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Posts with tag local cheese

Tilston Point - Cheese Course

Tilston Point Blue
Our expert's weekly look at the world of cheese.

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 little carried 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.

Continue reading Tilston Point - Cheese Course

Cheese Course: Ouray

Ouray
I just cannot help myself from yelling "Hooray for Ouray!" every time I eat this intriguing cheese from upstate NY. Or, as cheesemonger Anne Saxelby says, "One bite and this cheese will leave you exclaiming OO-ray!" Ouray's luscious buttery texture and floral aroma combine elements of some of my favorite European cheeses. It has the minerality and milkiness of an English Cheshire. And, at the same time, it has the sweet bright taste and granular texture of an Italian Parmiggiano Reggiano.

While this cheese tastes delicious plain, its interesting texture and taste make it fun to pair with different drinks and condiments. The earthy nuttiness of Ouray pairs well with a glass of English ale. I suggest trying it with a light honey, such as acacia flower honey.

Visit Sprout Creek Farm!
Ouray is produced from the milk of cows that have been grazing on natural pasture. There are 4 breeds of cows living at Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie: Jersey, Guernsey, Shorthorn and Brown Swiss. To learn a little bit about the American agricultural heritage, I highly recommend visiting the farm. They even offer an educational program for children. Suggestions on where to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.

Continue reading Cheese Course: Ouray

Cheese Course: Grayson

Grayson cheeseThis past weekend, I was curious to try a new cheese for a party I was co-hosting. So, I visited Anne Saxelby in the Essex Street Market, and she suggested Grayson, a thick buttery raw cow's milk cheese. At first, I could not help but to compare it with Taleggio, one of my favorite Italian cheeses. Slowly, I began to taste a unique beefy and sweet flavor with nutty tones. Unlike most of the other American cheeses that I've written about, Grayson comes from Galax, Virginia.

I was struck by the complexity of Grayson as it slowly melted on my palate. When I purchased the cheese, Anne explained to me one of the main reasons why Grayson, an American cheese, can taste similar to the Italian Taleggio. It's produced in a region of the U.S. where the soil and climate are very similar to that of the Peidmont region of Italy where Taleggio is produced. The cheese is supple rich and decadent. I served it on it's own with sliced pears, walnuts, and almonds. You can also use this cheese as a local substitute for Taleggio. So, it's delicious melted on bread.

Visit Meadow Creek Dairy!
Rick and Helen Feete at Meadow Creek Dairy only produce cheeses when their cows are on natural pasture from April through October. From the 80 Jersey cows that they'll milk this season, approximately twenty percent of the milk will be used to make cheese. This allows the Feetes to use only the highest quality milk for every batch of cheese. They always use extremely fresh milk - they make cheese within two hours of milking. The Feetes wash the rind of Grayson resulting in a bright orange-brown rind, and they age the cheese naturally for 60 days. Suggestions on where to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.

Continue reading Cheese Course: Grayson

Who knew Maine had good cheeses?

Cheese plate
I was surprised by the number of restaurants, such as the Pentagöet Inn and Atlantica on the northeastern coast of Maine, that had local cheeses. I never knew how delicious the cheeses from Maine were until recently. I discovered four luscious creamy cheeses: Bleu Velvet, Golden Ridge Camembert, Seal Cove Chèvre, and Eleanor Buttercup. After savoring these cheeses, I was eager to find out more about cheeses from Maine. I visited the State of Maine Cheese Company in Rockport where I was given a map of all the cheese makers in New England.

Maine even has it's very own cheese guild that strives to support the growing Maine cheese community. Cheese-making is becoming popular all over the United States. What kinds of interesting local cheeses have you tried?

Cheese Course: Atlantic Mist

Atlantic Mist cheeseA couple of years ago, one of my friends suggested that I try Atlantic Mist, a creamy cow's milk cheese with a bloomy rind from Mecox Bay Dairy in Bridgehampton, NY. I finally tried it and was amazed at how similar it tastes to the raw milk Camemberts that I've eaten in France.

Most Camemberts that are imported into the U.S. are pasteurized and lack the sharp barnyard flavor and sweet fudge-like paste of a traditional raw milk Camembert. It's incredible that Atlantic Mist, a local cheese from the Hamptons, comes closer to the original than its pasteurized French counterparts. Atlantic Mist has an irresistible meaty aroma and a stunning gooey sweet taste.

Visit Mecox Bay Dairy!
If you're making a trip to the Hamptons, be sure to visit the dairy farm. Art and Stacy Ludlow and their sons Peter and John started to handcraft cheeses in 2003 from the milk of their small herd of Jersey cows. Atlantic Mist is aged for a minimum of 61 days and it's made in small batches. You can contact Mecox Bay Dairy at 631-537-0335 or you can email Art at art@mecoxbaydairy.com. Recommendations on where to purchase this cheese can be found after the jump.

Continue reading Cheese Course: Atlantic Mist

Tip of the Day

December may have peppermint bark, but have you thought to incorporate the taste of autumn into white chocolate with a rich pumpkin swirl?

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