!
Those mourning the loss of their beloved, stinky French Roquefort (which just saw a hefty tariff bump) will delight in this wallet-friendly blue from the good old U.S. of A.
Mineral Point (Wis.)'s own Tilston Point is not the most attractive hunk of cheese we've ever seen, with a yellow-orange hue and blue veins that lend it the appearance of a past-its-prime cheddar. For its unctuous flavor, though, it's worth it: Tilston Point features the complex, luscious texture of its French counterpart along with the earthiness of a Stilton. Its refined flavors range from sweet to mineral-like and linger on the palate. Tasting this fromage is like getting stuck to a bench, enraptured, in front of Monet's water lilies. (OK, maybe we're getting a littlecarried away. Long story short: It rules.)
Hook's Cheese Company's Tony Hook and wife Julie have been handcrafting cheese including cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack for more than 30 years. In 1997, they began perfecting a series of blue cheeses and in 2004 created Tilston Point, their sole washed-rind cow's milk blue, aging it for 10 months to a year. The company gets all of its milk from family-owned small local dairy farms boasting anywhere from 11 to 50 cows.
Though we've been covering goat's milk cheeses for the past couple of weeks, today I'd like to concentrate on an American blue raw cow's milk cheese from northern Vermont called Boucher Blue.
This sweet and creamy fromage has an earthy flavor reminiscent of the famous French Fourme d'Ambert. What sets it slightly apart is a unique taste of chestnuts and vanilla and a long finish on the palate. While Boucher Blue is certainly tasty eaten plain, it would also make a great addition to a fresh spring salad, such as one with watercress, prosciutto and hazelnuts.
Boucher Blue is handmade by brothers Daniel and Denis of the renowned Québecois Boucher family, whose 1,000 acre farm boasts 120 Holstein and French Normandy cows. The brothers have deep roots in the region: Their family has been cultivating land for nearly 400 years. Long ago they tilled the land by the Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River valleys in what was once New France (now Quebec). Their ancestor Pierre Boucher was celebrated after the French and Indian War for making peace with the Iroquois.
But it's just a humble cheeseball, you say, why call it "the ball of shame?" Well, because shame is what you feel when, in mid-manufacture, you say you'll just take one swipe with a cracker to see how it tastes and wind up scarfing down a half-dozen. Shame is what you feel when you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator at night, licking off the Saran wrap. However, pride is what you'll feel when you bring it to a party and watch people fall on it like starved hyenas.
The Auvergne region of France is full of lush green mountains as high as 7 thousand feet tall and the largest area of non-active volcanoes in Europe. It's the rich soil composed of minerals that contribute to the unique flavors of cheeses coming from the Auvergne. Persillé de Pont Astier is characteristic of this region. It's thick creamy and crumbly texture and its earthy spicy flavor is reminiscent of other blue cheeses from the Auvergne, such as Fourme d'Ambert and Bleu d'Auvergne. Neverthless, Persillé de Pont Astier stands out due to it's intriguing citrine paste and it's distinctive piquant taste Laiterie Antoine Garmy, located in the village of Pont Astier, handmakes Persillé de Pont Astier from the milk of cows grazing on lush pastures. The cheese is aged in natural caves, similar to those of the classic Roquefort. Since 1922, this dairy has been producing cheeses. Today, it also makes delicious yogurts, creams, and butter. If you're planning on traveling to France, I highly recommend taking a gastronomical excursion to the Auvergne and dining at Michel Bras.
Besides eating Persillé de Pont Astier plain, I suggest trying it on toasted whole wheat bread with a layer of dark honey. Chestnut honey may be too dark and bitter to pair with this cheese. However, I'd try it with a buckwheat honey. Suggestions on where to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.
Shropshire Blue is the bright festive cousin of Stilton. Its bright orange color seems appropriate for the fall season, especially Halloween. It's essentially produced the same way as Stilton, except that annatto is added to the recipe making the interior orange. Shropshire Blue is even more luscious and creamy than Stilton.
The story of this cheese dates back to Scotland during the 1920s. Dennis Biggins, who actually made his living grading Cheshire cheese, created the first wheels of Shropshire Blue. Today, the cheese is produced in Nottinghamshire, England by Richard Rowlett and Billy Kevan at Colston Bassett Dairy. The cheese is aged for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks.
Shropshire Blue pairs excellently with sliced pears, apples, and quince paste. If you're going to snack on this cheese with crackers, I suggest whole wheat crackers to balance out the striking pungency of the cheese. Similar to Stilton, it tastes exquisite with a glass of port. You can find this cheese at many different specialty food stores and cheese shops, namely Zabar's, Artisanal, Formaggio Kitchen, and Whole Foods. It sells for about $30 a pound at most stores.
Roquefort Vieux Berger has long been one of my favorite blue cheeses. The second you take a bite into this luscious blue, you taste a gritty sharp saltiness that mellows out and transforms into a sugary fruity flavor evoking the aroma of ripened dates, grapes, and apricots. The flavors are gorgeously well balanced and the texture is superbly thick and creamy. It's the best Roquefort that I have ever tasted, because it does not overwhelm the palate and leave an unpleasant strong aftertaste.
Like all Roqueforts, Vieux Berger is produced from raw sheep's milk. It's aged in damp caves found under the village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, in southwestern France. Perhaps, its uniqueness can be attributed to the fact that it's the Roquefort produced on the smallest scale. Its name seems to pay tribute to the enduring tradition of shepherds leading their sheep on the the Causses, vast plateaux found in the Aveyron, near the village of Roquefort. "Vieux Berger" means "old shepherd."
How should one savor this sweet succulent blue? Besides enjoying it plain à la française, you can eat it on whole grain toast with a variety of different condiments. My favorite condiment to pair with Roquefort Vieux Berger is chestnut spread. You can even taste it with a bold chestnut honey. A mirabelle jam will bring out the cheese's fruitiness and minimize its saltiness. Suggestions on how to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.
Posted Jun 17th 2008 4:57PM by Max Shrem Filed under: Cheese
I'll admit that when I was a child, the thought of eating blue cheese made me squeamish. Everything from its blue and green color to its stinky aroma repelled me. Overall, I think I was most disgusted by its mold. It was not until I moved to France and lived with a French family that I fell head over heels for this delectable category of cheeses.
Yes. It's true that blue cheeses contain different strains of molds (usually Penicillium roqueforti), but this should hardly be off-putting when you consider the fact that all cheeses are made up of bacteria. I guarantee that you'll forget about the molds, the smell, and the bacteria after you try an assortment of blue cheeses. In fact, you'll start to love all those traits that turned you off from them in the first place.
I love the diversity of blue cheeses. While some are earthy, firm, and mildly spicy, others are creamy, sweet, and salty. I find it hard to understand when someone states that they do not like any blue cheeses. There are so many various styles of blue that I find it inconceivable that someone would not find at least one pleasing. Four of my absolute favorites can be found after the jump.
Last night I called my husband on the way home from dropping off our babysitter. "What should we bring to the
party?" I asked. We were doing potluck with some of my best mama friends, plus hubbies and kids. I knew there
would be brie en croute (Olivia's specialty) so my husband's first suggestion was off the table. I thought a minute,
back to the snack I'd eaten in the midst of shopping at Bar
Pastiche.
Tapas, I thought.
So I stopped at my fave Italian
market and ordered a range of Spanish and Italian cured meats - jamon serrano, mortadella and a new kind of salami
suggested by the woman standing behind me in line (sorry for taking most of it!), and a jar full of pitted green
olives. I had Oregonzola at home and, once we
arrived at the party, quickly shoved some blue cheese into the olives. My husband set the lovely meats out on a platter
with the olives and extra crumbled blue cheese, making dirty martinis with some of the extra olives. Cured meats, blue
cheese stuffed olives, and a nice pink Spanish wine - salty and refreshing and delicious, a total hit. What do you
bring at the last minute?
Though we've been covering 
But it's just a humble cheeseball, you say, why call it "the ball of shame?" Well, because shame is what you feel when, in mid-manufacture, you say you'll just take one swipe with a cracker to see how it tastes and wind up scarfing down a half-dozen. Shame is what you feel when you find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator at night, licking off the Saran wrap. However, pride is what you'll feel when you bring it to a party and watch people fall on it like starved hyenas.
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