"goatcheese" news and stories

For food lovers, spring is synonymous with goat cheese. Over the past month, cheesemakers like Peter Dixon at Consider Bardwell Farm and Laini Fondiller of Lazy Lady Farm, have been busy milking their goats and producing cheeses that will be ready for customers to buy in just a couple of weeks. We can't wait to try them, but why is this time of year particularly good for goat cheeses? Not surprisingly, one of the main reasons has a lot to do with pastures rich with grasses, herbs and flowers.

"The young sweet spring grass gives the milk so much flavor and butterfat," says Sergio Hernandez, manager of Bklyn Larder in Brooklyn, N.Y. More butterfat means the cheeses are richer and creamier. "Grass-based herds begin to graze on pasture in April, and the variety of grasses and flowers available directly affects the flavors in the cheese made from this milk," says Michael Anderson, affineur at Murray's. In other words, the flavor profile will be more complex. For instance, take Nettle Meadow Farm's Kunik. In spring, the wide variety of forages on the farm produces rich and herbaceous flavors in this cheese that are less pronounced in other seasons.

This is a beautiful example of less being more. Rough-shaped pizza dough brushed with a bit of oil and topped with squash, goat cheese and herbs -- simple yet delicious. What more could you want?

Create something similar in your own home, tonight: Pizza dough (fresh or frozen) is available at most supermarkets or at your local pizza place, and, if squash and goat cheese aren't your thing, choose a topping combination that is, such as tomato and mozzarella, mushrooms and fontina or roasted red peppers and ricotta. Go crazy . . . no one needs to know.

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Photo: Max Shrem.

Unlike a book not to be judged by its cover, you can always judge a cheese by its rind. Manchester, a raw goat's milk cheese from Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, Vt., has a stunning rustic rind (that must be eaten!) with ridges and brownish-yellow molds. In the U.S., we tend to associate mold with spoiled food; however, when it comes to artisanal cheese -- especially Manchester -- this association is just plain wrong.

The clay-like appearance of Manchester's ridges (which comes from the use of Italian cheese-basket molds) cannot be separated from the cheese's smooth, sweet aromatic flavor, which makes it comparable to a French Tomme de Savoie. In fact, it's the bacteria and mold around the cheese that contribute to this deliciously well-balanced masterpiece. Just eight weeks into the aging process, Manchester's rind already develops spots of red mold on what Peter Dixon, dairy foods consultant and cheesemaker at Consider Bardwell Farm, calls a "wild rind."

By "wild," does Dixon mean to say that the molds and the bacteria grow naturally out of nowhere? Well, yes and no. After making Manchester, Dixon uses a soft brush dipped in whey to wash the rind. "Whatever microbes like that [whey] will grow," says Dixon. "We make the cheese, and then create the look by turning the cheese and rubbing it a couple of times a week."

Coupole. Photo: Artisanal.

Unlike some goat's milk cheeses that have a pronounced grassy tang (that for some is unpleasant), Coupole has a mild vegetal taste that is sure to delight all palates. The chewy, dense, creamy texture of Coupole slowly dissolves on the back of the tongue, giving way to a subtle, sweet, yeasty flavor.

In fact, those interested in a beginner's goat cheese should look no further. Coupole is the perfect cheese to educate the less experienced palate on the grassy acidity of goat's milk. And, those who simply appreciate a well-made cheese will certainly be impressed by the well-balanced taste reminiscent of a "chicken-y risotto," according to Liz Thorpe, author of "The Cheese Chronicles" and vice president of Murray's.

Its taste may be atypically mild compared to other delicious goat's milk cheeses, like the ash-coated log from Pipe Dreams Farm, but its size and shape are definitely characteristic of a chèvre, such as Crottin de Chavignol -- a cylindrical dome. Indeed, Coupole's name translates from French to "cupola" or "dome."

Continue reading Coupole - Cheese Course.

Slices of cheese. Photo: quinn.anya, Flickr

• A visit to author Brad Kessler's farm while he tends to dairy goats and makes cheese with photographer wife Donna Ann McAdams.
• Giving up the land to live -- and cook -- on the sea.
• Scientists look to nanotechnology to transform fatty foods into healthier fare.
• Communal staff meals at a restaurant can be anything from bland to memorable when leftover ingredients get re-fashioned.
• A few grand white wines and the brews of Wachusett Brewing Company, including their fruity blueberry beer.
• An interview with Allandale Farms' John Lee.
• Eateries: The South End's Teranga boasts delicious Senegalese fare, West Roxbury's Skara Grill gives great Greek, Gill's Wagon Wheel is a classic country drive-in and Lyndell's Bakery has opened up shop in the North End.
  
• Recipes: Green Bean Salad with Black Olives with Lemon Vinaigrette, Charred Eggplant Dip, Grilled Chicken Salad with Pecans and Raspberries, Bolognese Sauce, Beets with Creamy Horseradish Dressing, Chicken Stir-Fry, Beet Greens Salad, Grilled Eggplant with Chevre, Chicken Galileo and Spicy Tuna Salad,